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North Korea beckons Chinese tourists with beach resort in 2026 calendar
The Wonsan beach resort and the Pyongyang Marathon highlight plans for Chinese visitors in a post-pandemic tourism push
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A 2026 calendar issued by a North Korean publisher for Chinese tourists features a new beach resort on the country’s east coast, a copy obtained by Kyodo News showed on Wednesday.
The Wonsan Kalma tourist area with hotels and leisure facilities was launched in the summer, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visiting there in July for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Before North Korea shut its borders in early 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many Chinese tourists had visited the neighbouring country.
Tours to North Korea via China resumed in late February this year but were suspended again soon after, several tour agencies said in March, with attention now focused on the timing of a restart.
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Meanwhile, Beijing-based Koryo Tours said on its website that the Pyongyang International Marathon will be held on April 5, 2026, and that tours for amateur runners are fully booked.
South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency has reported that South Korean, US, Malaysian and Japanese passport holders cannot participate in the marathon.
02:01
North Korea holds first Pyongyang marathon since closing borders during Covid pandemic
North Korea holds first Pyongyang marathon since closing borders during Covid pandemic
In April, the North Korean capital hosted its first international marathon in about six years after a hiatus due to the global public health crisis, with runners from around 45 countries applying to take part.
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