North Korea plans to launch major tourism site next year though it still blocks foreign tourists

State media say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a major tourism site being constructed on the country's eastern coast and discussed steps to open the zone by next year. Kim's visit to the Wonsan-Kalma zone earlier this week comes as North Korea continues to block entry by most foreign tourists. North Korea has been slowly easing its harsh pandemic-era curbs and entry restrictions as part of efforts to revive its economy. But it still hasn’t reopened its borders to foreign tourists, except for a relatively small number of Russians who visited earlier this year as ties boomed between the two countries.