North Korea suspends foreign visitors to resort area favored by Kim Jong Un - what could be the reason?

Regarding the "Kalma Coastal Tourist Area" in Wonsan, eastern North Korea, which was developed under the initiative of North Korean leader Kim Jung Eun and opened this month, North Korea has
The reason for this has not been made clear. One of the purposes of developing the resort is thought to be to earn foreign currency, so it is expected that North Korea, which has a close relationship with the country, will continue to accept foreign tourists.
There was a widespread view that North Korea would welcome tourists from Russia and other countries and begin to welcome foreign tourists in earnest. In fact, from the 7th of this month, North Korea began accepting foreign tourists as well as North Korean residents.
The first group of tourists arrived from Russia. However, on the 16th, the tourist information website "Joseon Tourism" operated by the North Korean authorities suddenly announced that "foreign tourists are temporarily not being accepted in the area."
"The construction of the Katsuhama Coast Tourist Area began in 2016, but was temporarily halted due to financial difficulties and the COVID-19 pandemic. It has finally been completed.
Kim Jong Un expressed his satisfaction, calling it "one of the biggest achievements this year." In addition to sports and leisure facilities, the area also includes a facility that can accommodate approximately 20,000 people.
At the time of its opening, the Central News Agency reported that it would mark a new beginning for the tourism industry. The completion ceremony, held on the 24th of last month, was attended by Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora.
South Korea has been sending soldiers to Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. A South Korean government official said that the construction of the area, which has now been completed, may have been supported by Russia in return for the dispatch of soldiers.
Kim has long shown a strong interest in the development of the tourism industry, and the development of the area is said to be a pet project of his. In fact, Kim was the one who was involved in the construction of the area.
He has visited the construction site many times. In addition to hotels, sports facilities and commercial facilities have been developed in the area. North Korean media has described it as "the birth of a coastal tourist city of national treasure class."
The completion ceremony held on the 24th of last month was attended by Kim Jong Un, his wife Ri Sol-ju, and his daughter Ju-ae. Kim said of the completion of the tourist area, "It is a great achievement in terms of the development of cultural tourism.
"This is a proud step on the road to realizing the policy of the (Workers') Party and government to promote tourism in the region and to contribute to the economic growth of the nation," he said.
After cutting the ribbon at the completion ceremony, Kim inspected the large outdoor pool area built in the area with his daughter Ju-ae and his wife Ri.
The video shows Kim and others watching the man slide down the slide from the poolside, with Jouet appearing surprised by the splash of water.
The area began offering services to North Korean residents on the 1st of this month. Then, on the 7th, it began accepting foreign tourists, and group tours from Russia were also welcomed.
On the 12th, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov visited the area and praised it as a "wonderful tourist destination." It is said that a huge amount of money has been invested in the development project of the area, which is a pet project of Kim Jong Un.
In order to be profitable, it is considered essential to welcome foreign tourists, who can bring in foreign currency, and Kim said, "This will show Korea's appeal as a global tourist destination."
However, on the 16th, North Korea suddenly announced that it would suspend the acceptance of foreign tourists. The reason was not disclosed, but it was revealed that the demand for foreign tourists was lower than expected.
There is a growing view that this is due to the lackluster results and concerns that foreign visitors to the country would reveal the true state of North Korea to the outside world.
In North Korea, with the exception of a small number of residents, freedom of movement within the country is extremely difficult.
Therefore, the reality is that they have no choice but to rely on foreigners to get the resort operation in the area on track. If the suspension of acceptance continues for a long time, it will be difficult for Kim Jong Un to lose his prestige.
It seems that the day when the area, which has managed to open after much effort, will go bankrupt is not far off.