Overview
- Kim Jong-un inspected the newly built Kalma Tourist Railway Station and an emergency treatment center in Wonsan on June 24, praising rapid construction while pointing out unfinished work and ordering stronger legal controls on construction quality.
- He directed plans to modernize provincial railway stations based on the Kalma design and to build modern hospitals in 20 cities and counties each year, and he called for better design review, maintenance rules and supplies for tourist-focused train and station operations.
- Analysts say the upgrades are aimed at attracting paying visitors to raise foreign exchange, with reporters linking the push to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s recent visit and pledges of closer cooperation that could expand Chinese tourism.
- North Korean state media says the Wonsan‑Kalma zone opened last year and can host about 20,000 visitors with roughly 7,000 guest rooms plus a waterpark and airport, but officials have so far allowed only limited foreign groups and must still ready transport, health services and operations for wider reopening.
- KCNA reported that a day after the resort inspection Kim supervised tests of multiple weapons systems, a sequence that underscores Pyongyang’s parallel effort to pursue economic engagement while signaling military deterrence.