North Korea’s New Tourist Attraction - Beach Resort: Wonsan-Kalma

If you're the kind of traveler who thinks Bali is "too basic," the Amalfi Coast "too Instagrammed," and Cancun "way too Cancun," boy, do I have a vacation spot for you. Pack your bags, hide your Instagram stories, and brace yourself because North Korea—yes, that North Korea—is finally opening its much-hyped coastal tourist zone: Wonsan-Kalma.

The grand opening? A glittery, ribbon-cutting affair personally supervised by Supreme Leader and aspiring TripAdvisor influencer Kim Jong Un himself, who declared the occasion “one of the greatest successes this year,” which, for a country cut off from the world, says a lot—or very little.

Let’s dive into what makes this ultra-exclusive beach resort the most surreal destination on Earth.

Where in the DPRK Are We?

The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone is nestled on North Korea's east coast, facing the Sea of Japan—unless you're in North Korea, where it's patriotically known as the East Sea of Korea. (Geopolitics: it's everywhere, even in your beach views.)

Spanning a golden 4-kilometer stretch of beach, the resort reportedly boasts:

• Multiple hotels

• Restaurants and cafeterias (with menus likely featuring the greatest hits of government-approved cuisine)

• Sports and recreation facilities

• A water park

• Shopping malls

• And the warm, watchful gaze of the state at all times

It's beachy. It's bold. It's bizarre. It's... North Korea, baby.

From Missile Site to Massage Suite

Here’s a little twist of irony for you: Wonsan is no stranger to international attention. It was once home to a missile testing site. Yes, the same beaches where you might one day sip soju under a beach umbrella were previously used to fire ballistic rockets into the sea.

But in the spirit of make beaches, not war, Kim Jong Un had a vision: to turn his beloved hometown into the Côte d'Azur of the DPRK. Kim spent much of his youth in Wonsan, where many of North Korea’s elite have seaside villas. Now he wants you (well, mostly Russians for now) to join the party.

“The Proud First Step” (Into What, We’re Not Exactly Sure)

At the grand opening ceremony—where Kim Jong Un, his daughter Kim Ju Ae, and wife Ri Sol Ju made an appearance alongside the Russian ambassador—North Korean state media declared this a “great, auspicious event” and a “prelude to a new era of tourism.”

A prelude, indeed. The country has been mostly closed off to foreign tourists since early 2020, when COVID gave Kim the perfect excuse to do what he does best: shut the borders tighter than a hotel minibar. But now, the doors are creaking open—very selectively.

For Now, It’s Locals Only… Sort Of

North Korea plans to kick things off with domestic tourism. That’s right—your average Pyongyang resident can now enjoy some good old-fashioned beachside fun, assuming they’ve earned it via loyalty, labor, or lineage.

International visitors? Don’t hold your breath. Unless you’re Russian! The first group of Russian tourists is scheduled to arrive July 7th for an eight-day itinerary featuring stops at Wonsan-Kalma and a quick peek at Pyongyang's greatest hits: statues, subway stations, and ideological instruction.

Why Russians first? Because friendship with Moscow is trending hard in Pyongyang. In exchange for helping Russia's war efforts in Ukraine with ammo and, allegedly, boots on the ground, North Korea is receiving economic and military support—not to mention a few hearty tourists.

Meanwhile, China, the country’s traditional sugar daddy, seems to be in the doghouse—or just hesitant to sign up for Team Anti-West in such an obvious way. While 90% of North Korea’s pre-pandemic tourists came from China, tours have yet to resume at scale. Tensions? Perhaps. Awkward silences? Likely.

Is This Just a Beach or a Carefully Staged Instagram Trap?

Here’s the million-won question: what exactly will foreign tourists get to do at Wonsan-Kalma?

• Sunbathe under the watchful eye of your minders
  Forget about SPF. Your biggest protection here is your tour guide, who will ensure your photos include only the most scenic views.

• Ride the slides at the water park
  Yes, North Korea now has a water park on the beach. But if you do slide down a water chute while waving to Kim Jong Un's portrait, that's a memory that stays with you forever.

• Eat local delicacies
  Dining at the resort’s restaurants could include cold noodles, pickled vegetables, and grilled seafood.

• Go shopping
  Want a souvenir? Think pins, and perhaps a “Visit Wonsan” T-shirt with the likeness of Kim Jong Un giving a thumbs-up.

The Real Motive: Follow the Money (and Missiles)

While this might all seem like a charming detour into travel satire, there’s a real reason behind the push to make Wonsan a global beach destination: cold, hard cash.

North Korea's economy is, to put it nicely, not doing great. Sanctions, droughts, border closures, and lavish military spending have left the country in financial free fall. Tourism, especially high-margin group tours, offers a rare legal-ish way to bring in foreign currency without having to dig it out of a uranium mine.

That’s why Kim isn’t stopping with Wonsan-Kalma. KCNA has hinted that more mega-tourism projects are in the works. You get a resort! And you get a resort! Everyone gets a resort! (Unless you’re American or South Korean)

Will Westerners Ever Be Allowed In?

If you’re an American or South Korean dreaming of frolicking through North Korea’s version of Club Med, you might want to hold off booking those flights. The odds of U.S. tourists showing up for beach volleyball in Wonsan anytime soon are about as high as Dennis Rodman becoming Secretary of State. (Wait… don’t tempt fate.)

Despite past bromance energy between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump—who once said, “He’s got tremendous condo capabilities”—there’s no current indication that the regime is eager to restart dialogue or roll out the beach towel for the West.

And let’s be honest: even if they did, would you really trust your spring break to a country where travel agencies list "guided hotel elevator usage" as part of the itinerary?

A Surreal New Chapter in Dark Tourism

Here’s the thing: as strange as it sounds, North Korea does have a small but devoted fan base among adventurous (read: slightly unhinged) travelers.

Tour companies like Young Pioneer Tours and Uri Tours cater to this crowd—people who want to step into a real-life Truman Show and come back with photos of surreal monuments, choreographed parades, and eerily empty streets.

But even they are skeptical about Wonsan’s international draw. As one tour operator put it: “This won’t replace the appeal of Pyongyang, the DMZ, or the regime’s over-the-top architecture.”

Still, as Elliott Davies of Uri Tours points out, the idea of experiencing something as familiar as a beach resort through the uniquely weird lens of North Korea could appeal to a certain kind of traveler—the type who’s done Everest, Machu Picchu, and Burning Man and thinks, “What’s next? Ah yes, sunset mojitos under state surveillance.”

TL;DR: Wonsan-Kalma Is the Weirdest New Resort on Earth

So what have we learned?

• North Korea has a shiny new beach resort.

• You probably can’t go there—unless you’re Russian.

• Kim Jong Un really wants this to be his tourism mic drop.

• The whole thing is equal parts fascinating and deeply dystopian.

• There’s a water park. Repeat: there’s a water park.

Will this be the beginning of North Korea’s transformation into a niche travel hotspot? Or is it just another Potemkin village with a splash of salt water and a side of geopolitical spectacle?

Who knows. But in the meantime, one thing is certain: in the great travel bingo card of life, "luxury resort in North Korea" is officially a square.