SEOUL (Dec 23): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the opening ceremonies of hotels in a tourist zone of the country with his daughter Ju Ae, as he sought to highlight the country's economic progress before a key party congress due to take place early next year. Five hotels opened on Saturday and Sunday in North Korea's Samjiyon tourist zone, in the northeast part of the Korean peninsula near the border with China, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. Kim, who attended the ceremonies on Saturday, toured the upmarket hotels with Ju Ae, state media photographs showed. The North Korean leader has attended multiple opening ceremonies of facilities in the past month, including three regional factory openings last week alone. State media such as Rodong Sinmun, have been urging an all-out public effort to complete major projects ahead of the gathering.

Source: The Edge Markets December 24, 2025 08:57 UTC