North Korea says it is banning the entry of foreign tourists to a recently opened mega beach resort, a move that dims prospects for the complex.

The decision is an about-face to the beach club's declared goal of attracting overseas visitors and helping initiate a tourist industry in the totalitarian, hermetic country.

North Korea has announced that its newly opened seaside resort will not be receiving foreign tourists. The Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, opened on 1 July, has been touted as a key part of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's ambitions to boost tourism.