Sun, sand and surveillance: North Korea’s new beachfront resort opens for tourists

It’s not the first place that comes to mind for a beach holiday, but North Korea is hoping to change that.

The reclusive nation, long closed off to much of the world, is making waves with the unveiling of a massive new beach resort on its east coast. 

Set along the sands of Wonsan, the development has been years in the making, and it’s finally opening its gates, at least to locals for now.

The resort, stretching across four kilometres of coastline, is being pitched as a game-changer for North Korea’s struggling tourism industry. 

With hotels, shopping centres, restaurants, and even a water park on offer, it’s a bold move for a country more known for its military parades than seaside getaways.

State-run media, KCNA claims it can host up to 20,000 guests, though few of these details can be independently verified.

Wonsan isn’t just any town. It’s where leader Kim Jong Un reportedly spent part of his childhood, and where the country’s elite have long held seaside homes.

Once the site of a missile testing facility, the area has been transformed into what authorities are calling a “new era” for tourism. 

Kim, his wife Ri Sol Ju, and daughter Kim Ju Ae recently attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony, underscoring the regime’s personal investment in the project.

It may seem curious that a heavily sanctioned and impoverished nation is venturing into luxury tourism.

But this isn’t just about leisure – it’s a calculated economic move. With limited ways to earn foreign currency, North Korea sees tourism, especially from ally nations like Russia and China, as a rare income stream.

The country closed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic and only began easing restrictions in 2023. 

A few Western tourists, including travellers from the UK, Germany, France, and Australia were briefly allowed to enter earlier this year via China, but that policy was reversed weeks later.

For now, the resort appears to be aimed squarely at domestic tourists and potentially Russian nationals. 

Whether it will hold appeal for global travellers remains to be seen. Most tour groups still prioritise the capital Pyongyang, the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), and the eerie grandeur of the country’s Soviet-era monuments.

For the curious and bold, this development offers a rare glimpse behind North Korea’s curtain, presenting a polished façade in one of the world’s most secretive places.

IOL Travel