North Korea's Kim cuts tape at coastal tourist site; foreigners not yet welcome
Share and Follow

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un cut the inaugural tape at a new coastal tourist site during an extravagant ceremony on Tuesday, though the resort won’t immediately be open to foreign tourists.

Kim toured the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, calling its construction “one of the greatest successes this year” and “the proud first step” toward a new era in the government’s tourism industry, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

Hotels and other accommodations for nearly 20,000 guests were built on the Hermit Kingdom’s east coast, where visitors could engage in activities such as swimming, sports and recreation and dining at restaurants at the resort, state media said.

The resort, North Korea’s biggest tourist site, will open for domestic tourists next Tuesday, KCNA said, but the report didn’t say when it will start receiving foreign tourists. 

The Russian ambassador to North Korea and his embassy staff appeared at Tuesday’s ceremony, according to KCNA, though the report didn’t say whether any Chinese diplomats were also invited.

South Korean and American tourists won’t be as fortunate, Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, told The Associated Press.

Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump

President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong Un in Singapore in June 2018 during his first term as president. During the first months of his second term, Trump maintained that the U.S. will have relations with North Korea.  (AP/Evan Vucci)

Lim said those tours won’t likely restart anytime soon, though both new liberal South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump have expressed hopes to revive dialogue with North Korea.

Kim has been pushing to make the country a tourism hub as part of efforts to revive the ailing economy, with KCNA reporting that North Korea will soon confirm plans to build large tourist sites in other parts of the country.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Melissa Gilbert seen in court for her husband's pretrial hearing

Melissa Gilbert’s Courtroom Stand: Supporting Her Husband at High-Profile Pretrial Hearing

Melissa Gilbert, renowned for her role in “Little House on the Prairie,”…
Trump Greenland envoy disinvited from dog sled race amid heightened rhetoric

Trump’s Greenland Representative Barred from Dog Sled Event Amid Rising Tensions

Governor Jeff Landry of Louisiana, who serves as President Donald Trump’s envoy…
Aide to 'America's wokest prosecutor' was part of anti-ICE church mob

Assistant to Noted Progressive Prosecutor Participated in Church Demonstration Against ICE

An influential aide to what some call the “most progressive prosecutor in…
Trump speaks at World Economic Forum in Davos

Trump’s Groundbreaking Address at Davos: Key Insights from the World Economic Forum

President Donald Trump’s journey to Switzerland on Wednesday faced a slight delay…
Donald Trump, Greenland news: Former Department of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel explains price of Trump's pursuit of island

Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Reveals Cost of Trump’s Greenland Ambitions

CHICAGO (WLS) — In a bold and contentious move, President Donald Trump…
GCPD: One injured after domestic dispute turns into shooting in Brunswick

Brunswick Shooting: Domestic Dispute Escalates, Leaving One Injured – Latest Updates Inside

The Glynn County Police Department continues to actively investigate the incident. BRUNSWICK,…
Closing arguments set in former Uvalde officer's trial over actions during 2022 school attack

Closing Arguments Begin in Trial of Ex-Uvalde Officer Over 2022 School Shooting Response

In Corpus Christi, Texas, the trial of a former school police officer…
Netanyahu agrees to join Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace after initial pushback

Netanyahu Joins Trump’s Gaza Peace Initiative: A New Chapter in Middle East Diplomacy

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his decision to join…