North Korea has begun final preparations for the opening of the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area in June, reinforcing railways and roads. Construction at the Kalma coastal tourist area, which had been suspended for some time after the outbreak of COVID-19, has accelerated since last year when Kim Jong Un, the Chairperson, visited the site. Some of the main facilities have been demolished or newly constructed since the visit by the Chairperson last year.

Domestic satellite service company Naraspace announced on the 14th that an analysis of satellite images showed that construction at the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area in North Korea, which had been halted since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, has accelerated since last year.

North Korea initially launched construction in 2014, aiming to utilize the long white sandy beach of ‘Myeongsa Ship-ri’ on the Wonsan Kalma Peninsula as a tourist resource. The plan focuses on building modern hotels, resorts, and leisure facilities around the Myeongsa Ship-ri beach near Yongcheon-ri in Wonsan city. According to the Ministry of Unification, Kim Jong Un has shown active interest in this development plan, having visited the site six times, including twice last year.

The development plan for the Wonsan Galma Coastal Tourist Zone, first announced in June 2014, aims to attract international tourists by building modern hotels, resorts, and recreational facilities centered around the famous ten-mile white sand beach in the Galma area of Wonsan City. /Courtesy of ESA Naraspace

The analysis team examined images taken by Sentinel-2, the Earth observation satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA), between 2016 and 2025, which captured the area over the past decade. Sentinel-2 recognizes objects on the ground that are 10 meters by 10 meters as a single point. This satellite consists of two twin satellites that orbit 768 kilometers above Earth, capturing the same location every five days.

North Korea originally planned to complete the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area by April 2019, coinciding with the birthday of Kim Il Sung. However, due to sanctions against North Korea leading to difficulties in procuring materials, the completion has been continually delayed. The analysis team noted that there were no significant development activities in the area prior to January 2016. However, after Kim Jong Un’s visit to the site in 2017, buildings began to rise in the coastal area from February 2018. In April 2019, the outlines of a resort building with a red roof emerged, indicating that construction was over 80% complete.

However, satellite images taken in 2020 showed no significant changes or progress. North Korea completely sealed its borders as COVID-19 spread globally, and it seems they temporarily halted construction due to difficulties in bringing in building materials from abroad.

According to the analysis team, there were no significant development activities in this area before the transfer in January 2016. However, after Chairman Kim's visit to the site in 2017, it was confirmed that buildings began to go up in earnest from February 2018 in the coastal area. In April 2019, the outline of a red-roofed resort was seen. At that time, the construction progress showed about 80% completion. However, satellite images taken in 2020 did not capture any significant changes or progress. North Korea completely closed its borders as COVID-19 spread globally. It appears that construction was temporarily halted due to difficulties in bringing in construction materials from abroad. /Courtesy of ESA Naraspace

Similar results were obtained from images captured by the Suomi NPP satellite operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which recorded light intensity captured at night in the area. A strong light intensity visible from space at night is interpreted as indicative of active construction or economic activity in the area. Until 2018, strong light intensity was mainly observed in Wonsan and nearby chemical plants, but afterward, light intensity increased near the beach of Myeongsa Ship-ri, where the coastal tourist area is located. The analysis team explained that this suggests active construction at the tourist site at that time.

The Suomi NPP satellite, a climate monitoring satellite operated by NASA, captured light intensity at night in this area, showing that before 2018, strong light intensity was mainly observed in Wonsan and nearby chemical plants. However, since then, light intensity has increased near the famous ten-mile beach where the Galma Coastal Tourist Zone has been established. After COVID-19 spread in 2020, light intensity around construction sites decreased, but it has since increased recently. When the light intensity visible from space at night is strong, it is interpreted as an indication that construction or economic activities are actively taking place in the area. /Courtesy of NASA Naraspace

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, the light intensity around construction sites has decreased. This appears to be the result of most construction being completed and the halt in construction due to COVID-19. Kim Jong Un visited the construction site of the Kalma coastal tourist area again last July and ordered preparations for operation to begin by May this year. Since then, nighttime light intensity at the coastal tourist area has started to increase again, with significant construction accelerating for key facilities like a water park and a multi-purpose stadium.

The Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone is divided into eight areas, including zones 1-3 where a water park is to be established, and zones 6-8 which were occupied by the North Korean military (Korean People's Army). Each zone features hotels over 30 stories, a comprehensive stadium, and large-scale water parks. /Courtesy of Naraspace

The Kalma coastal tourist area is divided into eight zones, including zones 1-3, which will feature a water park, and zones 6-8, where the North Korean military (Korean People’s Army) once stationed. Each zone will host hotels over 30 stories, a multi-purpose stadium, and large-scale water parks.

Analyzing satellite images by zone, it appears that most buildings in zones 1-3 were essentially completed in 2020. Since then, there have been no significant changes to the exterior of the buildings for a while. However, after Kim Jong Un’s visit to the site on December 29 last year, traces of renewed construction in the water park were observed. It appears that most of the resort buildings and multi-purpose stadium construction in zones 6-8 were also completed around 2020. Since last year, work has been underway for painting the stadium roof and constructing soccer fields in the area, but recently, the soccer field has been demolished and new buildings have been observed. The analysis team suggested that there may be changes to the plan for the multi-purpose stadium.

The Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone is divided into eight areas, including zones 1-3 where a water park is to be established, and zones 6-8 which were occupied by the North Korean military (Korean People's Army). It appears that the majority of buildings in zones 1-3 were effectively completed in 2020. Since then, there have been no significant changes in the appearance of the buildings for some time. /Courtesy of Airbus, Planet Labs, Naraspace
Around 2020, it seems that most of the resort buildings and the comprehensive stadium construction in zones 6-8 were completed. Since last year, roofing work on the stadium and soccer field construction has been ongoing, and recently the soccer field has been demolished with new buildings emerging. /Courtesy of Airbus, Planet Labs, Naraspace

President Donald Trump mentioned the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area in January after his second administration was launched, announcing a plan to redevelop the Gaza Strip in Palestine as a resort. However, realistically, the feasibility of tourism development plans in the Gaza Strip seems limited unless sovereignty and ownership issues are resolved. In contrast, while the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area faced delays in schedule due to material supply issues and COVID-19, it is gradually approaching its opening.

North Korea is striving to develop tourism resources and tourism products, including this area, to earn foreign currency. On the 6th, North Korea successfully held the Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years, with participation from around 200 participants from 46 countries.

North Korea aims to complete construction over eight years and attract foreign tourists by opening in June 2025, focusing on securing foreign currency. With the opening of the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area in June, North Korea is expected to work on attracting tourists from Russia and Europe during the summer peak season. According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), a travel agency based in Vladivostok, Russia, named ‘Vostok Intour’ is recruiting the first group to visit the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area for an itinerary from July 7 to July 14. Chae Soo-ran, a research fellow at the Korea Maritime Institute, noted in last year’s Journal of Korean Northeast Asia Studies that ‘tourism resort projects are considered the best business for attracting foreign tourists and earning foreign currency, as they do not conflict with sanctions against North Korea,’ stating that ‘the construction project of the Kalma coastal tourist area is the most important policy for tourism and leisure in the marine and fisheries sector that North Korea is pursuing.’

References

Naraspace Earth Paper, https://ep.naraspace.com/

With the advancement of low-cost space launch vehicles and small satellite technology, we have entered an era where we can observe events on Earth in real-time. Satellites are now used in various fields, including national defense, disaster and calamity monitoring, damage assessment, and industrial trend analysis. ChosunBiz will be launching a series of space journalism titled ‘The World Seen by Satellites’ and ‘The Economy Seen by Satellites,’ analyzing artificial satellite image data in collaboration with the domestic satellite service company Naraspace in light of the new era of space economy.