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North Korea Opens Wonsan-Kalma Beach Resort Ahead of Russian Tourists

With capacity for 20,000 visitors, the resort embodies Kim’s drive to earn foreign currency under sanctions, with the first Russian group arriving July 7.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, sitting centre, with his wife Ri Sol Ju, rear, and daughter tours the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone in North Korea Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae stand on the beach during a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, in Wonsan, North Korea, June 24, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae walk inside a hotel during a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, in Wonsan, in North Korea, June 24, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae watch a person sliding down a slide during a ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, in Wonsan, North Korea, June 24, 2025. KCNA via REUTERS

Overview

  • The resort stretches 2.5 miles along the east coast and offers hotels, hostels, sea-bathing facilities and sports amenities for nearly 20,000 guests.
  • Kim Jong Un led the June 24 ribbon-cutting alongside his wife Ri Sol Ju and daughter Kim Ju Ae, with Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora in attendance.
  • First announced in 2014, the Wonsan-Kalma project overcame delays from COVID-19 border closures and sanctions on construction materials.
  • Service for domestic tourists begins July 1, marking North Korea’s first major tourism reopening since sealing its borders in 2020.
  • Russia’s Primorsky region has scheduled the inaugural foreign tour group to depart on July 7 for an eight-day visit to Wonsan and Pyongyang.