The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is stopping foreign visitors from coming to its newest beach resort less than a month after it opened to the public.
The scenic Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area on the nation’s east coast announced Friday that it will “temporarily” be banning international tourists without offering an explanation.
It is an about-face to the beach club’s declared goal of attracting overseas visitors and helping initiate a tourist industry in the totalitarian, hermetic country.
The timing of the regime’s decision is raising questions — the first batch of Russian visitors arrived at the resort last week.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was in the city at the same time, meeting with his North Korean counterparts and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.
Kim was previously joined by Russian ambassadors at the resort’s grand opening in late June. He and his young daughter, Kim Ju Ae, were photographed watching North Koreans use a park waterslide while enjoying drinks and cigarettes.
Russians and Chinese citizens were expected to be key demographics for the resort.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously called Wonsan Kalma a “fantastic resort” and its accommodations “perfect” in an interview with state media.
Wonsan has long been among North Korea’s richest neighborhoods and is widely seen as a luxury playground for the nation’s elites.
Kim spent much of his youth in the region, which has vacation villas and shopping malls utterly foreign to the rest of the impoverished country.
The launch of Wonsan Kalma was heavily promoted in North Korea and Russia. Press releases and promotional photography showed visitors enjoying attractions and sitting poolside in beach chairs.
However, the background of some images appeared to betray an almost entirely empty park behind the photo subjects in staged poses.
The resort reportedly boasts a hotel, a shopping center, restaurants, and a water park. The government claims the two-mile tract of beach can accommodate up to 20,000 guests.
It was originally planned to open in April 2019, the birthday of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.
RUSSIA WARNS US AND ALLIES AGAINST BUILDING ALLIANCES TARGETING NORTH KOREA
This time frame was compromised by the sheer amount of construction and the COVID-19 pandemic, which ravaged North Korea more intensely than other countries due to widespread malnutrition and a lack of healthcare.
The North Korean tourism board has not provided a timeline for when the resort will be reopened to foreign travelers, but the loss of income could prove troublesome for the upkeep of the luxurious complex.
