North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun reported on July 14 that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had carried out on-the-spot guidance on a range of construction projects underway in the city of Samjiyon on July 11–12. (Rodong Sinmun, News 1)North Korea is developing large-scale tourist attractions to boost its tourism industry as an economic stimulus, but locals are worn out from the relentless construction.
“Construction projects continue in Samjiyon, and Kim Jong Un describes Samjiyon as the model alpine culture city. But while building facades may have changed, people’s lives haven’t. Locals have plenty of complaints,” a source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK recently.
When Samjiyon’s status was upgraded from county to city during a 2019 urban renewal project, local residents were very hopeful and took pride in their new citizenship.
Under former leader Kim Jong Il, Samjiyon residents generally felt intangible pride about living in a revolutionary “holy site.” But after Kim Jong Un took power, modern homes and public facilities were built in Samjiyon under the slogan of “setting the standard” for an alpine culture city. This sparked hopes among citizens that their living standards might actually improve, the source explained.
However, contrary to those expectations, people’s daily lives remain largely unchanged. If anything, they’re frustrated and exhausted by the ongoing presence of soldiers and labor brigades mobilized for construction projects.
“There weren’t many visitors in the past, and those who came were typically on short field trips. But construction workers have been here for years now, creating a major headache. Samjiyon citizens say everything was easier before all these construction projects started,” the source said.
Ordinary people are skeptical of tourism benefits
Samjiyon residents have also expressed criticism and concern about the recently opened Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area. They sympathize with residents of the coastal area — in Wonsan city, Kangwon province — another tourism zone painstakingly developed by North Korean authorities.
“The government has been enthusiastically promoting the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area since it opened, but ultimately, people there are in the same situation. It’s obvious that despite all the fancy rhetoric, the resort doesn’t offer any real benefits for locals,” one Samjiyon resident said.
Locals believe the ultimate purpose of these massive construction projects, particularly tourism zones, is to serve as propaganda for both domestic and international audiences. The only people who will actually enjoy the expensive facilities, they say, are a small number of party officials and wealthy individuals.
“Many people say life has gotten harder because they’re required to meet quotas for construction materials both at their workplaces and through their neighborhood watch units. It’s discouraging to think that only officials will get to use the newly built facilities,” the source said.
Another complaint is that the regime continues these large-scale construction projects despite difficulties importing building materials under international sanctions, with North Koreans expected to make up the shortfall.
“Despite all the talk about embargos and sanctions, these big construction projects are moving forward, which means the state has to mobilize all its resources to sustain them. But there are few resources in a country as resource-poor as ours. Ultimately, that responsibility falls on ordinary people’s shoulders,” the source said.
During on-the-spot guidance of Samjiyon construction projects in July 2024, Kim Jong Un unveiled plans to establish a world-class tourism complex in the city.
Kim discussed promoting international tourism by developing a year-round alpine tourism complex with unique features — a plan explicitly designed to bring in foreign currency through tourism.
Under Kim’s orders, numerous facilities are currently being renovated or built at Samjiyon, including an airport, roads, railroads, a ski resort, accommodations and other amenities.