(CNN) — We’re guessing this is going to end up on a lot of “world’s most dangerous ski runs” lists. But probably for a different reason than any of the other entries.
North Korea is building a “world class” ski resort on Masik hill in Wonsan with a range of ski runs and a hotel, according to the North Korean state news agency.
Located in Kangwon Province, Masik hill is 2,520 feet (768 meters) high and typically receives heavy snowfall from early November through early March.
Construction underway
Map: Proposed Masik ski resort
Map: Proposed Masik ski resort
Images like this one — which demonstrates precision choreography at the Arirang Mass Games held in the capital of Pyongyang — are often the only views to be had of the secretive state. Held several times a year, the games’ colorful enormity makes them a popular attraction for visitors.
They’re not just honored at the games. Images and massive statues of former leaders Kim Il Sung and son Kim Jong Il dominate North Korea.
My visit to North Korea coincided with hot summer weather. Here, people queue in front of an ice cream vendor in Pyongyang. The ice cream consists of only water, milk and sugar, but demand was high on that warm day. Behind the stall, a propaganda poster hangs on the window.
An aerial view of part of Pyongyang. I found North Korean architecture to be simple and unremarkable. The majority of buildings are residential houses of a few stories. After dusk, much of the city is hidden in the dark, adding to the feeling of it being something of a ghost town.
Capturing mundane scenes of daily life was extraordinary for me. Here, as commuters wait for a train at one of Pyongyang’s underground metro stations, they pass the time by reading the latest newspapers displayed at various locations on the platforms.
Three North Koreans ride a metro train in Pyongyang. The carriages were purchased from Germany in 1998. Not visible in this image, inside of each carriage hang small pictures of deceased leaders, neatly framed behind glass.
A metro guard poses in front of a propaganda mosaic inside one of the city’s metro stations. Platform guards make sure metro traffic runs smoothly, warn people not to stand too close to the tracks and signal to train conductors when it’s clear for departure.
At Mangyongdae School Children’s Palace in Pyongyang, privileged children from 6 to 17 years can learn foreign languages, how to play an instrument or participate in dance and gymnastic courses. Others take art classes or, like the boy in the picture, learn calligraphy.
A North Korean girl stands onstage at Mangyongdae School Children’s Palace during a showcase of student talents.
Intranet terminals are in heavy use inside Pyongyang’s Grand People’s Study Hall. The Study Hall allows citizens to take foreign language, computer skills and other courses.
The Study Hall also offers a limited selection of carefully chosen music videos, audio cassettes and CDs. Here a North Korean soldier listens to an opera performance.
A group enjoys a ride on one of the many attractions at a funfair in Pyongyang. The city hosts new funfairs and amusement parks every night. North Koreans who can’t afford the rides come just to watch.
Western-style restaurants have been slowly emerging in Pyongyang, set up as joint ventures with the help of foreign investors. I was told there are only two pizza restaurants in the city. Because the majority of North Koreans can’t afford to eat in Western restaurants, most customers are tourists, business people or embassy staff.
Part of my trip took in Wonsan, a coastal city about 200 kilometers east of Pyongyang. En route, we stopped at the Chonsam Cooperative Farm, where two female peasants were tending to an ox cart. Outside of Pyongyang, I found poor infrastructure, badly maintained roads and unfinished buildings a common sight.
Wonsan is a popular destination for the few North Koreans who can afford vacations. People sunbathe, swim or rent small boats. This photo might have been taken at any number of beaches in Asia. Except that here, as on my entire trip, I was under the watchful eyes of my North Korean guards or “guides.”
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A series of photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking with his staff in front of the ski resort site was released this week.
The accompanying news report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency said the young leader dropped by to get a firsthand report on the progress of construction.
“He was greatly satisfied to learn that soldier-builders have constructed a skiing area on mountain ranges covering hundreds of thousands of square meters, including primary, intermediate and advanced courses with almost 110,000 meters (68.3 miles) in total length and 40-120 meters (131-394 feet) in width,” said the KCNA report.
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The new resort will be accessible from the Pyongyang-Wonsan tourist motorway and will feature a hotel, heliport and “cableway.”
Kim, who was partly educated in Switzerland, appears to be familiar with ski resort operations.
“He said it is necessary to build not only rest places, but first aid stations at starting, middle and final points of the courses, and establish an automatic cableway monitoring system for a real time watch so as to take measures to prevent accidents,” said the report.
According to the report, Kim also emphasized environmental conservation: “He underlined the need to preserve the ecological environment and prevent pollution while building the skiing ground.”
Behind the veil: A rare look at life in North Korea
Would you go?
According to a tour agency specializing in North Korean travel, the new resort will be open to foreign tourists.
“We’ve known of the plans for this development for a couple of years — work only began recently though and I’ve seen the basic plans just last week,” said Simon Cockerell, general manager of Beijing-based Koryo Tours.
Cockerell returned last week from the first Western tour of the North Korean border town of Sinuiju.
No opening date has been given for the opening of the resort.
South Korean media covered the news of the resort in critical fashion.
“The fact that North Korea is spending exorbitant amounts of money building a ski resort while its people and even its military don’t have enough to eat shows that this is just a move to advertise the image of Kim Jong Un as a leader who cares about his people,” an anonymous North Korean defector told NK News, a South Korea-based media company specializing in North Korean news.
The defector also said that existing ski infrastructure in North Korea is used exclusively for military purposes, and that there’s a high likelihood this will also be the case with the new resort.
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