Russian Influencer Posts Video of North Korea's Masikryong Ski Resort
"Both Ski Resort and Facilities Are Comfortable and Clean"
Russian Group Tourists Scheduled for First Visit to North Korea Since COVID-19
A Russian beauty influencer posted videos of herself skiing at the Masikryong Ski Resort in North Korea on social media, raising suspicions that North Korea may have hired her to promote tourism to Russian visitors.
Russian influencer Viktoria (female, 23) recently shared a video on social media of herself skiing at the Masikryong Ski Resort in North Korea. [Photo source=Captured from SNS]
On the 11th (local time), foreign media including The Sun reported that a 23-year-old Russian influencer named Viktoria recently uploaded videos of herself skiing at the Masikryong Ski Resort in Wonsan, Gangwon Province, North Korea, on her social media. Viktoria, who has 80,000 followers on SNS, is said to have studied advertising and public relations at Moscow State University and has been residing in North Korea since November last year.
In the videos, Viktoria receives ski lessons in English, visits the resort’s spa, and also shows herself eating North Korean food. She said in the video, "Checking into the hotel was very comfortable. The room was clean, and I liked everything," adding, "I also liked the beautiful view of the ski slopes outside the window."
The Masikryong Ski Resort featured in Viktoria’s videos is a tourist attraction North Korea prides itself on. It was a key project promoted by Chairman Kim Jong-un, who studied in Switzerland during his childhood, and opened in 2013 but has been virtually inactive due to COVID-19.
Netizens who watched the videos raised suspicions that Viktoria might have been hired by North Korea to promote the Masikryong Ski Resort. This is because she was skiing alone on the wide slopes, and there were no other North Korean residents using the resort visible. Some speculated that the North Korean regime might have given Viktoria special treatment to promote the ski resort. One netizen sarcastically commented, "You must be the only blogger in North Korea."
The Sun evaluated that SNS promotion through influencers is very unusual in North Korea, where the use of social media platforms like Instagram is banned.
Meanwhile, Russian local media reported on the 10th that Russian tourists will travel to North Korea for skiing next month. It is said to be the first time foreign tourists have visited North Korea since the country closed its borders in 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19. North Korea and Russia are known to have been discussing exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as military, economy, and culture following a summit meeting in September last year.
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