First British tourists allowed back into North Korea tell BBC what they sawBBC Verify looks at North Korea's Benidorm-style resortNorth Koreans tell BBC they are being sent to work 'like slaves' in Russia Since the Covid pandemic, international tourism into North Korea had been on pause to prevent the spread of the virus. But last year, the republic began allowing Russian tourists to visit again. In February, it also started receiving tourists from the West, including Australia, France, Germany and the UK, though it abruptly halted this weeks later, without saying why. Wonsan Kalma has been touted as a key part of Kim's ambitions to boost tourism in the country. It is said to have drawn inspiration from Spain's tourism hotspot Benidorm, where a North Korean delegation was sent on a fact-finding mission in 2017. But details of how it was built have been shrouded in secrecy, and human rights groups have criticised the alleged harsh treatment of workers. Weeks after it opened, North Korea announced that foreigners were "temporarily" not allowed to visit - except tourists from Russia, an ally of the republic. So far, two Russian tour groups have visited the resort, with another currently there.