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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Pjotr Sauer

‘Luxury’ skiing in North Korea: the Russians allowed behind the border

North Korea Kim Ilsung Kim JongIl Kim Jongun Russia Pyongyang
A man wearing a black overcoat stands, smiling, at the bottom of a ski slope
Kim visited the ‘five-star’ ski resort in the Masik Pass region, which features a hotel, ski service and rental shops, when it opened in 2013. This undated photo was released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. Photograph: KCNA/Reuters

Gliding down pristine, untouched mountain runs, Olga Shpalok said she was “getting 100% satisfaction”.

After a full day of skiing, the Russian designer from Vladivostok wound down with a visit to her hotel’s well-equipped spa and sauna.

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