Kim Jong Un unveils the ‘epitome of modern civilisation’ as North Korea celebrates the completion of ‘modern mountainous city’ described as ‘socialist utopia’
- Kim Jong-un unveiled the ‘socialist utopia’ city of Samjiyon near Mount Paektu
- Settlement can accommodate 4,000 families, North Korea’s state media said
- Samjiyon is one of the largest initiatives of Kim’s drive for a ‘self-reliant economy’
Kim Jong-un has unveiled the ‘epitome of modern civilisation’ in North Korea as he celebrated the completion of a new ‘socialist utopia’ city near a sacred mountain.
The North Korean leader was photographed at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Samjiyon on Monday, as festivities were held to celebrate the opening of the settlement.
Samjiyon is envisaged as a ‘socialist utopia’ with new apartments, hotels, a ski resort and commercial, cultural and medical facilities, according to the country’s state media.
Kim Jong-un was photographed at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Samjiyon on Monday, as festivities were held to celebrate the opening of the city
The North Korean leader waves to crowds as he attends a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open a Township of Samjiyon County
It was built near to Mount Paektu, the sacred mountain which is said to be the birthplace of Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong Il.
Up to 4,000 families could be accommodated in Samjiyon, which has 380 blocks of public and industrial buildings in ‘hundreds of hectares’, KCNA said.
The city ‘has turned into an example of a mountainous modern city under socialism, an epitome of modern civilisation,’ it added.
Samjiyon is one of the largest economic initiatives Kim has launched as part of his drive for a ‘self-reliant economy’, but its construction was delayed due to shortages in materials and labour as a result of sanctions imposed to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
Samjiyon is envisaged as a ‘socialist utopia’ with new apartments, hotels, a ski resort and commercial, cultural and medical facilities, according to the country’s state media
Up to 4,000 families could be accommodated in Samjiyon, which has 380 blocks of public and industrial buildings in ‘hundreds of hectares’, KCNA said
The city ‘has turned into an example of a mountainous modern city under socialism, an epitome of modern civilisation,’ it added
These delays prompted the Kim regime to mobilise youth labour brigades, which defectors and human rights activists likened to ‘slave labour’ as they get no pay, poor food and are forced to work more than 12 hours a day.
This work, which could go on for up to 10 years, is undertaken in return for a better chance to enter a university or join the Workers’ Party.
Colin Zwirko, a correspondent at NK News, described the town as a ‘model’.
He told the BBC: ‘As it appears now, it [has] nice clean facades and unique, ornately designed buildings that would not resemble really any other town in North Korea.
‘Someone roaming around Samjiyon as a tourist would not stumble into less well-kept areas away from the main road, as is the case in Pyongyang and other cities.’
He added that the town is ‘quite small and walkable’.
The opening of the town is said to be the second part of a three-stage scheme to improve the entire county it is located within. The third stage is expected to be completed by October 2020.