By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Following the opening of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, a resort designed to bolster tourism, North Korea has temporarily banned foreign visitors. The ban comes shortly after the arrival of the first Russian tourists and a meeting between Kim Jong Un and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. This new resort, with a capacity of 20,000 people, features hotels, restaurants, and a water park along a 4km beachfront. The decision to restrict foreign access follows a pattern of abruptly halting tourism, as seen with Western tourists earlier this year.
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North Korea bans foreigners from seaside resort weeks after opening, and it’s got everyone scratching their heads. You’d think, after putting all that effort into building a fancy new resort, they’d be eager to welcome visitors, right? Especially since this Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone was supposed to be a major win for Kim Jong Un’s grand tourism ambitions. Yet, here we are, with a “temporary” ban on foreigners just weeks after the grand opening. It’s almost comical!
The whole thing feels a bit like a plot twist, doesn’t it? The resort was promoted as a destination for both locals and international guests, yet suddenly, the doors are closed. Why? Well, that’s the million-dollar question. Is it a case of misbehaving tourists, poor bookings, or something more complex? Given North Korea’s… unique approach to things, the possibilities are endless. Maybe those Russian tourists they let in were just *too* rowdy. Imagine the scene: blaring music, cigarette butts everywhere, and… well, let’s just say the locals might not have been impressed. Perhaps this is less of a “welcome” and more of a “you can’t fire me, I quit” situation.
This sudden about-face has led to all sorts of speculation. Some people have suggested the ban is simply a face-saving measure because, let’s be honest, who’s exactly rushing to vacation in North Korea? Maybe the numbers just weren’t adding up, and instead of admitting defeat, they’re claiming it was “always” meant for locals. Others suspect a more sinister reason, like the resort being a hospital or rehabilitation center, maybe even for soldiers injured in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Now *that* would be a twist. Of course, there’s also the possibility of North Korean efficiency and a lack of planning.
And of course, let’s not forget the “Potemkin Village” theory. North Korea is known for creating impressive facades, and maybe this resort was just another example, built to impress, not to actually function. Foreigners, with their cameras and critical eyes, would have quickly exposed any shortcomings, so the best solution is to simply keep them out. In North Korea, the beatings will continue until morale improves, and until the ship is sailing in the right direction. It seems there may be something wrong with the buildings, and there is a rush to have them corrected before international visitors see them.
One thing is clear, North Korea’s tourism industry is far from smooth sailing. It’s also likely that there’s no interest in helping NK soldiers from Russia. A BBC article even mentioned that Russian tour agencies were advertising trips, but interest was incredibly low, with only a few dozen people signed up. The resort has a capacity of 200,000, suggesting that the entire scheme was flawed from the get-go. Regardless of the exact reason, this sudden ban is a clear indication that something went wrong. It’s a bit like the Eric Cartman strategy – deny access to build interest.
It is clear that the North Korean government prefers to have total control over what is seen, and the fact that the ban is “temporary” suggests there’s a chance, however slim, that they might open the doors again someday. But for now, the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone remains a mystery, a monument to ambition, with its doors firmly shut to the outside world. And really, who can blame them? The North Korean leadership wants to use it for themselves, and that is perfectly within their right.