North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inaugurated a series of new luxury hotels in the country’s Samjiyon tourist zone, accompanied by his daughter Ju Ae, as part of a broader effort to showcase economic progress before a key ruling party congress next year.
According to state media outlet KCNA, five hotels officially opened over the weekend in the Samjiyon area, located in North Korea’s far northeast near the border with China. The development marks another stage in Kim’s long-term plan to turn the remote mountain region considered sacred in North Korean ideology as the birthplace of Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il into a major domestic tourism hub.
Kim’s Economic Push and Public Appearances
Photographs released by KCNA on Tuesday showed Kim and his teenage daughter touring the hotel interiors and interacting with officials. The leader hailed the new facilities as “clear proof of the rising status of our people and the development potential of our country.”
In recent weeks, Kim has intensified his schedule of public appearances at economic and industrial sites, attending multiple ribbon-cutting ceremonies including three factory openings just last week. The activity is seen as part of an effort to project an image of stability and growth amid international sanctions and food shortages.
Analysts say the inclusion of Ju Ae in such high-profile state events further fuels speculation that she may be positioned as Kim’s eventual successor. North Korean media have referred to her using increasingly formal language, and she now regularly appears alongside her father at major political and military functions.
Preparations for 2026 Party Congress
North Korea is expected to convene its first Workers’ Party congress in five years in early 2026. The gathering is likely to unveil a new national development plan outlining economic and industrial goals for the next five years.
State-run newspapers such as Rodong Sinmun have recently urged citizens to intensify their efforts to complete key construction and manufacturing projects before the congress. The drive underscores the leadership’s desire to demonstrate tangible achievements amid ongoing international isolation.
Samjiyon, often described by North Korean media as a “model socialist city,” has been central to Kim’s drive to modernise the country’s infrastructure and tourism sector. The latest hotel openings are intended to symbolise progress and national pride as Pyongyang seeks to rally domestic morale ahead of the crucial political meeting.
with inputs from Reuters
