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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Jong Un A luxury mountain resort was inaugurated, described by state media as having comfortable leisure areas, barbecue dining venues and hot tubs.
The newly opened complex with five hotels in Samjeon, a city in the country’s rugged northern region, was designed as an “attractive mountain tourist destination and vacation spot for people,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
During his visit, Mr Kim reportedly inspected a number of facilities, including “hotel bedrooms, comfortable leisure spaces and commercial and public catering facilities”. KCNA Said.
Photos released by state media showed Mr Kim walking around the resort with his daughter – widely believed to be Kim Ju A and considered a potential successor – as he examined hotel rooms and was seen pressing on mattresses to assess their firmness.
North Korea remains one of the world’s poorest countries by per capita GDP and ranks 118th out of 127 countries on the Global Hunger Index, with one in five children suffering from stunted growth due to malnutrition.
Yet North Korea is increasingly choosing newly constructed resorts for propaganda coverage, often promoted by Mr. Kim himself, as it tries to project a semblance of normality and Attract high-spending foreign tourists,
Tourism is one of the few ways North Korea can legally earn foreign currency as most of its economic activities are restricted by United Nations sanctions related to its nuclear and military expansion.
It has not been a smooth process – earlier this year the regime suddenly banned foreigners Newly opened beach resort on its east coast Just weeks after it was promoted as a “world-class tourist and cultural destination”.
Mr Kim’s appearance at the resort with his daughter is the latest in a series of tightly stage-managed events that observers see as subtly cementing the potential succession narrative.
State media, which generally do not mention her by name, now often describe Kim Ju Ae as “beloved” or “respected” or “a great man of guidance”.
Pyongyang has not officially confirmed many details about him and he has not been formally talked about as part of a possible succession plan.
South Korean intelligence officials believe Kim Ju Ae is about 12 or 13 years old and one of at least two or three children. She is the only woman to appear regularly in public, accompanying Mr Kim at major events in the role that once belonged to his mother Ri Sol Ju.
Cheong Seong Chang, an analyst at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea, said Mr. kim He probably believed that his daughter had the ability and determination to succeed him as a leader.
“By accompanying her father to major events, it seems as if she is learning kingship and building a human network at an early age,” Mr Cheong said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kim reportedly praised the resort’s development, calling it “a clear testament to the ever-rising ideals of our people and the development potential of our state”.
North Korean media further claimed that the resort demonstrated that the country’s citizens were “the most distinguished” and had “nothing to envy in the world”.
Earlier this year, Mr Kim unveiled a beach resort to boost tourism, including hotels, restaurants, water slides and shopping centres.
The leader was seen enjoying the Wonsan Calma Retreat on the east coast in July, relaxing by the pool next to his daughter with a pack of cigarettes and a cold drink.
According to state media, the resort covers an area of 4 km of beach and can accommodate 20,000 visitors.
Samjeon, where the newest resort is located, holds deep symbolic significance in North Korean propaganda, as it is close to Mount Paektu, the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula – which the official narrative claims as the birthplace of Mr Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il. However, most historians believe that Kim Jong Il was born in the Soviet Union.
according to korea herald of South Korea, Mr Kim is trying to turn Samgyeon into a major tourism hub as the country tries to attract visitors and generate hard currency under the burden of international sanctions.
Pyongyang began relaxing its border restrictions in 2023 after three years of almost no tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no foreign visitors allowed to enter and limited information emerging.