North Korea Plans For New Beach Town Resort, Following Plans Of Ski Resort

When people think of their dream vacation, images of sandy beaches and transparent blue waters often come to mind. Usually not in North Korea. Now, the leader of the pariah dictatorship, Kim Jong-Un, hopes that its coasts will join the ranks of beaches in Thailand and the Philippines as a tourist destination in Asia, with the opening of what will be the country’s first beach resort.

Kim has already set plans in motion for the country’s first ski resort. Kim recently visited the Maski Pass Skiing Ground, which will feature some 68 miles of powdery slopes and ski runs, ensuring construction will be completed so it can be used this coming winter. The winter-sports resort is being constructed by “soldier builders.”

According to South Korean news outlet JoongAng Ilbo, Kim plans on having his army of construction workers turn the industrial port of Wonsan, located on the eastern coast of the reclusive nation, into a beach town. The newspaper cites a document called “General blueprint for the Wonsan District,” with details for the old industrial structures like factories and dockyards to be demolished and replaced with new districts. The plans describe a financial district, a sports and entertainment area, and facilities for tourists visiting in the summer. The resort space specifically will be modeled around the Songdowon Beach.

The Seoul paper implied that foreign investors were also looking to get involved in the restoration of the area. “North Korea is hoping to lure investment of more than $1 million from a company in Singapore,” a source told the paper. “Completion of the project relies on whether they can attract foreign investment.”

The Kim family has already been known to be fond of maritime retreats, having their own fortified compound on Wonsan Bay. Kim Jong-Un has even reportedly purchased a new luxury yacht that he has been using to cruise along the coastlines, checking on various naval facilities.