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New picture from the East Sea
Located about 200 km southeast of the capital Pyongyang, Wonsan used to be a summer resort for the leadership, but is now being oriented into the Wonsan-Kalma International Coastal Tourist Area, symbolizing the effort to reposition the country's image in the eyes of the world.
Panoramic view of Wonsan-Kalma tourist area on the blue sea of Wonsan. Photo: KCNA
A new tourism law, passed by the North Korean parliament in late October, designated the area as a key development zone. A Wonsan-Kalma Tourism Authority was established, tasked with planning, licensing investment, regulating tourism activities and ensuring that all activities are “in line with national interests.”
Open doors within the framework
Under the new law, foreign investors will enjoy a series of special incentives: tax exemptions, the right to transfer profits abroad, long-term land leases, and opportunities to cooperate in areas such as hotels, resorts, marine sports, golf courses or marinas. However, each project must go through a meticulous approval process: from construction designs, construction materials to space layout, to ensure "harmony with the landscape and national values".
This is how North Korea “opens up” slowly, tightly controlled but still flexible enough to attract international capital flows. Selected investors will be both partners and companions in the process of building the national image.
Experience Korean-style travel
If you ever arrive in Wonsan, you will begin your journey at Wonsan-Kalma International Airport, a modern facility built over the past decade. From here, a coastal road of more than 100 km long leads you past stretches of fine sand, green mountains and emerging resorts.
North Koreans enjoy a holiday at Wonsan-Kalma beach, a tourist area on the east coast. Photo: KNCA
However, traveling in North Korea has never been a journey of absolute freedom. Under the new law, tourists must register their temporary residence, move within the permitted area and cannot leave the tourist area without the consent of the tour guide or the authorities. Signaling devices, personal Internet connections and photography in sensitive areas are all strictly controlled.
Rather than free exploration, the journey here is oriented towards a “guided” experience – where every moment is meticulously planned. But that is what makes the trip different: visitors can feel a closed society slowly opening up, bit by bit, through the official eyes of the host country that the world wants to see.
Preserving identity in every brick
A prominent feature of the law is the requirement to preserve the natural landscape and express the “modern Korean spirit” in all tourist facilities. This means that, despite their international appearance, all architecture from roofs, gardens to performance areas must maintain traditional features and avoid hybridization.
Art performances, cuisine, fashion, and even the way international guests are served must be approved to “reflect national dignity.” The law also emphasizes not over-exploiting resources, not harming the marine environment and the lives of local residents. It can be said that North Korea is trying to build a “clean and orderly” tourism model, where landscape and identity are prioritized, instead of chasing after rapid development.
Wonsan-Kalma is not as noisy as Phuket, nor as colorful as Busan. The sea here is a cool blue, the sky is misty, and the streets are deserted of tourists. Yet, in that silence lies an indescribable charm, a land where time seems to slow down, where people and nature coexist in a perfectly arranged framework.
