North Korea has inaugurated five new hotels in Samjiyon, a northern city near Mount Paektu, as leader Kim Jong-un expressed an 'unshakable' will to develop the area into an attractive mountainous tourist zone, state media reported. Kim attended the opening ceremonies over the weekend with his daughter Ju-ae. The move is part of efforts to boost tourism and earn hard currency amid international sanctions.
North Korea held ceremonies to officially open five newly built 'modern' hotels in the Samjiyon Tourist Resort on Saturday and Sunday, December 20 and 21. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), leader Kim Jong-un toured major facilities at the Ikkal and Milyong hotels on Saturday, expressing satisfaction that 'all elements are at a high level' in terms of practicality, diversity, and artistic features. He voiced an 'unshakable will to turn Samjiyon City better into an innovative and highly civilized city representing the tourism culture of the country.'
Photos from state media showed Kim's daughter, Ju-ae, accompanying him on the tour, holding his hand. Kim stressed the importance of service quality for tourism development, calling for efforts to improve the professional qualifications of hotel service workers.
North Korea has promoted Samjiyon as the sacred birthplace of former leader Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un's late father, though historians and foreign officials say he was born in Russia. In July 2014, Kim visited a development site in Samjiyon, ordering it to become a major mountainous tourist spot and calling for a large-scale ski resort to be built within two years as part of fostering international tourism sites.
Recently, North Korea opened the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area in its eastern region in July. A South Korean unification ministry official noted that Pyongyang is expected to expand tourist zones, as Kim has said construction plans for massive tourist areas will be finalized at the upcoming key party congress. The country may consider attracting tourists from China if it aims to develop Samjiyon as a large-scale zone, amid apparent bids to earn hard currency under international sanctions.
