Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
N. Korea opens new beach resort hoping to remake eastern coast into tourism hub
Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourism zone in North Korea's east coast / Yonhap
By Kim Hyun-bin
North Korea unveiled a new beach in Tongchon County, roughly 50 kilometers south of the recently launched Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort, state media reported Thursday — a move analysts view as part of Pyongyang’s broader campaign to reinvent the country’s eastern seaboard as a tourism hub.
Years of stringent international sanctions, aimed at curtailing its weapons programs, have left North Korea severely short of hard currency. This has crippled legitimate trade, forcing Pyongyang to increasingly rely on illicit revenue streams, including cyber theft. Curiously, tourism remains one of the few sectors not explicitly banned by United Nations sanctions, a loophole the isolated nation has actively tried to exploit by developing resorts and seeking foreign visitors to generate much-needed funds.
Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers’ Party, reported that an opening ceremony was held Wednesday for the new beach in Tongchon. The article framed the facility as a product of the “motherly party’s loving care,” underscoring the regime’s continued efforts to promote its doctrine of serving the masses through state-led development projects.
The beach sits along the coast of Kangwon Province, a region long celebrated for its natural scenery. North Korea has previously outlined plans to transform the nearby Wonsan-Kalma area into a world-class resort in a bid to draw foreign tourists. Analysts say the effort appears to be part of a broader strategy to revive the dormant Mount Geumgang tourism zone and integrate it with Wonsan through a unified coastal development initiative.
The development of another beach resort between Wonsan and Mount Geumgang appears to reflect Pyongyang’s broader ambition to create an interconnected tourism corridor along the East Sea. State media reports show that the Tongchon site includes more than 5 kilometers of coastline across two distinct areas.
The region is regarded as relatively accessible, with terrain comparable to that of Wonsan. Observers say Tongchon could become a pivotal tourist destination should inter-Korean exchanges resume in the future.
Tongchon also carries symbolic weight as the birthplace of Chung Ju-yung, the late founder of the Hyundai Group. In a widely remembered moment in 1998, Chung drove 500 cattle across the inter-Korean border at Panmunjom — a symbolic act meant to repay a childhood debt and promote reconciliation between the two Koreas.