North Korea resort to the first Russian tourists welcomes the first Russian tourists

A new beach resort in North Korea, which was criticized by human rights groups for the harsh treatment of building workers, welcomed its first group of Russian tourists this week.

It was Wonsan Kalma Resort Opened at a big party last month By North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who praised him as a “world -class tourism and cultural destination”.

Details of how to build this resort has been moved in secrecy in a largely closed country in front of the outside world.

BBC Verify studied satellite images, obtained internal planning documents, and spoke to the former experts and informed North Korea about their concerns about human rights violations while developing the site.

Kim Jong Un spent most of his youth in Wensan, and before the construction of the new resort, the city was a famous holiday destination for the country’s elite.

“When it was initially planned for the tourist area of Wonsan … the idea was to attract about a million tourists to the region while keeping a closed area,” says Ri Jong Ho, a senior economist in North Korea in 2014.

“The intention of North Korea was a little bit.”

In 2017, a year before the construction began, Kim sent a delegation on a fact -finding mission to Spain, where the team toured the Baidorm resort.

Matthias Perez recalls that the North Korean delegation “included high politicians and many architects who have received many notes”, a member of the Spanish team hosted the delegation on a tour, including an entertainment garden, towering hotels and Marina.

A North Korean booklet with a resort map has 43 hotels identified along the beach front, as well as guest homes in an artificial lake, and camping sites.

We have match these sites with high -resolution satellite images, although we are unable to check if they have already been completed.

A water park, complete with tall yellow water slices, was seized from the beach.

To the north, there is a quarter of an entertainment that includes buildings that were identified in the plan as a theater, entertainment centers, fitness, and cinema.

Starting in early 2018, satellite images that have been taken over 18 months reveal dozens of buildings that emit 4 km (2.5 miles).

By the end of 2018, about 80 % of the resort has been completed, according to the research conducted by the satellite photo company, Si Analytics, based in South Korea.

However, in the wake of this storm building voltage, it seems that working on the site may temporarily stop.

This rapid construction pace raised concerns about the treatment of those working on the site.

The United Nations highlighted the forced work system used in North Korea, especially the “shock brigades”, as workers often face harsh conditions, long hours and insufficient compensation.

“There are reports that the resort was designed using what they call the shock brigades,” says James Heinan of the United Nations Human Rights Office in Seoul.

“We have also seen reports that people were working 24 hours a day to end this thing, which seems to be a shock brigade for me.”

The British Broadcasting Corporation spoke to one of North Korea, which eventually served from the shock brigades.

Although Cho Chung Hui – which was then defected – did not participate in building the Wonsan resort, it remembers the brutal conditions of the divinities he supervised.

“The principle behind this (brigades) was that regardless of that, you had to complete the mission, even if your life cost you,” he said.

“I saw many women who were subjected to physical pressure and ate them so badly that their periods stopped completely.”

Kang Giuri, who worked in Winsan before fleeing to South Korea in 2023, says her cousin volunteered to work on the construction site because he saw it as a way to reside in the capital of Pyongyang in the country, which specializes in reliable citizens by the regime.

“He couldn’t sleep. They (did not) give him enough to eat,” she said.

“The facilities are not organized correctly, and some people die during work and they (the authorities) do not bear responsibility if they fall and die.”

Ms. Kang also said that the residents of Wonsan had left their homes with the resort’s project expanding, and it was often without compensation.

Although it is not specific to the MS Kang experience, the BBC Veirify was able to identify by the satellite analysis of the demolition of buildings near a major road that leads to the resort. In their place, the large tone blocks are now visible.

“They only destroy everything and build something new, especially if it is in a good location,” said Ms. Kang.

“The problem is, regardless of its feeling, people cannot speak or protest publicly.”

BBC contacted North Korean officials to comment.

North Korea has been almost completely closed to foreign visitors, who are allowed to be largely controlled by the country’s visit in recent years.

Wonsan Kalma is not seen as playing an important role in reviving the country’s sick economic fortunes, but also as a way to strengthen its relations with Russia – which has become close to Pyongyang Military support For the Moscow war in Ukraine.

According to the early planning documents that the BBC sees, the initial goal is to attract more than a million visitors, as foreign tourists are expected to come from China and Russia.

We wiped the tourism agency’s sites in China and Russia alike on any lists that promote trips to the new resort.

None of the Chinese agencies that we examined were advertising trips to Wonsan. However, in Russia, we identified three agencies that offer tours that included Wonsan Kalma.

We contacted a Russian agency in early July a protesting as a customer who was interested a week before his departure on July 7 and was said to have attracted 12 people from Russia.

It costs a week to North Korea, including three days in Wonsan Resort, 1800 dollars (1300 pounds) – more than 60 % of the monthly salary in Russia.

A date for two other trip was set in August, according to this tourist trips operator.

We contacted the other agency that offered a similar round package, but they refused to reveal the number of people who subscribed.

Andre Lancov, an expert in the North Russian Korean relations at the University of Kockeen in Seoul, said Winsan, whenever it is unlikely to become very common among Russian visitors.

He said: “Russian tourists can easily go to places like Turkey, Egypt, Thailand and Vietnam, and it is much superior to everything that North Korea can develop.”

“Service standards are higher and are not placed under constant supervision.”

Additional reports by Yaroslava Kirichna, Yi Ma and Christina Kevas. Drawings by Sally Nichols and Arwan Revo.