▲ A ceremony marking the completion of Myongsasimni Railway Station takes place in the Wonsan-Kalma tourist resort on Aug. 27, 2026, in this photo provided by the Korean Central News Agency the next day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (front) visits a train station at the Wonsan-Kalma tourist area on June 24, 2026, in this file photo unveiled by the Korean Central News Agency two days later. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
▲ The landscape of the Wonsan-Kalma tourist area on North Korea's east coast is seen on June 24, 2025, during a ceremony to mark the completion of the resort area known for its beautiful seaside scenery, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on June 26. The North's leader Kim Jong-un attended the ceremony. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
▲ The Korean Central Television shows crowds packing beaches at the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone on July 18, 2026. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

(ATTN: ADDS photos, more details in paras 6-8)

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has finished building a railway station at the Wonsan-Kalma tourist area on the east coast, state media said Friday, as the nation seeks to nurture tourism.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said a ceremony marking the completion of Myongsasimni Railway Station took place the previous day, attended by high-ranking officials, including Vice Premier Pak Hun.

State media lauded the 7,000-square-meter station as a "model of Korean-style local railway station," built to serve the needs of tourist travel.

The resort, one of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's signature development projects, officially opened in June 2025 and can reportedly hold up to 20,000 visitors at a time.

While visiting the resort in June to inspect its facilities, Kim unveiled plans to modernize railway stations in provincial cities across the country, urging officials to draw on lessons from the project.

Kim also flagged "some shortcomings" in the station's construction at that time, according to the KCNA, calling on workers to tighten quality control and upgrade the skills of the construction team.

A KCNA photo released showed the station was then called Kalma Tourist Railway Station.

Its name appears to have since been changed to Myongsasimni Railway Station, Chang Yoon-jeong, deputy spokesperson at South Korea's unification ministry, said at a regular briefing Friday, citing the absence of any report on a second station and Kim's remarks on the need for further construction work there.

The North has ramped up efforts to draw visitors to the resort, running domestic flights to and from Pyongyang since July 23.

According to Flightradar24, a flight-tracking site, state carrier Air Koryo operates the route twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, using the Ukrainian company Antonov's An-148 aircraft.

Pyongyang's state media have launched a promotional campaign for the resort, claiming tens of thousands of people have visited the zone this summer.

"The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area in the DPRK is now overflowing with many visitors who came from across the country by train or bus to enjoy the Korean-style tourist culture," the KCNA reported Saturday. DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

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[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]