Sustained efforts are being directed to laying conditions for different thematic tourist activities. On the beautiful Rungna Islet in Pyongyang the May Day Stadium has been renovated and new buildings have gone up, including the Rungna People’s Pleasure Ground, the Rungna People’s Sports Park, the Rungna Dolphinarium and the Pyongyang International Football School. The Mirae Scientists Street, the Sci-Tech Complex and other monumental edifices have come into existence in central Pyongyang, while the Mirim Riding Club was established in the suburbs.

Sci-Tech Complex in Pyongyang

Sci-Tech Complex in Pyongyang

In North Phyongan Province the Tongnim Hotel was built in the vicinity of the Tongnim Falls, renowned as one of the eight scenic spots in the northwestern part of Korea. In Kangwon Province the Masikryong Ski Resort and the Masikryong Hotel rose up and the Songdowon International Children’s Camp got a complete facelift. Provinces have laid parks and pleasure grounds of their own styles, forms and contents to suit their local features.

Hotel Lobby of the Masikryong Ski Resort Hotel

Hotel Lobby of the Masikryong Ski Resort Hotel

A number of undertakings have been pushed forward to protect the natural environment, thus making remarkable improvements in management of towns, forests, rivers and coasts. Different measures have been taken to protect the land, water and biological resources. These efforts have gone a long way to the work of satisfying the needs of the tourists for virgin natural environment. The tourists’ interest is further aroused by the development of therapeutic sources like natural scenery, climate, water and biological environment. For instance, the mineral water is generally of high value in terms of the content of methane silicic acid, hence very helpful in protection and improvement of health. Korea abounds in useful hot springs and mineral water. There are as many as 170 mineral water springs and hot springs in the country, typically at Kyongsong, Sinchon, Ryonggang, Yangdok, Ongjin, Sambang and Okhodong.

These conditions offer a good opportunity to the tourists to Korea to enjoy their holiday. In order to meet the needs for tourism, the DPRK government arranges different kinds of unique tourist programmes, such as architectural tourism, football tourism and flying tourism, so that the tourists can have an enjoyable time. The country arranges tourist activities all the year round. Some typical attractions are the lunar New Year’s Day, the Kimilsungia festival in April, the Kimjongilia festival in February, colourful festivities, international trade fairs in spring and autumn, the Mangyongdae Prize international marathon race, and activities in the Masikryong Ski Resort in winter

Thanks to the government policy of positive development of tourist resources, a dynamic campaign is going on in Kangwon Province, including the Wonsan area, to develop the scenic spots into worldfamous tourist attractions. An international workshop took place in May 2015 on the programme of developing the Wonsan-Mt. Kumgang international tourist zone. The area is already known to the world, as it has harmonious landscape of mountains, fields, sea and lakes in combination, and there are a lot of tourist resources for development.

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The Wonsan area, for example, has hundreds of scenic spots, more than 100 sites of historical importance, bathing resorts, several natural lakes, and mineral water springs, all of which arouse considerable interest among the tourists. In the vicinity of Wonsan City there are famous tourist attractions like Ullim Falls, the Masikryong Ski Resort and Sogwang Temple, which are 68, 25 and 47 km away from central Wonsan respectively. In particular Kosong County, Kangwon Province, is proud of Mt. Kumgang which is referred to as a complex of all the natural beauties on the earth. A European tourist who had been to Mt. Kumgang several times said, “The magnificent view of Mt. Kumgang, courageous formations of the mountain, hanging cliffs, unperturbed virgin forests, crystal-clear waterfalls, cascading streams, the rays and colours of the deep pools—what on earth could challenge this charm?” Now preparations for the tour to the Wonsan International Friendship Flight Festival 2016 slated to happen in Wonsan in the coming September are making brisk headway.

– Kim Il Bong

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