With a recent spike in the construction of hotels and amenities in and around the border town of Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, residents have expressed hope that foreign tourists will start pouring into the country.
According to a Daily NK source in North Pyongan province recently, a new hotel that can accommodate more than 300 guests, karaoke clubs, restaurants, shops, and other entertainment facilities and amenities are under construction in Sinuiju’s Nammin neighborhood.
Locals believe that construction reflects authorities’ plans to boost the tourism industry to attract more foreign visitors, rather than the so-called 20×10 regional development project.
“Since the construction accompanies the development of local commerce, people believe it’s not simply for the locals,” the source said. “Many expect that Chinese tourists will return in pre-COVID-19 numbers.”
Likewise, the ongoing construction of amenities on Ryucho Island near Sinuiju’s Nammin neighborhood also has people excited.
Revived hopes for special economic zone
Ryucho Island is a foreboding location with outside access strictly controlled—even its residents need an entry permit to set foot on it.
The island was also hit by severe rains in the summer of 2024, and recovery efforts were neglected until as recently as last year. The construction of various amenities on Ryucho Island has locals guessing that authorities are “building facilities for tourists rather than flood recovery.”
In particular, people who engage in trade or commerce believe that authorities “are reviving a plan to develop Ryucho Island as a special economic and tourism zone,” and hope that “Chinese capital will flow in.”
North Korean authorities produced a plan a while ago to develop Ryucho Island—located in the Yalu River between Sinuiju and the Chinese city of Dandong—into a free trade zone and a trade and tourism hub connected to the New Yalu River Bridge, but it fizzled out with little to show.
The recent construction on Ryucho Island has reignited hope among locals.
“Sinuiju residents say that the facilities now under construction, judging from their scale, don’t appear to be simply for events or provincial visitors—they seem to be preparations for the restart of Chinese group tours or commercial visits,” the source said.
“Sinuiju residents hope that tourists return from China and rejuvenate the local economy,” the source said. “Many believe that only if tourism begins will the state and the people be able to breathe economically.”
January 29, 2026 at 07:28AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)