Kim Jong Un has big plans for North Korean tourism in 2025.

The massive Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort, a sprawling complex of hotels and leisure facilities, is slated to finally open in June after years of delays. Ongoing renovations at the northern border city Samjiyon are designed to “revitalize international tourism.” And the Pyongyang International Marathon in April is set to welcome foreign runners for its first race since 2019.

But increasingly, Kim’s own paranoia threatens to get in the way of these plans.

While North Korea allowed Western travelers to visit Rason in February, it abruptly reversed course