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North Korea promotes off-season tour activities at Kalma beach resort

Published: 23 Sep. 2025, 11:13 Updated: 23 Sep. 2025, 11:58

Tourists watch as a man uses a slide into a swimming pool at the Myongsasimni Water Park in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in Wonsan, North Korea on July 2. [AFP/YONHAP]

North Korea is seeking to attract tourists to its east coast Kalma beach resort by promoting various tourist programs as it has entered the offseason, according to the North's state media Tuesday.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that a cuisine festival kicked off at the Kalma tourist zone in Wonsan the previous day, attended by competitors from Pyongyang and around 100 other cities and provinces.

Under the theme "World Cuisine at a World Tourist Destination," this year's event will feature an exhibition of special local dishes, a competition for instant food service and a show by top chefs and servers, according to the KCNA.

Last week, the resort area also hosted an art exhibition attended by the Mansudae Art Studio and other key art groups, featuring some 2,500 art pieces.

After years of development, North Korea opened the Kalma beach resort in the eastern coastal city of Wonsan in early July, aiming to attract foreign tourists.

The regime appears to be trying to attract tourists with cultural offerings as the resort area entered the off-season with the onset of autumn.

Foreign Trade of DPRK, an English-language tourism magazine published by North Korea this month, also highlighted tour activities available at the Kalma tourist zone, including surfing, parachuting, a bus tour to the nearby Mount Kumgang and skiing near the mountain.

Yonhap