<p>Seoul: North Korea has completed construction of a massive tourist zone on its east coast, state media reported on Thursday, a key project driven by leader Kim Jong Un for years to promote tourism.</p>.<p>With "great satisfaction", Kim attended an inaugural ceremony for the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area that could accommodate about 20,000 visitors and said the country would build more large-scale tourist zones swiftly, <em>KCNA</em> news agency said.</p>.<p>Kim has been rebuilding the seaside city of Wonsan, a vacation destination for locals, to turn it into a billion-dollar tourist hotspot. Development plans for Wonsan have mushroomed since they were first announced in 2014.</p>.<p>However, while tourism is one of a narrow range of cash sources for North Korea not targeted by United Nations sanctions, the reclusive state did not have a major foreign partner for the Wonsan project against the backdrop of sanctions over its weapons programmes.</p>.North Korea leader Kim Jong Un supervised special operations training: Report .<p>The tourist zone will open for domestic guests from July 1, KCNA said, without mentioning foreign tourists.</p>.<p>North Korea sealed its borders in 2020 at the start of the pandemic but has been slowly lifting restrictions since 2023.</p>.<p>It has allowed Russian tourist groups into the country but its capital and other parts of the country remain closed to regular tourism, though in April it held a marathon event hosting foreign runners.</p>.<p>Moscow and Pyongyang, both economically and politically isolated, have drawn closer as North Korea has deployed thousands of troops and supplied ammunition, artillery and missiles for Russia's Ukraine war.</p>.<p>The Russian ambassador to North Korea and embassy staff were invited as special guests for the Wonsan ceremony, according to KCNA.</p>.<p>The two countries have agreed to expand cooperation on tourism, restarting a direct passenger train service between their capitals for the first time since 2020.</p>.<p>"Kim Jong Un expressed belief that the wave of the happiness to be raised in the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area would enhance its attractive name as a world-level tourist cultural resort", KCNA said. </p>
<p>Seoul: North Korea has completed construction of a massive tourist zone on its east coast, state media reported on Thursday, a key project driven by leader Kim Jong Un for years to promote tourism.</p>.<p>With "great satisfaction", Kim attended an inaugural ceremony for the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area that could accommodate about 20,000 visitors and said the country would build more large-scale tourist zones swiftly, <em>KCNA</em> news agency said.</p>.<p>Kim has been rebuilding the seaside city of Wonsan, a vacation destination for locals, to turn it into a billion-dollar tourist hotspot. Development plans for Wonsan have mushroomed since they were first announced in 2014.</p>.<p>However, while tourism is one of a narrow range of cash sources for North Korea not targeted by United Nations sanctions, the reclusive state did not have a major foreign partner for the Wonsan project against the backdrop of sanctions over its weapons programmes.</p>.North Korea leader Kim Jong Un supervised special operations training: Report .<p>The tourist zone will open for domestic guests from July 1, KCNA said, without mentioning foreign tourists.</p>.<p>North Korea sealed its borders in 2020 at the start of the pandemic but has been slowly lifting restrictions since 2023.</p>.<p>It has allowed Russian tourist groups into the country but its capital and other parts of the country remain closed to regular tourism, though in April it held a marathon event hosting foreign runners.</p>.<p>Moscow and Pyongyang, both economically and politically isolated, have drawn closer as North Korea has deployed thousands of troops and supplied ammunition, artillery and missiles for Russia's Ukraine war.</p>.<p>The Russian ambassador to North Korea and embassy staff were invited as special guests for the Wonsan ceremony, according to KCNA.</p>.<p>The two countries have agreed to expand cooperation on tourism, restarting a direct passenger train service between their capitals for the first time since 2020.</p>.<p>"Kim Jong Un expressed belief that the wave of the happiness to be raised in the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area would enhance its attractive name as a world-level tourist cultural resort", KCNA said. </p>