North Korea ski resort: South Korean officials to visit Masikryong
- Published
The Winter Olympic Games will take place in South Korea next month and, in an unexpected development, North Korea is planning to attend. As part of the agreement, South Korea's ski team will spend a short time training in the North, so Southern officials have begun a rare three-day trip over the border to inspect the facilities at the Masikryong report.
Masikryong, North Korea's first ski resort was built in 2013 and is touted as one of leader Kim Jong-un's key achievements. These images from February 2017 show what looks like a modern facility.
A price list at the ticket desk shows that it costs $80 (£57) for a one-day lift pass and ski hire for foreign tourists and $40 for North Koreans - about a month's salary for the average citizen. The North constructed the resort as a way to earn foreign currency from tourists.
The 1,400 sq m (15,000 sq ft) resort which sits near the city of Wonsan on North Korea's east coast, has been dubbed by state media outlet DPRK Today the "world's finest ski resort". But rights groups have said that the facility could be using forced labour.
A peek into one of the resort's bedrooms show facilities that are luxurious by North Korean standards. North Korea says Masikryong cost about $300m (£215m) to build, and it sees 70,000 visitors every year.
The resort, which has 10 ski runs, also seems to have modern equipment including the Ski-Doo, a Canadian snowmobile. But that has raised questions, given the tough UN sanctions on supplying equipment to the North.
The Pyeongchang Olympics will run from 9-25 February. As well as the shared training, a joint cultural event will take place inside North Korea. The two nations will also play as one team in the women's ice hockey contest and walk into the opening ceremony under one flag.
- Published9 January 2018
- Published26 April 2017
- Published13 February 2014
