North Korea makes tourism push as it opens Wonsan resort zone to Russian visitors
Published: 07 Jul. 2025, 16:10
![A view of a beach in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area is seen in this photo released by North Korea's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun on July 4. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/07/6590a066-ae6d-4dc8-b3b5-3efd64afe8f5.jpg)
A view of a beach in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area is seen in this photo released by North Korea's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun on July 4. [NEWS1]
North Korea is resuming efforts to revitalize its tourism industry, opening the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area to Russian tourists and recruiting international visitors for a trip to Pyongyang in conjunction with an October trade fair.
Groups of Russian tourists will begin an eight-day tour of the Wonsan Kalma area starting Monday, according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency.
Russian travel agency Vostok Intour is offering package tours to the Kalma resort in July and August at $1,840 per person. The package includes a flight from Pyongyang to Wonsan, four nights at the Kalma resort and a visit to the Masikryong Ski Resort.
Earlier this year, North Korea briefly reopened tourism to the Rason Special Economic Zone in February for foreigners, excluding South Koreans and Americans, but abruptly shut it down again after just three weeks.
That February reopening marked the first time since the Covid-19 border closures that North Korea had accepted Western group tourists. Last year, tourism was limited to Russian visitors in select areas such as Pyongyang.
North Korea plans to restart tourism in Pyongyang during the upcoming Pyongyang International Trade Fair (PITF) in October.
![A view of a water park in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone is seen in this photo released by North Korea's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun on July 4. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/07/07/dda9084f-b7b0-4aee-b04d-f7059e6ec90e.jpg)
A view of a water park in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone is seen in this photo released by North Korea's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun on July 4. [NEWS1]
Young Pioneer Tours, a China-based agency specializing in North Korea tours, announced on its website that it is recruiting tourists for a seven-night, eight-day tour of Pyongyang from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1.
Participants will be able to attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the trade fair and visit more than 450 booths featuring North Korean and foreign companies in various sectors, including machinery, IT, energy, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods and household items.
However, North Korea has explicitly prohibited participation by journalists, content creators and influencers, likely aiming to prevent the dissemination of negative images through media channels.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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