Surprised by the modernity of North Korea's Ski Resort
South Korean athletes will soon travel to North Korea's Masikryong Ski Resort for training, in an effort to thaw bilateral relations ahead of next month's Winter Olympics.
Located just outside the city of Wonsan in Kangwon Province, the resort is said to have a number of problems, such as outdated facilities and malfunctioning lifts. However, images obtained by NK News show a very different picture, with facilities and equipment that would be found in a European or American ski resort.
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| Children get ready for a ski lesson near the main hotel building of the Masikryong area. |
Odd Stensrud, manager of one of Norway’s largest alpine resorts, told NK News he did not believe such a ski facility was located in North Korea. The site’s most unusual feature is the amount of imported goods that many people think North Korea cannot afford because of sanctions.
Some photos NK News took at Masikryong Ski Resort:
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| Children's ski lessons take place daily. |
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| Skiing and snowboarding aren't the only activities. There's also snowmobiling. |
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| This cable car was imported from the Ischgl Silvretta resort in Austria. |
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| Cable car of the same Austrian company. |
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| The resort features Lynx snowmobiles, made in Finland. |
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| A little boy gets ready to ride a bike at the resort. |
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| A television screen at the foot of the mountain plays videos for tourists. There is a tape of a performance by Moranbong, a famous North Korean girl band. |
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| On the left is the main building of the resort. The hotel is on the right. |
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| There are several restaurants here. |
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| Visitors can rent ski equipment from Nordica (Italy). |
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| The stores sell everything from high-end ski equipment to Colgate toothpaste. All imported. |
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| South Korean skiers will soon arrive at the resort to train with North Korean athletes in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics. |
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