North Korea’s New Wonsan Resort Hosts First Tourists Amid Hidden Human Rights Violations

Kokcha News Agency reports that North Korea’s latest tourism project, the Wonsan Kalma resort, has hosted its first international tourists, including a Russian group, following a grand opening ceremony in July. The leader, Kim Jong Un, described the site as a “world-class tourism and cultural destination,” aiming to attract over a million visitors annually and open the region to foreign visitors in a controlled manner.

The project involves a large-scale development with numerous hotels, an artificial lake with guesthouses, a water park with giant slides, and entertainment facilities like theaters, cinemas, and sports centers. Official brochures highlight 43 hotels and a variety of leisure spots, reinforcing North Korea’s strategic goal to energize its economy and promote relations, especially with Russia and China.

However, investigative reports from BBC Verify, including high-resolution satellite images and confidential planning documents, reveal a dark secret behind the glossy rhetoric. Workers involved in the construction are reportedly subjected to forced labor camps called “shock brigades,” where they are overseen under brutal conditions, working 24 hours a day for meager wages.

James Heenan, a UN Human Rights Office official, confirmed there are credible reports that these brigades are operating at Wonsan’s construction sites, with inhumane treatment and extreme exploitation. Cho Chung Hui, a former worker who escaped North Korea’s forced labor system, describes the environment as one where “regardless of the task, workers are told to complete their duties at the risk of their lives.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea has maintained strict restrictions on foreign tourism, but the Wonsan Kalma resort is seen as a strategic move to revive the economy and strengthen ties with Russia. Early plans targeted over one million tourists annually from China, Russia, and other countries, yet human rights concerns cast a shadow over the project’s real intentions.

The harsh reality remains that the apparent economic and diplomatic gains are overshadowed by severe labor abuses and systemic human rights violations, with forced labor camps running under military oversight and strict control over the workforce.