Years of Donald Trump’s worship to Kim Jong-un ends in humiliation as North Korea makes nice with an American foe

North Korea is preparing to open its biggest tourist destination, the Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort, to local visitors next week, with Russian tourists expected to follow soon.

This move highlights the ongoing exclusion of American and South Korean travelers, making past compliments about North Korea from U.S. leaders, especially former President Donald Trump, seem out of touch with the current situation.

As found by AP News, Trump once praised Kim Jong Un’s “tremendous condo capabilities” and “a lot of shoreline,” despite North Korea saying Trump’s ideas were dangerous. Despite Trump trying to look good, Americans are still not allowed to visit the newly finished luxury resort. The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone is a major project for North Korea, with hotels and lodging for almost 20,000 guests, along with swimming pools, sports facilities, recreational areas, and multiple dining options.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a surprisingly rich man, has personally supervised the resort’s development and attended its opening ceremony this week. He called its construction the “greatest success” of the year and a “proud first step” toward the government’s goal of expanding tourism. This ambitious plan reflects Kim’s desire to turn the country into a tourist hotspot, a strategy meant to boost North Korea’s weak economy.

North Korea is opening up but with caveats

Experts believe the resort required a huge investment from North Korea’s tight budget, meaning the country must attract foreign currency through tourism to make the project worthwhile. The government also plans to approve similar large-scale tourist projects in other regions.

Despite this tourism push, North Korea has kept strict bans on foreign visitors, first put in place in early 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The slow return of international tourism is due to ongoing pandemic restrictions, rising tensions with the U.S. and South Korea in recent years, and fears that Western tourists might spread negative views of North Korea’s government. Although a small number of foreign tourists were allowed in earlier this year, those tours were later stopped.

North Korea’s selective reopening for tourism shows its changing international relationships. Russian officials have confirmed that the first Russian tour group will visit the Wonsan-Kalma resort in July, a clear sign of closer ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. Since February 2024, North Korea has already been allowing Russian tourists in other parts of the country, matching their growing military and economic partnership.

The Russian ambassador and embassy staff attended the resort’s opening, further highlighting this strengthening alliance. This deepening connection includes North Korea sending weapons and troops to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine in exchange for economic and military support.