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Kim Jong Un inaugurated the giant Wonsan Kalma beach resort hub on North Korea’s east coast on Tuesday as part of his push to promote tourism.
Russia’s ambassador in Pyongyang was in attendance as chief guest as Mr Kim opened the sprawling complex, the Korean Central News Agency reported on Thursday.
The tourist zone in the port city of Wonsan in Kangwon province has housing, hotels and hostels for nearly 20,000 guests and is equipped with facilities for sea swimming, sports and recreation.
The project is a stepping stone in Mr Kim’s plan to boost tourism in one of the most isolated and secretive countries in the world.
Tourism remains one of the few ways North Korea can legally earn foreign currency since most of its economic activities are restricted by UN sanctions. However, the tourism industry is tightly controlled and designed to showcase a sanitised version of the country.
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A view of the opening ceremony of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone in Wonsan (EPA)
The opening ceremony was held “with splendor”, state media reported, and Mr Kim expressed “great satisfaction” at the development of the project.
The Kalma resort was the first step in developing cultural tourism in the country, he said, and the government would soon confirm a major plan to develop more large-scale tourist areas.
“Kim Jong Un expressed belief that the wave of happiness to be raised in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone would enhance its attractive name as a world-level tourist cultural resort,” KCNA said.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, sitting center, with his wife Ri Sol Ju, rear, and daughter tours the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone (AP)
The beach resort was first announced in 2014 and construction started in 2018, with an initial finish deadline of 2019. The construction came to a standstill during the 2020 pandemic as the country sealed its borders while international sanctions and material supply issues exacerbated delays.
North Korea started loosening the restrictions in 2023 after three years of almost no tourism, with no foreign visitors allowed in and limited information coming out.
In April, North Korea held the Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years, with about 200 foreign runners participating.
Mr Kim was accompanied at the inauguration of the Kalma resort by his daughter Kim Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju. It was his wife’s first public appearance since New Year’s Day in 2024.