World News for Students of English

28-08-2025 07:00

North Korea has opened the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, a resort on the country’s east coast. The area includes hotels, restaurants, shops, and a water park.

Originally, the country advertised it as open to international visitors, but so far, only Russians, arriving in organised groups through accredited travel agencies, have been allowed in. Russian tourists who visited said they were impressed by the beach, the quality of the resort, and the hosts’ efforts to meet their requests, although they also mentioned restrictions.

Experts say North Korea is opening the resort because it urgently needs foreign currency such as dollars, euros, or rubles. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese tourists visited in large numbers, but now only a few hundred Russians arrive each month, far fewer than before.

Some analysts also suggest the project aims to show off North Korea’s ties with Russia and prove it can offer a world-class holiday destination despite being largely closed to the outside world.

Difficult words: accredited (officially approved), host (a person or company who entertains other people as guests), show off (to display someone or something that is a source of pride).

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