North Korea has held a completion ceremony for a new tourist zone on its east coast, as part of efforts to develop tourism amid international sanctions. The Yombunjin Coastal Park Area in North Hamgyong Province follows the opening of the Kalma beach resort last year.
North Korea held a completion ceremony for the Yombunjin Coastal Park Area in North Hamgyong Province on Wednesday, state media reported on Friday, January 23, 2026. The project began in July 2011 under the instruction of then-leader Kim Jong-il to build a hotel in the Yombunjin coastal areas, but construction lagged for years.
Incumbent leader Kim Jong-un inspected the site in 2018, ordering a redesign of the hotel and the creation of a modern coastal park. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described the Yombunjin Haeyang Hostel and beach area as splendidly built, featuring facilities from movie theaters and shops to video arcades.
"(The tourist park) will provide good rest and satisfactory convenience to not only the people in the province but also people who stop by for business trips," said Pak Myong-ho, chairman of the North Hamgyong Provincial People's Committee, in a speech at the ceremony.
North Korea is nurturing its tourism industry to earn foreign currency amid international sanctions. It opened the Wonsan Kalma tourist area on the east coast in July last year to attract foreign visitors. Ahead of a key party congress expected next month, the country has accelerated completion of major construction projects. Earlier this week, it inaugurated the Onpho Working People's Holiday Camp, a hot spring resort in North Hamgyong Province, after years of remodeling.
