Russian State TV Pushes North Korea as Vacation Destination

Kremlin-operated media outlets have begun promoting tourism in North Korea, according to a BBC reporter.

Francis Scarr, who specializes in analyzing Russian media for BBC News, shared a clip on X, formerly Twitter, from a segment that aired on a Russia state television network showing Russians enthused about their visits to North Korea.

Russia and North Korea have long been allies, and the relationship has strengthened in recent years. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has offered his "full and unconditional support" for Moscow's war in Ukraine, and the United States has accused Kim of providing Russian President Vladimir Putin's armed forces with weapons.

"Russian state TV is now running reports praising the wonders of tourism in North Korea," Scarr wrote in the caption of his X post.

He added: "Russian visitors interviewed in this item describe 'amazing' skiing and 'gorgeous' beaches."

Newsweek reached out to North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email on Tuesday for comment.

The video attached to the post comes from the Russia-1 channel, and it shows Russians enjoying winter activities like skiing, ice skating and snowmobiling. The footage eventually shifts to a tour through a city and concludes with a reporter interviewing a Russian speaker on a North Korean beach.

While North Korea may welcome Russian visitors, the U.S. Department of State strongly advises against traveling to the country "due to the continuing serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. nationals."

Further, U.S. passports are not valid for travel to or in North Korea without special validation from the State Department.

Anyone who does make the trip there, though, will have to do their sightseeing at the behest of Pyongyang's government. Independent travel is not permitted within the country, and visitors must book tours with guides from North Korea's Ministry of Tourism.

Perhaps due to Putin's political ties with Kim, North Korea is frequently discussed favorably on Kremlin-backed media. One such example came this month when Russian state TV presenter Sergey Mardan praised North Korea for threatening to use nuclear weapons against the U.S.

"For them [North Korea], independence is an absolute value for which they are prepared to do anything, including turning the whole world into dust," Mardan said. "That's to say, when Kim Jong Un said back when [Donald] Trump was still president that if you move your aircraft carriers toward the coast of North Korea, we'll...whack you with a nuclear bomb."

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