What in the World - Why only Russians are allowed to holiday in North Korea

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North Korea is one of the world’s most secretive nations. For years it’s been almost entirely closed to foreign visitors (apart from a few highly-controlled tours each year). But in July the state opened the luxury Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, which was promoted as an attraction for both locals and foreigners. It has hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and a water park, with a capacity of 20,000 people, according to state media.

Since the resort began construction in 2018, human rights groups have protested the alleged mistreatment of its workers. According to early planning documents seen by BBC Verify, the initial goal was to attract more than a million visitors, with foreign tourists expected to mainly come from China and Russia.

But now, a notice on North Korea's tourism website says that foreigners are "temporarily" not allowed to visit. Russian tourists appear to be the exception.

We speak to Rachel Lee, a BBC reporter in South Korea about why North Korea is trying to boost its tourism. And we hear from Anastasia Samsonova, a Russian tourist who visited the resort.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Mora Morrison and Abiona Boja
Additional reporting: Yaroslava Kiryukhina
Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Published on Tuesday, 19th August 2025.

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