Seven years of construction have wrapped up with the opening of a new resort in North Korea along the coast of the Sea of Japan.

The Wonsan Kalma beach resort zone is in a protected bay area along the coast, about 90 miles east of the North Korean capital city of Pyongyang. State media proclaims the massive resort was made possible through “the firm revolutionary will of the Workers' Party of Korea.” It is large enough that most people would need about an hour to walk the length of its beach.

The North Korean state media release said the resort could accommodate 20,000 guests at “hundreds of buildings of modern beauty of various forms,” which have been “built in harmony with the scenery of the coastal area.”

NK News reported that North Korean leaders are not yet openly marketing to a general audience to travel to the resort. It said initial promotions were targeting domestic tour groups and students, along with factory workers and government employees. The report said, “Precedent suggests only North Korea’s capitalist class and other well-connected elites will be able to book personal trips to the resort, with other groups dependent on receiving government assistance as rewards for high marks and productivity.” Some tour groups from Russia, however, are reportedly planning to visit.

Americans are being told by the State Department to avoid any temptation to visit the resort. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is labeled by the government with a level 4 - Do Not Travel designation.“Do not travel to North Korea due to the continuing serious risk of arrest, long-term detention, and the threat of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals.

The U.S. does not maintain diplomatic relations with North Korea, and any Americans needing assistance there can only rely on the Swedish government, which is the designated U.S. “protecting power” there.

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