Satellite imagery analysis has revealed that many facilities in North Korea’s Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, near Wonsan and scheduled to open this June, are still under construction. Although North Korea is accelerating construction efforts, the possibility of opening the site before completion was raised on Wednesday.
Satellite analysis firm SI Analytics reported in its publication NK Insight that AI-based satellite image analysis showed a steady increase in the movement of buses and trucks in some regions of the Kalma Tourist Zone in recent days.
SI Analytics identified three areas where construction has been particularly active over the past month: a tourist-only bus-only parking lot, a water park, and three sewage treatment facilities. As for the water park, satellite images taken on February 4 showed that basic infrastructure, such as roads and stone walls, had been completed. However, images from March 10 confirmed that exterior walls and a roof had been added to the structure.
Satellite images dated February 17 also detected the construction of a new road connecting Wonsan-Kalma Airport and the Kalma Tourist Zone.
SI analysts noted that, based on current progress, North Korea appears to be prioritizing the construction of casinos, hotels, and amusement park facilities. They observed that construction on the suspected aquarium building and performance hall is progressing more slowly, making it unlikely to be completed before the June opening.
Earlier in January, Russian travel agency Vostok Intour, headquartered in Vladivostok, announced plans to send its first tour group to the Kalma Tourist Zone from July 7 to 14. The agency also added that two more trips are scheduled in August. So far, there has been no news of cancellations or delays regarding these plans.
However, North Korea previously resumed tourism in Rason City after a five-year hiatus, only to halt it again within three weeks. This development could also impact the opening of the Kalma Tourist Zone.
The reason behind North Korea’s suspension of tourism has not been identified. Experts suggest that the suspension may have resulted from unintended side effects, such as tourists asking guides about the possible deployment of North Korean troops to Russia or outdated images of North Korea being shared through YouTube and social media. North Korea is believed to be working on countermeasures in response.
Nevertheless, North Korea is pursuing tourism revitalization as one of its core economic initiatives. For this reason, the country is expected to resume tourism soon after implementing measures to prevent further complications.
