North Korea will open a beach resort to boost to its tourism industry. The tourist zone is on the east coast. Gleaming new hotels can accommodate 20,000 guests. State media said the flagship resort is the first of many planned developments. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un cut the ribbon at a lavish opening ceremony. He said the new destination was "the proud first step" toward fulfilling the nation's policy of expanding its travel sector. He added that the resort would help to establish the tourist culture of North Korea. He called it one of his country's "greatest feats" of the year.

This new destination will initially cater to the domestic market. Officials say it will welcome foreign visitors. A Korean news agency reported that Russian tours would start in late July. An official stated that there could be more Chinese tourists. He said: "We are monitoring the potential resumption of large-scale Chinese group tours…but no concrete signs have emerged yet." Chinese travellers made up more than 90 per cent of visitors before the coronavirus pandemic. It is still unclear when other international guests will be able to visit.