Mr. Kim Jong-un and his daughter attended the inauguration ceremony of the mountain resort

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae on December 20 attended the opening ceremony of a luxury resort at the Samjiyon mountain tourist area, in the north of the country, North Korean News Agency (KCNA) reported on December 23.

The resort includes a hotel, an outdoor hot tub area, dining and shopping areas, and a barbecue restaurant. Mr. Kim personally checked the warmth of the water in the outdoor bath as well as the softness of the bed in the hotel.

The North Korean leader declared that the resort is a testament to the country’s development potential, represents the national tourism culture, and shows that the North Korean people “don’t need to be jealous of the world”.

KCNA There is no mention of service fees for visiting and resorting here.

“The target audience is foreigners,” said Peter Ward, a researcher at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, noting that this place could also be used as a reward for advanced manufacturing labor units in North Korea.

Lim Eul-Chul, a professor at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, said that North Korea could launch group tourism activities through the Chinese border, and five newly opened hotels would serve as the main accommodation facilities.

Last year, North Korea allowed Russian tourists to return for the first time since the pandemic, and Western travel companies were also allowed to organize short tours in February. There is currently no information about Chinese tourists being allowed to return to North Korea.

Samjiyon has a strong symbolism in North Korea’s propaganda campaigns because it is located very close to Mount Paektu (White Head), the highest mountain on the peninsula, the birthplace of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

In addition to opening the resort, Mr. Kim toured several newly completed factories in recent weeks, ahead of the Korean Workers’ Party congress in 2026, where policymakers will discuss the economic plan for the next five years.

Kim Ju-ae is one of three children of Mr. Kim and Mrs. Ri. She is believed to have been born in 2012 as the second daughter of the North Korean leader, according to South Korean intelligence. North Korea first publicized Ju-ae’s image in November 2022, when Mr. Kim took his daughter to inspect the intercontinental ballistic missile launch site. Since then, Ju-ae often appeared in the media, accompanying her father to important events, making many people believe that she was the leading candidate to succeed Mr. Kim.