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Inside Kim Jong Un’s New Beach Resort, Where the Only Foreigners Are Russian
Wall Street Journal MSN News ^ | 8/2/2025 | Timothy W. Martin, Kate Vtorygina

Posted on 08/02/2025 7:43:30 AM PDT by marcusmaximus

At North Korea’s new beach resort, the white sand glistened against the crystal-clear waters. Ten minutes of Wi-Fi cost $1.70. Food arrived in abundance, albeit with the same three beverage choices: water, tea or beer.

The weeklong trip cost roughly $2,000. The catch? All travelers had to be Russian.

Welcome to North Korea’s Wonsan Kalma coastal complex, a megaresort built by the regime to portray the country as modern and affluent. It is opening to foreign vacationers for the first time, as part of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s drive to attract more tourism to his cash-strapped country and show his people they can experience some of the finer things in life despite international sanctions.

Anastasia Samsonova, a 33-year-old from Moscow, was looking for something offbeat for her summer vacation. Having never been to North Korea, she chose a group tour that would spend several days in Pyongyang before arriving in Wonsan.

But as she took her first steps on the sand, Samsonova—who, along with 12 other Russians, was part of the first group of foreign vacationers allowed to visit the resort several weeks ago—faced an unsettling sight. “The entire beach was empty,” she said. “In fact, we seemed to be the only guests in the entire resort.”

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


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1 posted on 08/02/2025 7:43:30 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus

“All travelers had to be Russian”

i guess that’s the Nork’s version of a soft opening ...


2 posted on 08/02/2025 7:49:03 AM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
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To: marcusmaximus

If Kim wants to make more money he will have to add some more permitted countries, and add some casinos.
Iranians need a place to vacation besides China.


3 posted on 08/02/2025 7:54:13 AM PDT by Doctor Congo
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To: Doctor Congo

You’re probably intending this to be tongue-in-cheek, but why should the citizens of countries that “the US doesn’t like” have almost no options for travel or vacation? The current regime of sanctions and limitations is almost like a form of collective punishment, and should be stopped.


4 posted on 08/02/2025 8:01:25 AM PDT by billakay
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To: billakay

if a Noko can afford a vacation to Disneyworld, he is a spy.


5 posted on 08/02/2025 8:15:01 AM PDT by pissant ((Deport 'em all))
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To: pissant

That might apply to NK, but most definitely doesn’t apply to Russia, Iran, Libya, and other similar countries.


6 posted on 08/02/2025 8:30:21 AM PDT by billakay
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To: billakay

Morons go to a North Korean resort, find it’s a Potemkin Village like everything else in the country.


7 posted on 08/02/2025 8:36:31 AM PDT by Col Frank Slade
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To: marcusmaximus

Proving once again that Communism cannot survive without Capitalism.


8 posted on 08/02/2025 8:51:07 AM PDT by Texas Eagle ("Throw me to the wolves and I'll return leading the pack"- Donald J. Trump)
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To: marcusmaximus
“The entire beach was empty,” she said. “In fact, we seemed to be the only guests in the entire resort.”

Yes, but how was the sweet and sour cat?

9 posted on 08/02/2025 8:52:58 AM PDT by Texas Eagle ("Throw me to the wolves and I'll return leading the pack"- Donald J. Trump)
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To: marcusmaximus

Visiting a nice hotel on a repressive government’s security beach compound in a locked and closed country of hungry and oppressed people, is not what most people of advanced nations think of as a vacation.


10 posted on 08/02/2025 9:37:02 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: marcusmaximus
I think the next family trip will be to North Korea. I mean, think of the fun you can have - playing Hide N Seek with the North Korea secret police, building sand castle on the beach...

I think we will visit after the following visits: Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, Chicago, California, Mexico City, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, South Africa, Tajikistan or the moon (Safer than the other places, but not for me)!

11 posted on 08/02/2025 9:46:58 AM PDT by DeplorableTrumpSupporter (FKA ConservaTeen)
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To: DeplorableTrumpSupporter
playing Hide N Seek with the North Korea secret police

If you win . . . you lose.
12 posted on 08/02/2025 9:58:18 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: Texas Eagle

You’re bad.


13 posted on 08/02/2025 10:28:14 AM PDT by Mr. Lucky
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To: marcusmaximus

We can get all the democrats to go by calling it a S hole.


14 posted on 08/02/2025 10:32:06 AM PDT by Organic Panic ('Was I molested. I think so' - Ashley Biden in response to her father joining her in the shower. )
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To: ansel12

Unless you are a liberal and thinks Cuba is wonderful.

“They have such cool cars.”


15 posted on 08/02/2025 10:33:53 AM PDT by Organic Panic ('Was I molested. I think so' - Ashley Biden in response to her father joining her in the shower. )
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To: Organic Panic

Leftists always say, “I want to visit Cuba before it’s ruined.”


16 posted on 08/02/2025 10:37:05 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Dr. Sivana

Very very true...


17 posted on 08/02/2025 12:11:53 PM PDT by DeplorableTrumpSupporter (FKA ConservaTeen)
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To: billakay

“The current regime of sanctions and limitations is almost like a form of collective punishment, and should be stopped.”

What would you change ?


18 posted on 08/03/2025 7:46:21 AM PDT by Grzegorz 246
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