▲ North Korean and Chinese officials visit the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone on the occasion of Lunar New Year on Feb. 14, 2026, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-China-tourism

Chinese officials visit N. Korean tourism zone for Lunar New Year

SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Yonhap) -- China's Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun and other embassy officials have visited a beach resort area in North Korea on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, state media reported Sunday, raising views on whether Pyongyang is seeking to attract Chinese tourists.

Wang and other members of the Chinese Embassy in North Korea attended the friendly meeting that took place at the Wonsan-Kalma beach resort area the previous day, also attended by the North's Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-ho, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Pyongyang's foreign ministry hosted a banquet to mark the Lunar New Year at a landmark hotel in the coastal tourist district, the KCNA said.

During the gathering, participants expressed their "will to further advance the friendly ties between their two nations by upholding the noble intentions of their top leaders," it added.

It marked the first time the North's state media carried a report on Chinese Embassy officials visiting the Wonsan-Kalma tourism zone that opened in July last year, which is known to accommodate up to around 20,000 visitors.

North Korea has been seeking to nurture the tourism industry in an apparent bid to earn much-needed foreign currency amid international sanctions. Russian tourists have visited the North in group tours, while those by Chinese tourists have yet to resume.

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