The Wonsan Geumgang complex with dozens of hotels, villas and modern amenities is expected to become a model of international tourism in North Korea.
Báo Hà Tĩnh•28/06/2025
The Wonsan Geumgang Resort will officially open on July 1, after more than 11 years of development. The grand opening ceremony was attended by leader Kim Jong-un, his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Kim Joo-ae. This is the first time Ms. Ri has appeared in public since December 2023. Photo: KCNA. Located on a 16-kilometer stretch of sand on the east coast, the Wonsan Geumgang resort is being built on an unprecedented scale in the North Korean tourism industry. According to descriptions from domestic media, the entire complex includes more than 10 high-rise hotels, about 30 clusters of independent resort villas, along with many auxiliary facilities such as theaters, shopping malls, outdoor sports areas and amusement parks. Photo: Rodong Sinmun. The hotels here are arranged along the coast, most of them are 5 to 15-storey buildings, with sea-view rooms and an estimated capacity of several thousand guests per day. Between the hotels are private villas, each cluster of 5 to 10, designed separately and with their own entrance. The central area is planned as a community living space with seafood restaurants, a night market and a square serving major events. Photo: Rodong Sinmun. A cultural center and an outdoor theater with a capacity of thousands of seats were also built to hold art performances on major holidays or to welcome special guests. Photo: Rodong Sinmun.
Right next to the sea is an amusement park and an outdoor swimming pool, a sand-side sports area including a beach volleyball court, a public gym and a multi-kilometer jogging track running along the coast. Photo: Rodong Sinmun. The internal traffic system uses small tram lines connecting the subdivisions. Underground parking lots are scattered to reduce traffic pressure on the ground. Photo: KCNA. According to a government statement, the entire complex is intended to become a "high-standard coastal tourist city" with a design "with North Korea's own identity", demonstrating self-reliance in economic construction and development. Photo: Rodong Sinmun.
The project was of particular interest to Mr. Kim Jong-un, who personally inspected it many times and set a target of completion by 2019. However, due to a lack of construction materials and the impact of the epidemic, progress was interrupted and only resumed in the last two years. Photo: Rodong Sinmun. The resort currently only welcomes domestic tourists. The government has not announced plans to open it to foreign tourists in 2025, as border controls remain strict. International media have said that the resort’s operational efficiency will depend on the ability to attract domestic tourists and the Pyongyang government’s tourism development direction in the coming time. Photo: Rodong Sinmun. The completion of the Wonsan Geumgang resort after more than a decade is considered a remarkable step by North Korea in the field of tourism infrastructure, marking an effort to improve its image and service quality in an international context with many limitations. Whether this place can become a major destination, or just a symbol at home, remains to be seen. Photo: Rodong Sinmun.
Báo Hà Tĩnh•28/06/2025
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