Kim's tourist town opens: North Koreans rejoice at "new level of civilization"

North Korea's news agency is ecstatic. Tourists can now flock to the east coast. Although more attention is paid to North Koreans, the country is primarily targeting another group that is no longer as well-liked worldwide.

North Korea has opened a massive tourist resort on its east coast, which is expected to welcome its first Russian guests this month. Dubbed "North Korea's Waikiki" by South Korean media, the Wonsan Kalma resort opened to domestic visitors on Tuesday, according to the official North Korean news agency KCNA. KCNA published photos of tourists in colorful swimsuits on the beach.

North Koreans of all ages from all corners of the country flocked to the site, "filled with the joy of experiencing a new level of civilization," KCNA reported. Visitors were "astonished by the size and splendor of the tourist town," where "more than 400 artistically designed buildings line the white sand beach in perfect harmony," it added.

According to Pyongyang, the new resort can accommodate almost 20,000 people. It is a pet project of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who was keen to develop the North Korean tourism industry during his early years in office.

According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, a group of Russian tourists is scheduled to visit the new resort for the first time on July 7. North Korea, which is largely isolated internationally, sees tourism as an important source of foreign currency. Moscow may have supported the construction of the resort in return for North Korea's support.