자력갱생 외치는 북한... 마식령 스키장 개장 North Korea opened its major ski resort to boost its tourism industry.
This is in line with the regime's leader push for "self-reliance" in the face of global sanctions crippling Pyeongyang's economy.
Eum Ji-young updates us on the developments.
In a bid to build a competitive tourism industry, which is one of the areas not subject to sanctions, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said the regime reportedly began this year's operation of the Masikryong Ski Resort on Wednesday, Kim Jong-un's birthday.
An expert says Masikryong Ski resort, which opened in December 2013, is one of the key projects that the North Korean leader is very interested in as he is known to like skiing.
"Masikryong Ski resort shows to the international community that the people of North Korea enjoy sports and it can be a representation of North Korea's self-reliance amid sanctions."
The North's state-run media also said Thursday that Yangdok Hot Spring Cultural Recreation Center, a new mountain spa resort, is set to open on Friday in a bid to attract more foreign tourists.
Meanwhile, the North's state media emphasized self-reliance in its food supply.
North Korea's official newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on Friday that the regime's dignity and existence cannot be maintained if self-reliance of food is not ensured in the face of "murderous" global sanctions.
It said that the regime should increase its agricultural production and safeguard a stable and sufficient supply of food as a shortage of rice could make asking for outside help inevitable.
"Through self-reliance, the North is trying to show to the international community that global sanctions against North Korea are useless."
Pyeongyang said it had a record harvest last year. But observers say the North is actually going through a food shortage because of global sanctions and bad weather.
Eum Ji-young Arirang News.
#NorthKorea #Pyeongyang #economy
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