North Korea’s Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, dubbed “Kim Jong-un’s Benidorm” by LADbible, opened on July 1, 2025, after years of delays from sanctions and COVID-19 setbacks. Hailed by Kim as “one of the greatest feats” of the year, per KCNA, the 2.5-mile beachfront resort in Kangwon province boasts hotels, a water park, and capacity for 20,000 guests. Initially planned for 2019, the project transformed a former missile test site into a tourism hub, with Kim envisioning it as “North Korea’s Waikiki,” per The New York Times. The first foreign visitors, a group of 15 Russians arriving July 11 via Pyongyang, experienced the resort’s “cool infrastructure,” including electric trams and a pristine artificial beach, but their reviews reveal a tightly controlled environment, per NK News.
Surveillance and Restrictions
Russian blogger Daria Zubkova, one of the first visitors, described constant chaperoning by “minders” who followed tourists everywhere, even on the beach, under the guise of “sweet concern” to prevent them from getting lost, per LADbible. She noted, “You are accompanied everywhere… they just walk behind you.” Tourists were wary of their phones being bugged, with Zubkova acknowledging, “Most likely, I think there is probably all of this,” though she dismissed fears as she had “nothing to say” incriminating. Sending an email cost £1.65, sent from the hotel’s mailbox with warnings that messages could be monitored, requiring room numbers in subject lines for replies. X posts, like @RT_com’s, echoed her account, highlighting the resort’s appeal but noting the surveillance. Visitors were also told to bring their own tea, coffee, and sugar, as these were unavailable, and fruit was absent from menus.
A Quiet Resort with Attentive Service
Despite its capacity, the resort felt empty, with most sun loungers unoccupied, per LADbible. Zubkova’s group of 13 was transported from Pyongyang on a new, air-conditioned train after a planned flight was inexplicably canceled—an “unthinkable” luxury for so few, she remarked. The group was moved to lesser accommodations due to officials and press, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, occupying prime spots during his July 12 visit, per 38 North. Despite this, tourists praised the staff’s attentiveness. Pavla Gambal noted, “The sea is warm, the beach is clean, the food is very tasty,” while another said, “You say you want music, and they bring a speaker right there,” per LADbible. Meals featured ample meat and fish, with staff eager to please.
Economic and Political Context
The resort, costing hundreds of millions, aims to draw foreign currency to North Korea’s sanctioned economy, but a sudden ban on foreign tourists was announced on July 17, per The Hindu. Only Russians have been allowed since the pandemic, with fewer than 900 visiting in 2024, compared to pre-COVID Chinese crowds, per NPR. Lavrov, hosted by Kim on a yacht at Kalma, called it a “fantastic holiday destination,” per The Independent, but the ban dims prospects for broader tourism. Experts like Ahn Chan-il of Seoul’s World Institute for North Korean Studies warned that without foreign visitors, the resort risks financial failure. X posts, such as @RussiaPost_tw’s, questioned the abrupt closure after Lavrov’s visit, suggesting geopolitical tensions or internal issues.
Mixed Reviews Amid Human Rights Concerns
Zubkova called her trip “pure relaxation” and felt “lucky” to visit, despite the surveillance, per LADbible. However, human rights concerns linger. BBC Verify reported that “shock brigades” of forced laborers faced harsh conditions to meet construction deadlines, raising ethical questions about the resort’s development. The resort’s future remains uncertain, with analysts like Andrei Lankov doubting its appeal to Russians who prefer Turkey or Thailand, where they face less scrutiny. For now, Wonsan Kalma serves North Korea’s elite and select Russians, but its empty beaches and heavy surveillance, as noted on X by @nocomment, highlight the challen
