Days after uncle’s execution, Kim Jong-un visits ski resort at ‘centre of world’s attention’

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a ski resort under construction in the northeast of the country to check on the progress of his pet project, state media reported on Sunday, just days after he had his uncle executed.

The Masik Pass Ski Resort made headlines in August when Switzerland blocked a $7.6 million sale of ski lifts to Pyongyang, calling it a “propaganda project” for the regime.

Featuring 110 kilometres (70 miles) of multi-level ski runs, a hotel, heliport and cable cars, the resort has been heavily promoted since Kim visited it in June and called for construction to be completed by the end of the year.

On his latest trip, the young leader praised soldiers and labourers for helping speed up construction under “biting cold in December”, official state news agency KCNA said, adding the project was “near completion”.

“He (Kim) said the skiing courses on the Masik Pass Ski Resort are world-class ones in terms of their number and total length,” it said.

The project was now “at the centre of the world’s attention”, Kim was quoted as saying, adding “everyone would marvel” at its magnificence.