The extensive resort Wonsan-Kalma on North Korea's east coast opened with great pomp and circumstance earlier in July. The resort, with space for up to 20,000 guests, was intended to become an engine in the North Korean economy and receive Russian tourists.
But just a few days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the resort, North Korea's tourism authority announced that foreigners are not welcome.
"Foreign tourists are not accepted at the moment," said the authority without giving further details.
The country's leader, Kim Jong-Un, who participated in the opening of Wonsan-Kalma, has long wanted to develop the tourism industry in the country. Since February 2024, Russian tourists have been welcomed to the otherwise so closed country.
