North Korea’s latest tourism commercial is an odd, unsettling piece of work.
Picture a group of Russians frolicking on a beach in bikinis—not exactly what springs to mind when you think of a North Korean getaway.
The state-owned Korea International Travel Company recently unveiled a low-budget advertisement aimed at attracting tourists to the East Asian nation.
But the whole thing feels more like a knock-off California ad than a genuine invitation to the Hermit Kingdom.
The video, posted on the Reddit thread ‘r/northkorea’, shows young Russians reveling in the sun in North Korea, one of the world’s most secluded countries. The clip claims to have been filmed at Majeon Beach in South Hamgyong Province.
The ad opens with a young Russian woman dramatically pulling back the curtains of her hotel room to unveil a bright, sunlit beach.
This attempt at a picturesque reveal quickly transitions to scenes of tourists swimming, jet skiing, and pulling off an awkward Baywatch run on the shore. While the visuals might seem appealing, they lack the engaging quality one would expect from a professional travel advertisement.
Two tourists then conduct a beachside interview in the ad, but their voices are almost completely drowned out by the sound of crashing waves, rendering their commentary ineffective.
At first, the commercial fails miserably on technical grounds, suffering from noticeably poor production quality.
The video seems to have been filmed with a low-quality camera, which diminishes the overall visual appeal.
Additionally, it lacks essential sound equipment, resulting in muffled audio that fails to capture the intended atmosphere. The absence of basic editing techniques further detracts from the professionalism one would expect from a State-sponsored initiative.
This stark contrast raises questions about the regime’s priorities and suggests a lack of investment in presenting North Korea as a compelling travel destination.
But the issue doesn’t end here.
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Bikini in North Korea
There is a bizarre disconnect between what is shown in the ad and the reality, which makes the entire effort feel forced and hollow.
The most surprising element was a North Korean tourism agency promoting women in bikinis, a costume that is illegal in the country.
But one can speculate that the beach resort might be exclusively for tourists, which quite explains the disregard for the bikini ban.
Additionally, there is an unsettling emptiness in the video, as most clips feature no people in the background.
It’s not a commercial or a random staged video; it appears to be a fabricated clip designed to mislead people into visiting a deserted and isolated island — much like a horror film.
Politics behind tourism?
Earlier this year in January, North Korea reopened its borders to tourists for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
In this tightly controlled country, tourists are generally not held to the same strict rules as locals, who often face severe hardships.
Around 100 Russian tourists visited North Korea for a four-day skiing trip in February.
Later in June, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea and signed a mutual aid agreement with his counterpart Kim Jong Un, pledging support if either country faces an attack.
Putin was greeted by enthusiastic crowds in Pyongyang and participated in elaborate ceremonies, with an honour guard and citizens, including children, holding large portraits of both leaders.
Meanwhile, in July, the US State Department issued a travel warning, advising Americans against visiting both Russia and North Korea due to safety concerns. This situation highlights the growing ties between Russia and North Korea amid rising global tensions.
Over the last few years, Russia and North Korea have been solidifying their alliance.
And North Korea’s new tourism advertisement reflects this effort but ultimately falls flat as a commercial failure.
It fails to effectively present the country as an appealing travel destination, undermining its intended purpose on multiple fronts—even for Russian tourists.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)