North Korea’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, has opened a large-scale hot spring and spa resort – called Yangdok County Hot Spring Cultural Recreation Center – in a bid to drive tourism into the country.
The resort is home to indoor and outdoor hot-spring bathing, and multi-functional sports and cultural facilities. It also offers skiing and horse-riding.
Kim said: “It’s a very happy event to provide the new hot spring culture to the people, but it’s also pleasing to find that soldiers of the People’s Army created such civilisation with their own hands.
“It is absolutely perfect.”
The Yangdok centre is the second mountain spa resort unveiled by Kim, the first is located in Samjiyon and was hailed by Kim as the “epitome of modern civilisation”.
The state is also developing a coastal resort in Wonsan.
These projects come as a result of the economy being constricted by UN sanctions following tensions with foreign governments relating to North Korea’s nuclear weapons policy and human rights breaches. This has led the government to focus on inbound tourism opportunities appealing to its Chinese and South Korean neighbours.
One of North Korea’s other major tourism generators, Diamond Mountain Resort in the Kumgang Mountains, has declined in popularity since a South Korean tourist entered a militarised zone and was shot by North Korean military, causing South Korea to suspend all tours to the resort.
The Yangdok centre is the second mountain spa resort that has been recently unveiled, the first is located in Samjiyon. Credit: Yangdok County Hot Spring Cultural Recreation Center
The Dorchester Collection’s Parisian outpost, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, has refreshed its Dior spa with new facilities and exclusive wellness programming. Complete with five single treatment rooms, a couple’s treatment room, a sauna and a hammam, ...More
Therme Group has received planning permission to build the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort, Therme Manchester, after a four-year journey. Planning approval has been granted for the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort, Therme Manchester, in ...More
Improved mental health is now a stronger motivation for Brits to exercise than staying in shape. More than half of respondents (54 per cent) to a survey of 2,271 people – commissioned by UK Active ...More
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its first-ever report on the "devastating global impact" of high blood pressure, along with recommendations on the ways to win the race against the condition. The report, called ...More
Wellness travel is one of the fastest-growing tourism segments globally and was most recently valued at US$436 billion (£349.8 billion, €407 billion) by the Global Wellness Institute. In 2022, WeTravel surveyed nearly 200 travel businesses ...More
Soneva will open a new US$40 million (£32.1 million, €37.4 million) resort in the Maldives’ secluded Haa Dhaalu atoll on 10 January 2024. The intimate 14-key resort will be the flagship Soneva Secret property – ...More
European health spa hotel operator Ensana has announced plans to operate its first Bulgarian location this October. Launched in 2019, Ensana manages 27 hotels in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and the UK, many ...More
Samantha Ashton has stepped up to a new role as director of spa UK & Ireland at UK-based global spa and wellbeing brand ESPA. Having worked at ESPA for five years, Ashton initially joined as ...More
Children who take part in organised physical activity or sport over their first two school years, while also having better diets and spending more time reading have more powerful reasoning skills than peers who don't ...More
Iconic wellness and fitness destination Rancho La Puerta is under new leadership with the appointment of Eliezer Quiñones as new general manager. A hospitality industry veteran with more than two decades of experience, Quiñones will ...More
Former world number one tennis player Maria Sharapova has entered into a multi-year partnership to become Aman’s first-ever global wellness ambassador. In her new role, the Russian former elite athlete will co-create a series of ...More
US longevity franchise Serotonin Centers has expanded its footprint with a second Florida location in Winter Park. The brand will open three additional private member clubs in Orlando within the next year. Named after the ...More
Renowned B Corp skincare and spa brand Comfort Zone is enhancing its iconic aromatherapy
body range with a new inclusion: the Tranquillity™ Body Scrub. ... more
The Yangdok centre is the second mountain spa resort that has been recently unveiled, the first is located in Samjiyon. Credit: Yangdok County Hot Spring Cultural Recreation Center
Credit: Shutterstock ID: 1385497733
It’s a very happy event to provide the new hot spring culture to the people, but it’s also pleasing to find that soldiers of the People’s Army created such civilisation with their own hands.
– Kim Jong Un, North Korean Supreme Leader
North Korea’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, has opened a large-scale hot spring and spa resort – called Yangdok County Hot Spring Cultural Recreation Center – in a bid to drive tourism into the country.
The resort is home to indoor and outdoor hot-spring bathing, and multi-functional sports and cultural facilities. It also offers skiing and horse-riding.
Kim said: “It’s a very happy event to provide the new hot spring culture to the people, but it’s also pleasing to find that soldiers of the People’s Army created such civilisation with their own hands.
“It is absolutely perfect.”
The Yangdok centre is the second mountain spa resort unveiled by Kim, the first is located in Samjiyon and was hailed by Kim as the “epitome of modern civilisation”.
The state is also developing a coastal resort in Wonsan.
These projects come as a result of the economy being constricted by UN sanctions following tensions with foreign governments relating to North Korea’s nuclear weapons policy and human rights breaches. This has led the government to focus on inbound tourism opportunities appealing to its Chinese and South Korean neighbours.
One of North Korea’s other major tourism generators, Diamond Mountain Resort in the Kumgang Mountains, has declined in popularity since a South Korean tourist entered a militarised zone and was shot by North Korean military, causing South Korea to suspend all tours to the resort.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its first-ever report on the "devastating
global impact" of high blood pressure, along with recommendations on the ways to win the race
against the condition.
Wellness travel is one of the fastest-growing tourism segments globally and was most recently
valued at US$436 billion (£349.8 billion, €407 billion) by the Global Wellness Institute.