New Delhi, July 20 -- North Korea is banning the entry of foreign tourists to a recently opened mega beach resort, a move that dims prospects for the complex that leader Kim Jong Un hailed it as "one of the greatest successes this year."

DPR Korea Tour, a website run by North Korea's tourism authorities, said in a notice Friday that the eastern coastal Wonsan-Kalma tourist complex "is temporarily not receiving foreign tourists." It gave no further details including why a ban was established or how long it would last.

North Korea says the complex can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests. The resort opened to domestic tourists July 1 before receiving a small group of Russian tourists last week. Observers expected North Korea to open the resor...