Latest news with #JuAe
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
North Korea plans to build another 5,000-ton destroyer
Find out what's new on ST website and app. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Ju Ae attending the launch ceremony for the destroyer Kang Kon on June 12. SEOUL - North Korea vowed to build an additional 5,000-ton destroyer for its navy, state media reported July 22, after the nuclear-armed country launched two similar vessels this year. Leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to ramp up his country's naval capacities, and presided over the April launch of the country's first 5,000-ton destroyer-class naval ship, the Choe Hyon. South Korea's military has said the ship could have been developed with Russian help, possibly in exchange for deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight in Ukraine. Mr Kim also presided over the botched launch of the destroyer Kang Kon in May, which was subsequently repaired and set afloat in June. Workers at the Nampho Shipyard pledged Monday at a rally to complete the new warship by Oct 10 next year, according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency. The date marks the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. The North will now construct the 'Choe Hyon-class Destroyer No. 3' which it described as 'a powerful warship of our own type'. The Nampho dockyard manager urged workers to meet the construction deadline to uphold the party's 'plan for building a powerful army' and 'to firmly defend the inviolable maritime sovereignty and national interests,' KCNA said. South Korea's new president, Lee Jae-myung, elected last month in a snap election, has promised a more dovish approach towards Pyongyang, compared with that of his hawkish impeached predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol. The Lee administration has halted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts along the border, which Seoul began last year following a barrage of trash-filled balloons flown southward by Pyongyang. Seemingly in response, North Korea also ended its own propaganda broadcasts which had relayed strange and eerie noises into the South. AFP
France 24
02-07-2025
- France 24
North Korea opens massive beach resort: state media
Dubbed "North Korea's Waikiki" by South Korean media, the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area can accommodate nearly 20,000 people, according to Pyongyang, which previously described it as "a world-class cultural resort". Kim showed a keen interest in developing North Korea's tourism industry during his early years in power, analysts have said, and the coastal resort area was a particular focus. The tourist zone opened to domestic visitors Tuesday, Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency reported, publishing images of tourists in colourful swimsuits enjoying the beach. North Koreans of all ages from across the country flocked to the site this week "filled with joy at experiencing a new level of civilization", KCNA reported. The visitors were "astonished by the grandeur and splendor of the tourist city, where more than 400... artistically designed buildings lined the white sandy beach in ideal harmony", it added. According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, a group of Russian tourists is set to visit the zone in North Korea for the first time on July 7. South Korea's unification ministry, which manages relations with the North, said the site's operations are "expected to gradually expand", including to Russian tourists. Kim said last week the construction of the site would go down as "one of the greatest successes this year" and that the North would build more large-scale tourist zones "in the shortest time possible". Previously released images showed him sitting in a chair -- alongside his teenage daughter Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju -- watching a man flying off a water slide in the resort. Limited tourism But given the limited capacity of available flights, international tourism to the new beach resort is "likely to remain small in scale," according to Seoul's unification ministry. "It is estimated that tourists will travel via Pyongyang, and that the number of visitors may be limited to around 170 people per day," the ministry said. North Korea sees tourism as a key source of foreign currency, it said, and Pyongyang may have received aid to complete the site from Russia in exchange for joining its war in Ukraine. The nuclear-armed North reopened its borders in August 2023 after almost four years, having closed them because of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which even its own nationals were prevented from entering. But foreign tourism was limited even before the pandemic, with tour companies saying around 5,000 Western tourists visited each year. Significantly more Chinese tourists were allowed at the time. The impoverished country's political, military and cultural ties with Russia have deepened since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The North last year permitted Russian tourists to return for the first time since the pandemic and Western tour operators briefly returned in February this year. No Chinese tourists are known to have returned to the country. A tourist train between Rason -- home to North Korea's first legal marketplace -- and Russia's Vladivostok resumed in May this year, according to an official from Seoul's unification ministry. US citizens made up about 20 percent of the market before Washington banned travel following the imprisonment and subsequent death of American student Otto Warmbier. Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans also used to visit Mount Kumgang near the inter-Korean border every year, travelling to a Seoul-funded tourist resort that was the first major cooperation project between the neighbours. The trips came to an abrupt end in 2008 when a North Korean soldier shot dead a South Korean tourist who strayed off the approved path and Seoul suspended travel.
NDTV
29-06-2025
- NDTV
Pools And Slides As North Korea Set To Open 'World Class' Tourist Resort
North Korea has completed construction on a massive tourist resort boasting colourful water slides and swimming pools, state media said on Thursday, a pet project of leader Kim Jong Un. Kim was an enthusiastic visitor this week to the sprawling site on the isolated country's east coast, which is set to open its doors on July 1 to domestic tourists and maybe one day foreign ones. Analysts have said Kim showed a keen interest in developing North Korea's tourism industry in his early years in power, with the development of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area known to be a key focal point. The nuclear-armed North reopened its borders in August 2023 after almost four years, having closed them because of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which time even its own nationals were prevented from entering. Foreign tourism was limited though even before the pandemic, with tour companies saying around 5,000 Western tourists visited each year. Kim on Tuesday attended a lavish inaugural ceremony for the tourist zone, which hosts accommodation for nearly 20,000 people and what Pyongyang claims is "a world-class cultural resort", the Korean Central News Agency said. Photos released by state media showed him sitting in a chair watching a man flying off a water slide and wearing a suit at the beach. Wonsan Kalma houses "sea-bathing service facilities, various sports and recreation facilities" and is "equipped with all conditions... for providing the beauty of the scenic spot on the east coast in all seasons", according to KCNA. Kim, with "great satisfaction", said the construction of the site would go down as "one of the greatest successes this year" and that the North would build more large-scale tourist zones "in the shortest time possible", it added. Kim was joined by his daughter, Ju Ae -- considered by many experts to be his likely successor -- and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. South Korean media reported, based on images released by Pyongyang, that Ju Ae appears to be wearing a Cartier watch - despite such a high-end item being banned from import into North Korea under UN sanctions, imposed in response to the country's nuclear and missile activities. The North last year permitted Russian tourists -- Pyongyang has close ties with Moscow -- to return for the first time since Covid and Western tour operators returned in February this year. Russia's Tass news agency on Wednesday reported that a passenger train from Pyongyang had arrived in Moscow, marking the reopening of the direct rail route between the allies' capitals after a five-year suspension. A tourist train between Rason -- home to North Korea's first legal marketplace -- and Russia's Vladivostok resumed in May this year, according to an official from Seoul's unification ministry.
Newsweek
27-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Wife of North Korea's Kim Jong Un Reemerges With Luxury Handbag
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol Ju, reemerged in public Tuesday after a year and a half out of the spotlight, joining him and their daughter, Ju Ae, at a lavish completion ceremony for a beach resort on the poverty-stricken nation's east coast. Ri, who was last seen in state media photos on January 1, 2024, was pictured carrying what appears to be a handbag made by Italian luxury brand Gucci. Why It Matters Luxury good exports to North Korea are banned under United Nations sanctions targeting Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Nonetheless, such items reportedly make their way into the country via diplomatic pouches, which are exempt from customs inspection under international law. Kim Jong Un's taste for luxury is well documented, from expensive watches and cars to private jets. His close ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, even gifted him a Russian-made limousine after Kim took a liking to the vehicle during his 2023 visit to the country. Newsweek reached out to the North Korean embassy in China via emailed request for comment. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, daughter Ju Ae, left, and wife Ri Sol Ju, far left, are seen during the completion ceremony for the Wonsan Kalma beach resort in North Korea on June... North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, daughter Ju Ae, left, and wife Ri Sol Ju, far left, are seen during the completion ceremony for the Wonsan Kalma beach resort in North Korea on June 24, 2025. More Korean Central News Agency What To Know Ri's handbag appeared to be a Gucci GG Marmont shoulder bag, which retails for over $2,000. After the regime's move in late 2023 to raise official wages tenfold, the average worker now earns about 30,000 North Korean won—less than $4—per month, analysts say. Retail prices in North Korea are low but analysts say most citizens cannot survive on state salaries alone and must rely on informal or black market work to make ends meet. 1 of 2 While Ju Ae—widely believed to be Kim's chosen successor—now frequently appears alongside her father, Ri's reemergence may be part of efforts to showcase the new Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area on the Kalma Peninsula. Kim declared that Wonsan Kalma would "shine as a world-level tourist resort," the first of several "paradises" planned around the country, according to the Korean Central News Agency. State media called the ceremony a "great auspicious event" in a press release. The tourist zone's hotels can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests and it boasts a range of facilities, restaurants and sea bathing. These features, KCNA said, "offer all year round the real taste of the east coast, presenting a wonderful picture of a 4 kilometer (2.5-mile)-long stretch of beach to be crowded with people every year." Moscow's ambassador and other officials from the Russian mission in the country attended the ceremony as special guests, per the outlet. What People Are Saying Rachel Minyoung Lee, a non-resident fellow with the 38 North program at the Stimson Center, told CNN: "Wonsan-Kalma is open to just North Koreans for now, but we should not be surprised to see Russians at the resort in the not-too-distant future. "More broadly, the opening of a major beach resort like Wonsan-Kalma helps to reinforce the state media narrative of Kim's people-first policy and helps to balance out his greater focus on building up national defense," What's Next The resort will open to domestic tourists on July 1, according to KCNA. However, tour operators cited by the BBC believe Wonsan Kalma is primarily geared toward visitors from Russia. Russians are currently the only foreign nationals permitted in certain areas of North Korea, as the two countries continue to deepen their ties.
Gulf Today
26-06-2025
- Gulf Today
North Korea set to open 'world class' tourist resort on July 1
North Korea has completed construction on a massive tourist resort boasting colourful water slides and swimming pools, state media said on Thursday, a pet project of leader Kim Jong Un. Kim was an enthusiastic visitor this week to the sprawling site on the isolated country's east coast, which is set to open its doors on July 1 to domestic tourists and maybe one day foreign ones. Analysts have said Kim showed a keen interest in developing North Korea's tourism industry in his early years in power, with the development of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area known to be a key focal point. The nuclear-armed North reopened its borders in August 2023 after almost four years, having closed them because of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which time even its own nationals were prevented from entering. Foreign tourism was limited though even before the pandemic, with tour companies saying around 5,000 Western tourists visited each year. Kim on Tuesday attended a lavish inaugural ceremony for the tourist zone, which hosts accommodation for nearly 20,000 people and what Pyongyang claims is "a world-class cultural resort," the Korean Central News Agency said. Photos released by state media showed him sitting in a chair watching a man flying off a water slide and wearing a suit at the beach. Wonsan Kalma houses "sea-bathing service facilities, various sports and recreation facilities" and is "equipped with all conditions... for providing the beauty of the scenic spot on the east coast in all seasons", according to KCNA. Kim, with "great satisfaction", said the construction of the site would go down as "one of the greatest successes this year" and that the North would build more large-scale tourist zones "in the shortest time possible", it added. Kim was joined by his daughter, Ju Ae — considered by many experts to be his likely successor — and his wife, Ri Sol Ju. South Korean media reported, based on images released by Pyongyang, that Ju Ae appears to be wearing a Cartier watch — despite such a high-end item being banned from import into North Korea under UN sanctions, imposed in response to the country's nuclear and missile activities. The North last year permitted Russian tourists — Pyongyang has close ties with Moscow — to return for the first time since Covid and Western tour operators returned in February this year. Russia's Tass news agency on Wednesday reported that a passenger train from Pyongyang had arrived in Moscow, marking the reopening of the direct rail route between the allies' capitals after a five-year suspension. A tourist train between Rason — home to North Korea's first legal marketplace — and Russia's Vladivostok resumed in May this year, according to an official from Seoul's unification ministry. Starting from February 2024, North Korea has already been accepting Russian tourists to other areas amid the booming military and other partnerships between the two countries, but Chinese group tours, which made up more than 90% of visitors before the pandemic, remain stalled. In February this year, a small group of international tourists visited North Korea for the first time in five years, but tourist agencies said in March that their tours to North Korea were paused. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, also said that foreign tourism to the Wonsan-Kalma site will begin with Russians. But he said Chinese tours to the zone, a sort of civilian exchange, will also begin soon, adding bilateral trade between China and North Korea has been recovering. Lim said that South Korean and American tours to North Korea won't likely restart anytime soon, though both new liberal South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump have expressed hopes to revive dialogue with North Korea. In January when Trump boasted about his ties with Kim, he said "I think he has tremendous condo capabilities. He's got a lot of shoreline," a likely reference to Wonsan-Kalma. North Korea hasn't publicly responded to Trump's outreach. It has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul's dialogue offers and focused on expanding its nuclear weapons program since Kim's high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with Trump collapsed in 2019. Agence France-Presse
