You’ve probably seen the satellite photos. A massive, neon-hued arc of skyscrapers hugging a white-sand beach on North Korea’s east coast. It looks like a glitch in the Matrix—a piece of Miami or Benidorm accidentally copy-pasted onto the shoreline of a hermit kingdom.
This is the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area.
For years, it was a ghost project. Construction cranes sat frozen. Deadlines passed like ships in the night. People joked it was Kim Jong Un’s most expensive sandcastle. But then, in late June 2025, the ribbon finally got cut.
Honestly, the scale is hard to wrap your head around. We’re talking over 400 buildings. High-rise hotels, luxury villas, a water park with slides that look terrifyingly tall, and enough room to sleep 20,000 people. It’s huge. It’s ambitious. And as of 2026, it's basically a very pretty, very empty stage set.
Why North Korea Wonsan-Kalma tourism exists (The real reason)
Most people think this is just a vanity project. While that’s part of it, the business logic is actually pretty straightforward. North Korea is under crushing international sanctions. They can’t export coal or minerals like they used to. But tourism? Tourism is one of the few legal ways for the regime to stack up foreign currency.
Kim Jong Un spent years in Switzerland as a kid. He saw how the Alpine resorts worked. He wants that "world-class" vibe.
By building Wonsan-Kalma, the government is betting that if they build a "socialist fairyland," the world will eventually come. They aren't just looking for Westerners with GoPros. They want the massive Chinese middle class and the growing Russian market.
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The Resort at a Glance
- Location: Kalma Peninsula, Wonsan.
- Capacity: 20,000 guests.
- Facilities: 54 hotels, a "beer hall," an auto shop (for some reason), and several "recreation centers."
- Vibe: Very 1980s Florida meets futuristic Pyongyang.
What it’s actually like on the ground right now
If you visited today, you’d mostly see locals. When the resort opened on July 1, 2025, it was flooded with North Koreans. The state media, KCNA, went wild with photos of kids in inflatable tubes and people eating cold noodles under red-and-white umbrellas.
But for the rest of us? It's complicated.
Western tourists are still effectively locked out. As of mid-January 2026, the country is technically "closed" to international tourism, with one very big exception: Russians.
The Russian Connection
Since the mutual defense treaty was signed in 2024, the relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang has reached "best friend" status. Russian tour agencies, like Vostok Intur, have been running trial groups. They take a bus from Vladivostok, hop on a train at Khasan, and eventually end up at Kalma.
A seven-night package at a four-star hotel in the zone runs about $1,500. Is it worth it? Some Russian bloggers have posted videos showing pristine, empty beaches and surprisingly modern buffets. But there's a catch—service can be spotty, and the "luxury" is skin-deep.
The elevators sometimes don't work. The Wi-Fi? Forget about it. You're in North Korea. You’re there to see the sea, not check your emails.
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The "Empty Resort" Problem
There is a glaring issue with North Korea Wonsan-Kalma tourism: demand.
You can build 54 hotels, but you can’t force people to fly there. Outside of the occasional Russian group, the resort is a "Twilight Zone" of empty lobbies. Experts like Mitsuhiro Mimura and analysts at 38 North have pointed out that the resort needs a constant flow of foreigners to stay profitable.
Maintaining 400 buildings in a salt-air environment is expensive. If the rooms stay empty, the buildings will start to rot. We’ve seen this before at Mount Kumgang, where the facilities eventually crumbled after South Korean tours were halted in 2008.
The weird history of the Kalma Peninsula
Before it was a resort, Kalma was a missile testing site.
Seriously. In 2016 and 2017, the very same beach where kids now play was the launchpad for Hwasong-10 intermediate-range missiles. Kim Jong Un literally turned a "field of fire" into a "field of fun."
The transition wasn't smooth. The project was supposed to open in 2018. Then 2019. Then the pandemic hit and North Korea welded its doors shut. The fact that it’s open at all in 2026 is a minor miracle of state-directed labor. Thousands of "soldier-builders" worked through winters to finish the tiling and the landscaping.
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Can you actually visit in 2026?
If you’re holding a US or UK passport, the answer is a hard no.
The US State Department still has North Korea on its "Level 4: Do Not Travel" list. Even if you could get a visa, your government would strongly advise against it. British and European agencies are also in a holding pattern.
Current Access Paths
- Russian Citizens: You’re in luck. Group tours are your best bet.
- Chinese Nationals: There are rumors of a reopening for Chinese bus tours later this year, but nothing is official yet.
- Everyone Else: You’re waiting on the "general reopening" that travel companies like Young Pioneer Tours have been predicting for months.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you are genuinely looking to experience North Korea Wonsan-Kalma tourism once things open up, here is the reality of the logistics:
- The Drive: It’s a 4-hour bumpy ride from Pyongyang. You’ll stop at the Sinpyong Rest Stop halfway. Try the snacks, but maybe skip the "snake liquor" if you have a weak stomach.
- The Cost: Expect to pay a premium. Because Wonsan-Kalma is a "flagship" project, prices will be higher than the older hotels in Pyongyang.
- The Experience: Don't expect a typical beach holiday. You will be accompanied by guides. You cannot leave the resort zone on your own. You won't be "exploring" Wonsan city without supervision.
- What to Pack: Bring everything you need. While there are "department stores," the selection is mostly domestic goods or Chinese imports that might not be what you’re used to.
Moving Forward
Wonsan-Kalma is a gamble. It's a billion-dollar bet that North Korea can pivot from a nuclear-focused pariah state to a regional vacation hub. Whether it becomes the next "Waikiki of the East" or just the world's largest collection of empty seaside apartments depends entirely on politics, not the quality of the sand.
Keep an eye on the flight schedules for Kalma International Airport. If you see regular Air Koryo flights popping up there from Beijing or Shanghai, that’s your signal that the resort is finally "real."
For now, it remains a fascinating, slightly surreal monument to a country’s attempt to change its brand without changing its system.