Kim Jong Un Shows Off Samjiyon’s New Luxury Hotels — With His Daughter in Tow

With input from Deutsche Welle, Reuters, and the Independent.

North Korea just cut the ribbon on another glossy showcase project — and, as usual, Kim Jong Un made sure the cameras caught every angle.

State media says Kim and his daughter, Ju Ae, opened five new luxury hotels in Samjiyon, a remote mountain city near the Chinese border. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) called it an “attractive mountainous tourist resort and leisure ground for the people,” complete with barbecue restaurants, hot tubs, and leisure spaces — basically a winter getaway vibe, North Korea style.

Kim, touring the new hotels on Saturday, reportedly went full hands-on inspector. KCNA said he checked out rooms and facilities and even tested the firmness of the beds — because nothing says “national development plan” like the Supreme Leader doing mattress reviews.

And then came the big message: Kim hailed the resort as “clear proof of the rising status of our people,” with state media insisting citizens have “nothing to envy in the world.” That’s a bold claim in a country where most people are dealing with serious economic hardship — but glossy tourism projects are exactly the point. They’re the regime’s favorite kind of evidence.

On paper, these hotels are pitched as a domestic win — a leisure hub for North Koreans. In reality, analysts have long argued that big tourism builds like this are aimed at foreign currency, because tourism is one of the few legal-ish ways Pyongyang can bring money in despite sanctions.

One expert quoted in reporting on the resort said the main target is likely foreign tourists, with visits also possibly used as a reward system for “productive” workers — basically a state-approved vacation for the politically favored or high-performing.

And the location matters. Samjiyon sits near the border with China, which makes it one of the more realistic places for large group tourism to restart or expand, especially if travel funnels through Chinese border regions.

The opening also fits a political calendar. North Korea is expected to hold a party congress in early 2026, the first in five years, where a new national development plan is expected. Lately, Kim’s been popping up at opening ceremonies like it’s a full-time job — factories, infrastructure, tourism zones — all designed to project momentum and progress before that meeting.

This also wasn’t the first tourism flex this year. The Samjiyon hotels follow the launch of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, another showcase project meant to signal that the country isn’t isolated and struggling — it’s building, modernizing, and “thriving,” according to the official storyline.

Ju Ae’s presence is doing work, too. She’s increasingly shown alongside Kim at major public events, and while North Korea doesn’t openly talk succession, many observers see her repeated appearances as deliberate. The message: stability, continuity, dynasty.

So yes — five new luxury hotels opened in the mountains. But zoom out and it’s the same playbook: build something shiny, film it like a victory parade, frame it as proof the country is rising, and keep the leadership narrative front and center.

Samjiyon’s new resort isn’t just a place to sleep. It’s a stage.