North Korea’s only luxury ski resort is getting a taste of the Olympic spotlight, though it is a long way from hosting any events.
MASIK PASS, North Korea (AP) – North Korea ’s only luxury ski resort is getting a taste of the Olympic spotlight, though it is a long way from hosting any events.
The Masik Pass ski resort has become something of a symbol of a budding detente between the two Koreas after a year of particularly high tensions over the North’s nuclear weapons and long-range missile tests.
The resort, completed at the order of leader Kim Jong Un in 2013, has been chosen to host joint training for North and South Korean skiers ahead of the Games’ Feb. 9 opening date in South Korea.
A team of South Korean officials inspected Masik last week.
The decision follows a surprise proposal by Kim in his annual New Year’s address for the North to send a delegation to the Games.
Though some have called the move an attempt to deflect attention away from the North’s nuclear program and drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul, South Korea has generally welcomed the idea and the two countries have held high-level talks and exchanged advance teams to work out the details.
North Korea has a relatively thin history of alpine skiing, but Kim has used the resort to promote the sport.
The resort is a popular winter stop for foreign tourists. More often, though, it’s used by schools or factories or other workplaces to reward workers who have shown extra effort on the job.
Despite international sanctions on luxury items, the resort is well equipped with skis and ski equipment from all over the world.
