Overview
- State media said inauguration ceremonies were held Dec. 20–21 for five modern hotels in the Samjiyon tourist zone near the Chinese border.
- Official photos showed Kim Jong Un touring rooms, hot tubs and barbecue venues with his daughter Ju-ae, as he called the complex clear proof of the country’s development potential.
- Analysts say the build-out targets foreign visitors to earn hard currency, with potential flows via China, though large-scale tourism remains unproven and no Chinese tour groups are known to have returned.
- KCNA did not disclose pricing or access for ordinary North Koreans, a sensitive issue given widespread economic hardship reported by outside observers.
- The opening highlights Samjiyon’s propaganda value near Mount Paektu and caps a series of showcase unveilings ahead of a party congress expected to set a new five-year economic plan.