'Kim Jong-un's Long-cherished Wish' Galma District... Will North Korea Find a Breakthrough to Sanctions?

Tourism Industry Excluded from North Korea Sanctions
Can Cold Gangwon-do Be Developed as a Tourist Destination?

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, is set to open the Galma Coastal Tourist Zone in Wonsan, Gangwon Province, next June after completing a decade-long construction project. Since UN Security Council sanctions do not apply to the tourism sector, the move is aimed at finding a breakthrough to circumvent sanctions.

According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 31st, Chairman Kim visited the newly completed hotels and other facilities in the Galma Coastal Tourist Zone on the 29th and presented specific tasks for the development of the tourism industry. At the site, Kim praised the area, saying, "The more you see it, the more magnificent it is, truly beautiful and grand scenery," and evaluated that "(the facilities) are developed at such a high level that they can host important national foreign affairs and political-cultural events with dignity."

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is touring several hotels and auxiliary facilities in the Galma Coastal Tourist Area (Wonsan City) on the 29th. Photo by Yonhap News

Chairman Kim emphasized that the construction of the Galma Coastal Tourist Zone is an important first step in the development of the tourism industry. He also set a goal to diversify and develop other tourism industries starting from this point.

North Korea aims to foster the tourism industry, which is not subject to sanctions, to earn foreign currency. The Galma Coastal Tourist Zone utilizes the long white sandy beach called 'Myeongsasipri' on the Wonsan Galma Peninsula as a tourism resource. Although construction began in 2014, shortly after Kim Jong-un came to power, it was delayed due to material supply difficulties during the COVID-19 period.

The region called 'Wonsan' also holds special significance. According to Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party, during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, this place is known as Chairman Kim's birthplace, and it is reported that he still stays in Wonsan with his family during vacation seasons. His daughter Ju-ae accompanied him on this site visit as well.

However, there are many criticisms that it is difficult to have high expectations for the area as a tourist destination. Due to the characteristics of the East Coast, the water temperature is low, limiting the time it can be used as a beach. Considering the beaches in South Korea's Gangwon region, the usable period is at most around two months. Since Wonsan is located further north, the impact of cold weather is expected to be greater.