Image source, KCNA
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- Author, Kelly ng
- Author's title, BBC News
North Korea will open a spa with which its leader, Kim Jong-un, hopes to boost tourism in the hermetic communist regime, state media reported.
Wonsan Kalma, on the east coast, will open its doors to national tourists on July 1, six years after the planned date of completion. It is not known when it will receive foreigners.
Kim grew up surrounded by luxury in Wonsan, where much of the country's elite has private villages, and the leader has been trying to transform the city, which in the past housed a missile test field.
The state media KCNA states that the spa has capacity for 20,000 visitors and occupies an extension of 4 km beach, with hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and an aquatic park. The existence of these facilities could not be verified independently.
North Korea has been severely sanctioned for decades for its nuclear weapons program and is among the poorest countries in the world.
He invests most of his resources in his army, monuments and emblematic places – often in Pyongyang – to enhance the image and cult of the Kim family, which has ruled the country since 1948.
Some observers claim that this is an easy way to generate income for Pyongyang.
Although the entry of foreign tourists is allowed, tourism groups usually come mainly from China and Russia, countries with which Pyongyang has long maintained friendly relations.
“I expected this to indicate a broader reopening to international tourism, but unfortunately for now it does not seem to be so,” Rowan Beard, co -founder of Young Pioneer Tours, told the BBC.
Foreign tourism was affected during the Covid-19 pandemic when the country closed its borders in early 2020.
It was not until mid -2023 when restrictions were reduced and, a year later, Russian visitors were welcomed.
In February of this year the entry of more Western visitors and tourists from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Australia were allowed, the border crossed from China.
Weeks later, tourism was abruptly suspended without explaining the reason.
Image source, Reuters
Some travel agencies are skeptical about Wonsan's appeal for foreigners.
“It is unlikely to be a great attraction for most Western tourists,” says Beard.
“Key sites such as Pyongyang, the demilitarized area (DMZ) and other brutalist emblematic places or communism will continue to be the main attractions for international visitors once tourism resumes in general,” he says.
However, Elliott Davies, director of Uri Tours, states that North Korea has a specific attraction for travelers looking for unconventional destinations.
“It is fascinating to experience something as familiar as a spa that has been shaped in the unique cultural context of North Korea.”
Kcna described Wonsan's development as a “great auspicious event for the whole country” and described it as a “prelude to the new era” of tourism.
Initially, its inauguration was scheduled for October 2019, but suffered delays in construction before the pandemic.
Kim attended a ceremony to celebrate his completion on June 24, accompanied by his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. This was RI's first public appearance from a New Year event.
The Russian ambassador to Pyongyang, Alexander Matsegora, and the embassy staff also attended.
Some tour operators expect the complex to open Russian tourists, who are currently the only foreigners authorized to enter some parts of the country.
The opening of the complex occurs at a time when North Korea and Russia strengthened their alliance against the sanctions of the West.
North Korea sent soldiers to fight with Russia in his invasion of Ukraine.
On Thursday, both countries also reopened a direct passenger railway route among their capitals after a five -year suspension due to the pandemic.
Image source, KCNA
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