North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inaugurated a sprawling luxury mountain resort in Samjiyon, a city nestled in the country’s northern highlands, with state media portraying the project as a symbol of national progress and pride. The newly opened complex, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), includes five hotels and multiple leisure facilities designed to cater to domestic tourists.
KCNA described the resort as featuring cosy leisure areas, barbecue dining spots, and hot tubs, presenting it as an escape for citizens amid the rugged terrain near Mount Paektu. The agency said the project was built to function as an “attractive mountainous tourist resort and leisure ground for the people”, as per a report on Independent.
Kim Inspects Facilities With Daughter By His Side
During the inauguration visit, Kim Jong Un personally inspected various parts of the resort, including hotel bedrooms, recreation spaces, and catering facilities. State-released photographs showed him accompanied by his daughter—widely believed to be Kim Ju Ae, who is increasingly seen as a possible successor.
In the images, Kim was seen checking the firmness of mattresses and walking through the landscaped resort grounds, reinforcing the leadership’s hands-on narrative around development projects. The visual messaging was unmistakable: the country’s top leadership was directly overseeing amenities meant to reflect comfort, quality, and modernity.
Propaganda, Symbolism, and Mount Paektu
Samjiyon holds deep symbolic value in North Korean state ideology. It is located near Mount Paektu, a site portrayed in official propaganda as sacred to the ruling Kim family. State narratives claim the mountain as the birthplace of Kim Jong Il, though historians widely maintain that he was born in the Soviet Union.
State media hailed the resort as evidence of North Korea’s “potential for development” and labelled Samjiyon an “innovative and highly civilized city representing the tourism culture of the country”, The Strait Times reported.
Luxury Amid Economic Hardship
The celebratory tone contrasts sharply with the country’s economic reality. North Korea ranks 118th out of 127 countries on the Global Hunger Index, and approximately one in five children suffers from stunted growth due to malnutrition.
Analysts also point out that the average monthly wage for workers in state-run factories is estimated at around US$3, raising doubts about who can realistically afford leisure stays at such resorts.
Tourism Push and Political Timing
North Korea reopened its borders to Russian tourists in 2024 after pandemic-era closures, while Western tour operators briefly resumed visits in early 2025. Chinese tourism, once a major source of revenue, has yet to return.
The resort’s opening coincides with Kim’s recent inspections of newly constructed factories and comes ahead of the Korean Workers’ Party’s first congress in five years, expected in early 2026. That meeting will outline economic priorities for the next five-year plan, with tourism likely to feature prominently in official messaging.
