North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae attended the opening ceremony of a luxury resort in the Samjiyon mountain tourist area, in the north of the country, on 20/12, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on 23/12.
The resort includes a hotel, an outdoor hot spring bathing area, dining and shopping zones, and a barbecue restaurant. Kim personally checked the water temperature in the outdoor bath and the comfort of the beds in the hotel.
The North Korean leader declared the resort a testament to the nation's development potential, representing national tourism culture, and showing that the North Korean people "do not need to envy the world". KCNA did not mention the service fees for visiting or staying at the resort.
Analysts suggest the resort targets international visitors and could also serve as a reward for exemplary workers. "The target customers are foreigners", assessed Peter Ward, a researcher at the Sejong Institute in Seoul. He noted the venue could also be used as a reward for advanced production labor units in North Korea. Lim Eul-Chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, commented that North Korea could implement group tourism activities through the China border region, with the 5 newly opened hotels serving as primary accommodation facilities.
North Korea recently reopened its borders to certain international tourists. Last year, the country allowed Russian tourists to return for the first time since the pandemic, and Western tour companies were also permitted to organize short tours in February. There is currently no information about Chinese tourists returning to North Korea.
Samjiyon holds strong symbolic significance in North Korean propaganda campaigns due to its proximity to Mount Paektu, the highest mountain on the peninsula. Mount Paektu is notably the birthplace of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
Beyond the resort inauguration, Kim has visited several newly completed factories in recent weeks. These inspections precede the Workers' Party of Korea congress in 2026, where policymakers will discuss economic plans for the next five years.
Kim Ju-ae, one of three children of Kim and Ri, is believed to have been born in 2012 and is the second daughter of the North Korean leader, according to South Korean intelligence. North Korea first publicly released images of Ju-ae in November 2022, when Kim took his daughter to inspect an intercontinental ballistic missile launch site. Since then, Ju-ae has frequently appeared in the media, accompanying her father to important events, leading many to believe she is a leading candidate to succeed Kim.
