North Korean residents enjoyed summer at the newly opened Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area, according to state media on Friday (July 4).

Video provided by North Korea's official news agency KCNA, which Reuters cannot independently verify, showed visitors swimming, riding water bikes and playing in a water park. The video also showed visitors playing augmented reality games at an arcade and watching films.

The resort reportedly opened on Tuesday (July 1) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended an inaugural ceremony for the tourist zone.

According to KCNA the resort can accommodate about 20,000 visitors and is a step towards the country building more large-scale tourist areas.

Kim has been rebuilding the seaside city of Wonsan, a vacation destination for locals, to turn it into a billion-dollar tourist hotspot. Development plans for Wonsan have mushroomed since they were first announced in 2014.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

WONSAN, NORTH KOREA (JULY 4, 2025) (KCNA FOR REUTERS - No use North Korea)

1. BUILDINGS ALONG SHORE AT WONSAN KALMA COASTAL TOURIST AREA

2. PEOPLE PLAYING VOLLEYBALL AT BEACH

3. PEOPLE AT BEACH

4. PEOPLE SWIMMING

5. PEOPLE ON BOAT WAVING

6. PEOPLE RIDING WATER BIKES

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 65-YEAR-OLD NORTH KOREAN TOURIST, KIM MI HWA, SAYING:

"At first, I was scared to jump into the water, but once I did, there were many old people around me, they looked happy and the water was clear. The scenery was beautiful and I could see the vast ocean at a glance. My country is the best."

8. PEOPLE DRIVING QUAD BIKES ON BEACH

9. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PLAYING IN SAND

10. LETTER ON SAND READING (Korean): "OUR MOTHERLAND" / PEOPLE SWIMMING AT BEACH

11. MYONGSASIMNI WATER PARK

12. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GOING DOWN WATER SLIDE

13. VARIOUS OF MAN SURFING AT ARTIFICIAL WAVE SURFING AREA

14. EXTERIOR OF MOKRAN RECREATION CENTRE

15. WOMAN IN ARCADE HOLDING TOY RIFLE AND PLAYING AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) SHOOTING GAME

16. SCREEN SHOWING GAME

17. WOMAN PLAYING AR SHOOTING GAME

18. PEOPLE TAKING PICTURES WITH MOBILE PHONES

19. PEOPLE IN ARCADE ON ROUNDABOUT SHOOTING TOY GUNS

20. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WATCHING FILM

21. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 67-YEAR-OLD NORTH KOREAN TOURIST, YUN SONG SUK, SAYING:

"So yesterday, I had so much fun swimming at the beach at my age, and today I came to the arcade and went into the 4D film theatre. Being with young people like this made me feel even younger as I shouted with excitement."

22. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE RIDING MECHANICAL HORSES

23. VEHICLES CARRYING TOURISTS PASSING BY

24. PEOPLE WALKING INTO MYONGSASIMNI RYOMYONG HOTEL

25. PEOPLE IN HOTEL LOBBY AND 70-YEAR-OLD TOURIST, RI KUM OK, TAKING VIDEO WITH MOBILE PHONE

26. (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) 70-YEAR-OLD NORTH KOREAN TOURIST, RI KUM OK, SAYING:

"Watching our leader (Kim Jong Un) inspecting this area on television made me want to visit here too. It's so much better and wonderful than what I saw on TV. I'm moved to tears as I'm thinking about how our leader has given us such amazing benefits."

27. VIEW OF BUILDINGS ALONG SHORE (NIGHT SHOT)

28. TOURISTS TAKING PICTURE (NIGHT SHOT)

29. WATER PARK AND BUILDING AT RESORT (NIGHT SHOT)