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This massive show of North Korean force
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is meant to inspire postcards,
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not paranoia.
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Troops and construction workers gathered in June
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to celebrate a new, sprawling tourist destination on the coast of Wonsan,
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about two and a half hours from Pyongyang.
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But Wonsan is known for more than sand beaches
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and sunshine.
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The North Korean regime runs an air base in Wonsan
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and it's from here that it planned
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to launch missiles capable of striking U.S. military targets in Japan and Guam.
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Live fire drills were conducted here as recently as 2017.
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That didn't stop President Trump,
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a former real estate developer,
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from spotting the potential.
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“Whenever they're exploding their cannons into the ocean, right —
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I said, 'Boy, look at that view, wouldn't that make a great condo?'
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And I explained, I said, 'You know, instead of doing that,
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you could have the best hotels in the world right there.'”
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Kim Jong-un was already on the case.
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In his 2018 New Year's address,
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he made those beach condos a priority.
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Satellite images and other photos
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reveal that the coastline has been under heavy construction
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since January,
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even at night.
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We see how these two missile launchpads
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have given way to rows upon rows of beachfront buildings.
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Here on the left,
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we see the beach lined with artillery
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for military drill in 2017.
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And on the right, is the same strip of land in 2018.
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Construction of a tourism destination is in full swing.
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The project has at least 150 buildings, some as high
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as 12 stories.
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Pyongyang said that the tourist zone
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should attract at least one million visitors per year.
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But in a country synonymous with prison camps, purges, and extreme poverty,
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it is unclear where these tourists will come from.
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Yet the hope seems to be that condos and cabanas
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will get the cash flowing.
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During a visit to North Korea in May,
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Americans
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could help with that.
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“Here is what this will look like:
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This will be Americans coming in —
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private sector Americans, not the U.S. taxpayer —
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coming in to help build out the energy grid,
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to work with them to develop infrastructure.”
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And that same week photos of Kim visiting the construction site were published.
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The North Korea of flashy skyscrapers and shiny holiday resorts
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that Trump showed Kim in this inspirational video at the Singapore summit
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might still be a way off.
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“A new world can begin today,
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where the doors of opportunity are ready to be opened.”
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But if Kim gives up bombs for beaches,
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it might be time to reach for sunblock
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instead of sanctions.
