North Korea has completed five hotels in the Samjiyon tourist district near Mount Paektu. Kim Jong-un, North Korea's state affairs commission chair, attended the completion ceremony and signaled an intent to make Samjiyon the country's representative tourist city.

On the 23rd, the Labor Party's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun reports: "With the direct initiative and energetic leadership of the great Party Central Committee, modern hotels have newly risen and been completed in Samjiyon City, which continues to renew its charming look as the model of our country's northern mountainous city and as a distinctive four-season mountain tourism destination." /Courtesy of Pyongyang Rodong Sinmun, News1

Korean Central News Agency reported on the 23rd that completion ceremonies for the Ikkal, Milyeong, Sobaeksu, Cheongbong and Botnamu hotels were held over two days from the 20th to the 21st. On the 20th, the Ikkal Hotel and the Milyeong Hotel opened, and on the 21st, the Sobaeksu Hotel, the Cheongbong Hotel and the Botnamu Hotel opened.

Kim said, "Erecting the concrete embodiments of modern civilization on a large scale at tourist attractions itself is a clear proof of our people's rising ideals and our state's development potential," and expressed an ambition to "transform Samjiyon City even more splendidly into an innovative civilized city that can represent the country's tourism culture."

Kim toured the rooms and amenities of the Ikkal and Milyeong hotels, assessing completeness in terms of practicality and formative art, and noted that it is important to improve the professional qualifications of service staff and the quality of service no less than the scale of the facilities.

On the 23rd, the Labor Party's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun reports: "With the direct initiative and energetic leadership of the great Party Central Committee, modern hotels have newly risen and been completed in Samjiyon City, which continues to renew its charming look as the model of our country's northern mountainous city and as a distinctive four-season mountain tourism destination." /Courtesy of Pyongyang Rodong Sinmun, News1

Kim's daughter, Ju-ae, joined Kim for the second straight day following the factory completion ceremony in Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, on the 19th. During the event, Kim's daughter, Ju-ae, was seen inspecting various parts of the hotel in a black coat. North Korean media carried several photos showing the father and daughter walking closely together, including with their fingers interlaced. Ri Sol-ju also attended on site, but the released photos gave her a smaller presence.

The completed hotels are equipped with banquet halls, saunas and outdoor heated pools, and a "press center" sign visible in the photos suggested the potential to host international-scale events or conferences.

Core party and government officials, including secretaries of the Workers' Party such as Jo Yong-won, Ri Il-hwan and Pak Jong-chon, as well as Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Defense Minister No Kwang-chol, attended in force, lending weight to the Mount Paektu development project.

The hotel names are interpreted as symbolizing regional characteristics, such as "Ikkal" (larch), a representative tree species of Mount Paektu; "Milyeong," the secret camp on Mount Paektu that North Korea propagandizes as Kim Jong Il's birthplace; and "Sobaeksu," a stream originating from Mount Paektu.

Amid sanctions, North Korea is focusing on fostering the tourism industry to secure foreign currency. To that end, in addition to the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area, the Yangdeok hot springs tourist area and the Masikryong Ski Resort in Kangwon Province, it is developing the Mount Paektu area as a tourism hub.

In a speech marking the 76th anniversary of the regime's founding (Sept. 9) in Sep. last year, Kim ordered that Samjiyon City be "transformed into a world-class mountain tourist destination," showing a continued intent to develop Samjiyon City's tourism resources.

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