North Korea tourism push: Kim Jong-un unveils beach resort with daughter

Donning a dark suit and tie instead of his usual Mao-style outfit, Kim visited the Wonsan Kalma coastal resort alongside his wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Kim Ju-ae, who is widely viewed as his potential successor.

According to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, cited by The Guardian, Kim called the development one of the nation’s “greatest feats” of the year.

Photographs released from the visit showed Kim lounging poolside with a towel, a cold drink, and cigarettes at his side, while his daughter and wife looked on as citizens enjoyed the resort’s waterslides.

The family was also seen walking the 4km stretch of white-sand beach, flanked by aides and newly constructed hotel buildings in the background.

The visit, which took place on Tuesday, comes as North Korea faces heightened international criticism over its nuclear weapons programme and its deepening alignment with Russia.

As The Guardian noted, the carefully choreographed outing signals a temporary shift to softer propaganda featuring the ruling family.

Located on the east coast, the Wonsan Kalma resort is equipped with sports and recreational facilities as well as public catering services. Kim expressed hope that it would elevate the site’s status to a “world-level tourist cultural resort.” KCNA said officials are aiming for 20,000 visitors annually after the resort opens its doors on July 1.

Marking the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Kim described the decade-long project—plagued by rising costs—as having finally become a “brilliant reality.” He added it would “play a leading role in establishing the tourist culture” of the country.

However, The Guardian clarified that foreign travellers should temper their expectations.

The beach resort is currently open only to North Korean citizens, with international tourism still heavily restricted.

Border closures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to be fully lifted, though select Russian tourists have recently been allowed in via group tours, and international participants took part in a Pyongyang marathon earlier this year.

The outing also reignited interest in North Korea’s ruling family.

This was reportedly Ri Sol-ju’s first public appearance since the 2024 New Year celebrations, South Korean media noted.

She appeared to be carrying a Gucci handbag—a potential breach of UN sanctions that prohibit the export of luxury items to North Korea, The Guardian said.

Kim’s daughter, believed to be around 12 years old, has frequently accompanied him at high-profile events since late 2022. Her increased visibility has fuelled speculation that she may be groomed to become the fourth ruler of the Kim dynasty—and the first female leader—since the country’s founding in 1948.

The visit to Wonsan Kalma, as framed by The Guardian, is another signal that Pyongyang is carefully crafting both its domestic and international image, even as geopolitical tensions surrounding the regime’s weapons programmes persist.