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The announcement was made on July 18 via DPR Korea Tour, a website managed by North Korea’s tourism authorities, which stated the eastern seaside resort is “temporarily not receiving foreign tourists”. No explanation was provided regarding the duration of the ban or the reasons behind it.<\/p>\n
The mega resort is located on the country’s eastern coastline and officially opened to domestic visitors on July 1. A group of Russian tourists were the first foreigners to access the site earlier this month, leading many analysts to predict that Chinese tourists would soon follow, while visitors from other nations would continue to face restrictions.<\/p>\n
\nWith a capacity to accommodate nearly 20,000 guests, the Wonsan-Kalma complex has been promoted by Pyongyang as a centrepiece of its tourism ambitions. However, its future now appears uncertain.<\/p>\n
Tourism in North Korea:<\/strong> Adventure sports, seaside luxury resorts opens on July 1 \u2014 See pics<\/a><\/p>\n The decision to halt foreign entry came shortly after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the resort last weekend, where he held discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. During the meeting, Lavrov expressed optimism about the resort\u2019s appeal to Russian travellers.<\/p>\n \u201cI am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here,\u201d Lavrov remarked.<\/p>\n Despite this diplomatic overture, experts believe the sudden ban may have been triggered by critical media coverage. A Russian journalist accompanying Lavrov reportedly published an article suggesting that North Korean visitors at the resort may have been mobilised by state authorities, casting doubt on the authenticity of the holiday atmosphere.<\/p>\n \u201cThe North Korean government is believed to have determined that it would face some negative consequences when it opens the site to foreigners,\u201d said Oh Gyeong-seob, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. \nWhile Oh suggested the restriction would apply to all foreign nationals, including Russians, the North Korea-focused NK News cited tour operators indicating that Russian visitors may still be permitted under certain conditions.<\/p>\n
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