North Korea has started to build a new ski resort in the remote “holy” city of Samjiyon, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, after leader Kim Jong Un demanded the construction last summer as part of efforts to promote the northern border city as a tourist destination. 

Planet Labs imagery shows a three-branch ski hill was carved out of Mount Pukphothae near Samjiyon Airport between late September and mid-December, with work continuing at the base of the hill over winter.

A construction worker camp appeared to be established near the base at the same time, while a recently built train line was extended with new rail spurs, likely to facilitate material shipments for the project.

During his July 2024 visit, Kim Jong Un called for the construction of a “large-scale ski resort” and “tourist recreation ground with Mount Pukphothae as a center.”

Kim said the location is “well-suited as a sports and experiential mountain tourism zone.”

The prompt construction is a demonstration of Kim’s continuing dedication to spending resources on vanity projects in Samjiyon, likely due to its domestic propaganda value rather than as a draw for foreign tourists.

North Korean propaganda maintains Samjiyon is a “holy land” as it relates to state lore about second leader Kim Jong Il being born on nearby Mount Paektu, the highest mountain in the country. 

Though the story is false — he was born in Russia — state propaganda treats Paektu and the city as a pilgrimage location for all citizens, in order to instill obedience and loyalty to the Kim family’s hereditary dictatorship.

This policy has led Kim Jong Un to create large-scale projects to modernize Samjiyon and establish attractions and activities mainly for domestic ideological education-related tour groups, but also some for foreigners (despite tourism halting in Jan. 2020).

He implied only those from select countries would be able to visit the new alpine resort during his visit last July, saying it “will surely become a tourist zone where friendly foreign friends can feel a unique attraction.”

The new hill is located around 2.4 miles (4 km) south of the airport and next to an existing ski hill that belongs to the Korean People’s Army (KPA) Unit 1045 — a special unit that uses the base to practice their rifle skills on the slopes. 

The new hill appears to be intended for beginners, with a gentle slope rising around 500 feet (155-meter) over 1,585 yards (1.45 km). 

It’s shorter and less steep than both the military ski slope and another recently upgraded resort at Pegae Hill in central Samjiyon, and much smaller compared to North Korea’s largest ski resort at Masikryong.

It’s not yet clear if Kim’s plan will involve the resort taking over Unit 1045’s base and existing infrastructure, but the two ski hills are close enough to be reasonably included in a single resort zone. 

The DPRK leader also called for “remodeling Samjiyon Airport and laying a tourist railway” to the area during his visit last year.

Satellite imagery shows new activity in the small town next to the railway station just south of the airport since last fall, but this is likely related to the ski hill project since construction has yet to begin around the airport runway itself.

Foreign tourists have typically traveled to the area via domestic flights from Pyongyang landing at Samjiyon Airport, which features only two small buildings at present. 

Samjiyon is not open to foreign tourism at the moment, despite Western tourism organizations announcing that it would open last December.

Russians are likely to be some of the first to visit. A top Russian official also explicitly mentioned the new “world-level” Mount Pukphothae ski resort as a target destination for visitors from his country after a meeting with Kim Jong Un last November.

China could also become a primary target of the new resorts as a large new customs complex has been under construction at the border nearby since late 2022, but the project still hasn’t finished and work has yet to start on a planned special economic zone next to it. Chinese tourism to North Korea has also yet to resume since it was shut down due to the pandemic in Jan. 2020.

Satellite imagery shows little progress on the ski resort project since December, but work is likely to pick up this year to comply with Kim’s order to complete it “within two years” or by July 2026. Airport construction is also likely to take place in parallel to the resort project.

Edited by Alannah Hill