North Korea Tourism Possible? Wonsan Coastal Tourist Zone Welcomes Tourists

[Financial News] North Korea's complex resort built in Wonsan, Gangwon-do, welcomed its first Russian tourists this week, reported the British public broadcaster BBC on the 12th. This resort was built referencing the Spanish resort city of Benidorm.
North Korea held a completion ceremony for the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone on the 24th of last month with the attendance of Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, and opened the resort first to domestic tourists on the 1st of this month.
According to the BBC, before the first tour departure date for Russian tourists, known to be the 7th of last month, a news team inquired as a customer to a Russian travel agency and received a response that 12 Russians had booked the package.




The cost of a week-long trip to North Korea, including three days at the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, is approximately 1800 dollars (equivalent to 2.48 million won), which is about 60% higher than the average monthly salary of a Russian worker.
According to the travel agency, two additional travel packages are scheduled for August, and the BBC reported that a total of three Russian travel agencies are selling tour packages that include the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone.
According to the initial plans for the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone obtained by the BBC, North Korea aims to attract more than 1 million foreign tourists annually. The main targets are China and Russia.
At the North Korea-Russia foreign ministers' meeting held in Wonsan that day, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, stated, "I am confident that more Russian tourists will visit here," and "Russia will contribute in every possible way, including operating flights."
The BBC reported that "the Wonsan-Kalma Tourist Zone is not only seen as playing a crucial role in rebuilding North Korea's economy from sanctions but also as a means to strengthen the relationship with Russia, which has been reinforced after North Korea's military support in the Ukraine war."



going@fnnews.com Choi Ga-young Reporter