Thumbs Up with Inner Tubes at "World-Class" Resort, But 14-Minute Video Reveals a Twist

[Anchor]

North Korea has been continuously promoting the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourism zone, which is considered one of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's key priority projects. While praising it as a world-class tourist destination, foreign tourists are barely to be seen.

Reporter Kim Ayeong.

[Reporter]

People enjoying jet skiing and paragliding.

This is a 14-minute video broadcast by Korean Central Television on August 9, depicting the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourism zone in North Korea.

[This Myongsasimni beach is the best in the world.]

North Korea claims that it is becoming a world-class tourist city.

[The Wonsan-Kalma coastal zone is emerging as a peerless, world-class coastal tourist city.]

However, looking at the beach in the video,

it somehow does not seem to have many tourists.

In particular, foreign tourists are hardly to be found anywhere.

The number of Russian tourists remains minimal, and Chinese tourism—which once accounted for 90 percent of tourism to North Korea—has not resumed in earnest.

[Kim Hankyu / Deputy Director at Korea Tourism Organization (North Korean tourism expert): The suspension continues to persist. In fact, since the peak season is passing, we should consider the possibility of [Chinese tourism] for this summer to be over.]

North Korea promotes that this tourism zone has a daily lodging capacity of 20,000 people, and its sandy beach can accommodate 40,000 people a day.

Considering that the daily capacity was limited to 3,000 people back when South Korean citizens could visit Mount Kumgang in North Korea, it can be seen as a considerable scale.

It is analyzed that tourism is currently taking place mainly for North Korean residents, functioning as a sort of rewarded vacation.

[Korean Central Television / August 10: Hundreds of labor innovators, including those from the Tokchon District Coal Mining Complex and the Sinuiju Cosmetics Factory, spent joyful days of tourism here.]

Radio Free Asia, citing a source in North Hamgyong Province, reported that selected residents receive invitation tickets that act as admission passes to Wonsan-Kalma, but because they have to pay separately to use auxiliary facilities, there are cases where people resell their invitation tickets.

(Video Editing: Oh Young-taek)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.