North Korea Beach Resort Opens With Fanfare but No Foreigners
North Korea Beach Resort Opens With Fanfare but No Foreigners

The Kalma Beach resort town, one of Kim Jong-un’s most ambitious projects aimed at attracting foreign tourists, may not draw the waves of visitors he wants.
Read the full article on NY Times World
Truth Analysis
Analysis Summary:
The article's accuracy is mixed. The claim about the resort opening is supported, but the lack of foreign tourists is plausible given other sources about tourism suspensions. There's a moderate bias due to the framing of Kim Jong-un's ambitions and the potential for selective reporting on the resort's success.
Detailed Analysis:
- Claim:** Kalma Beach resort town is one of Kim Jong-un’s most ambitious projects aimed at attracting foreign tourists.
- Verification Source #5: Supports the claim that the Wonsan-Kalma project is a tourism project.
- Verification Source #4: Mentions a "giant tourist beach resort to open in June 2025," which supports the claim that the resort exists and is intended for tourists.
- Claim:** The resort may not draw the waves of visitors he wants.
- Verification Source #2: Reports that North Korea suspended foreign tours in March 2025, less than a month after resumption, which suggests that the resort may not be attracting many foreign tourists.
- Verification Source #4: Mentions tourists in Rason, but this does not directly contradict the claim about Kalma Beach.
- Claim:** (Implied) The resort opened with fanfare.
- Verification Source #4: Mentions "North Korea says giant tourist beach resort to open in June 2025," which implies an opening event.
Supporting Evidence/Contradictions:
- Verification Source #5: Supports the existence of the Wonsan-Kalma tourism project.
- Verification Source #4: Supports the claim that a tourist beach resort is opening in North Korea.
- Verification Source #2: Contradicts the idea of a successful tourist venture by reporting the suspension of foreign tours.
- Verification Source #1 and #3: Are irrelevant to the claims made in the article.