STALINIST VACATION

North Korea calls attention to new beachside 'holiday camp'

A North Korean publisher is promoting the Thongchon Holiday Camp for Diplomatic Corps in new material made available Monday. Image screenshot of Thongchon Holiday Camp brochure/Foreign Languages Publishing House

June 28 (UPI) -- North Korea is highlighting a beach resort in new publicity material that promotes the Thongchon Holiday Camp for Diplomatic Corps in Kangwon Province, in a move that appeared to be targeting international travelers.

Pyongyang's Foreign Languages Publishing House issued a new pictorial that features a pristine beach with aqua-blue water, where guests can "regain youthful vigor," South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Monday.

"Thongchon Holiday Camp for Diplomatic Corps is located in Thongchon County, Kangwon Province, DPRK," the publicity material stated. "It is a comprehensive service center which receives dozens of people at a time and provides medical treatment and other services."

The brochure said that the camp provides "holiday makers various kinds of services such as sea bathing and mud therapy in the natural environment and pure anionic air."

Pictures also showed stately dining rooms, dishes "prepared with just-caught sea creatures" and other hotel-style food options.

According to the bilingual brochure, the resort is equipped with a modern gym, body fat analyzer machines, billiard halls, karaoke facilities and an outdoor restaurant.

Tourism, mainly from neighboring China, was a significant source of revenue for the regime before the coronavirus pandemic.

Kim Jong Un prioritized the construction of resorts before COVID-19. His emphasis on the economy has prevailed after a difficult 2020.

Workers' Party paper Rodong Sinmun said Monday in an editorial that the ruling party must serve the people. The article also condemned the "abuse of power and corruption" among Party officials.

Kim is rarely blamed in North Korea for policy shortcomings even though he has said his past economic plans were a failure. State media images recently showed a visibly thinner Kim and reactions from North Koreans.

KCTV released footage Friday of a North Korean man who said he was "heartbroken" over Kim's weight loss, CNN reported. Experts have said discussing the leader's health is a taboo subject. The footage did not run again, according to the report.