"The Kalma coastal tourist area in Wonsan will temporarily stop receiving foreign tourists," South Korean media reported today, citing an announcement from DPR Korea Tour, the tourism website of the North Korean Tourism Administration. The announcement did not explain why the resort stopped receiving foreign visitors.

According to Yonhap, the sudden decision to stop accepting foreign guests may be due to high costs or the discovery of some issues during the initial operation period. The BBC previously reported that a week-long trip to North Korea, including 4 days at the Wonsan Kalma resort, costs around 1,800 USD.

Tourists at the Wonsan Kalma resort, North Korea. Photo: KCNA

Tourists at the Wonsan Kalma resort, North Korea. Photo: KCNA

North Korea initially promoted the Wonsan Kalma resort, which has a capacity of over 20,000 people, as open to both domestic and international tourists. The TASS news agency also previously reported that a group of Russian tourists had planned to visit the resort in July.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Wonsan Kalma resort last week during his visit to the country.

Analysts say Kim Jong-un has taken a keen interest in tourism development, especially the coastal resort. Kim Jong-un called the resort one of the country's greatest achievements this year and affirmed that North Korea will build more large-scale tourist areas "in the shortest possible time."

Ngoc Anh (Yonhap, Korea Times, AFP)