North Korea has stopped allowing foreigners to visit a new beach resort on its east coast, just days after Russia’s foreign minister visited and promised to help bring in more tourists. The Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area opened this month, but now the National Tourism Administration says it is temporarily closed to foreign visitors. No reason was given for the sudden change.

The beach resort is one of Kim Jong Un’s special projects. He even has a private mansion nearby and often visited during its construction. The resort includes around 7,000 guest rooms, luxury hotels, private villas, a waterpark, and even an airport, as reported by North Korean state media. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently visited the area and met with Kim on his private yacht. He said Russia will do all it can to send more Russian tourists to North Korea.

Tourism is very important for North Korea’s economy, especially with many international sanctions in place. However, only a small number of Russian tourists have been allowed in since the country began easing its COVID-19 border rules. North Korea closely watches all foreign visitors, who must stay in approved hotels and are not allowed to move freely in the country.

Trump’s meet with Kim Jong Un

Back in 2018, during his first meeting with Kim Jong Un,U.S. President Donald Trump presented  a unique idea: building beach condos in North Korea in exchange for the country agreeing to give up its nuclear weapons.
“They have great beaches,” Trump said at a news conference. “You see them when they’re firing their cannons into the ocean. I told Kim, ‘Look at that view, wouldn’t that make a great condo?'”

But Trump’s real estate-style diplomacy didn’t lead to any real results. Although Trump and Kim met three times, Kim didn’t stop working on nuclear weapons. Since then, North Korea has refused to talk to the U.S. and has become a strong ally of Russia, even supporting its war in Ukraine.

Now, North Korea has suddenly stopped letting foreigners into its new beach resort, the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area. The government hasn’t explained why, but some experts believe the resort isn’t fully ready.
The 38 North program, which watches North Korea using satellite images, said: “The resort is open, but not finished.

One big hotel doesn’t seem to be in use, and even the rooftop pool hasn’t been filled with water yet.”
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently visited the area and met with Kim. This came less than a month after North Korea agreed to send 6,000 more workers to Russia’s Kursk region, following a meeting between Kim and Sergei Shoigu, one of President Putin’s top aides and former Defence Minister.