Kim Jong Un visits the ‘unusual yet perfectly crafted’ North Korean spa town

While it’s not exactly a ‘spa battle,’ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used the warm ambiance of a hot spring resort to escalate his criticism of South Korea.

During his visit to the newly refurbished Yangdok Country Hot Spring Resort, Kim lavished praise on the facility, as reported by state media, in an area now being developed as a ski resort.

However, his visit wasn’t purely for leisure. Kim took the opportunity to criticize Mount Kumgang, a symbolic tourism project funded partly by South Korea, which North Korea has recently ordered to be demolished.

Kim hailed the Yangdok complex as a 'perfect fit for the area’s geographical features and natural surroundings,' according to the state-run KCNA news agency.

While inspecting the service buildings at the hot spring resort from an observation deck, Kim remarked that the design was 'peculiar and absolutely perfect,' the agency reported.

Kim further emphasized that Yangdok represented a 'striking contrast' to the Mount Kumgang tourist site, which had been destroyed, ending a project that had drawn millions of dollars in South Korean investment aimed at fostering better relations after years of tension.

The Mount Kumgang project was halted in 2008 after a South Korean tourist was shot by North Korean soldiers for entering a restricted military zone. Since then, the area remained mostly abandoned until it was briefly revived for family reunions last year.

These reunions were part of a broader effort to improve relations between Pyongyang and Seoul. Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in had pledged to reopen Mount Kumgang 'as soon as conditions permit,' with discussions occurring last year.

Relations between the two countries have since deteriorated, and after a visit to the region this month, the North Korean leader criticized the facilities around Mount Kumgang, calling them 'shabby.' He compared them to a 'hodgepodge with no national identity' and said they looked like temporary shelters built in a disaster zone or quarantine areas.

He instructed that all South Korean-built structures be torn down and reconstructed to align with North Korea's 'sentiment and aesthetic standards.'

Hyundai Asan, which was heavily involved in funding the Mount Kumgang project, expressed confusion over the unexpected announcement, but assured it would handle the situation calmly.

On Friday, South Korea's Unification Ministry confirmed that it had received a letter from North Korea through the Kaesong communications office, which was reopened after last year's talks between Kim and Moon, requesting discussions on the demolition of the Mount Kumgang facilities.

Kim has been on a series of inspection tours lately. His visit to Yangdok County followed his symbolic ascent of Mount Paektu, a site of great cultural and geological significance to North Korea, where he famously rode a white horse.