Although North Korean authorities have recently been promoting the Pyongyang Golf Course through various propaganda media outlets, claiming it is a place for the people to enjoy leisure activities, it is reported that access by ordinary citizens is still blocked and it is being used only for tourism purposes.
A source inside North Korea told Daily NK on the 18th, “The Pyongyang Golf Course is still perceived by local residents as a venue for the No. 1 (Chairman Kim Jong Un) event and for foreigners only.”
In fact, the golf course is not accessible to ordinary residents except for employees of the ‘Ryomyeong Golf Travel Agency’ that sells and operates tourism products, and so the golf course is perceived among residents as being ‘for the Kim family and foreigners only.’
The source said, “The ‘Spring Golf Enthusiasts’ Competition’ held in May was also attended by only Ryomyong Golf Travel Agency employees and some members of the diplomatic corps, without even the local residents knowing about it,” and “The residents also found out about the event through the news.”
Rather, it is said that security is so tight around the Pyongyang Golf Course that residents are reluctant to even approach it.
In relation to this, a resident of Gangseo District, Nampo City said, “Armed guards are still standing at Taesong Golf Course (Pyongyang Golf Course), so ordinary people cannot approach the golf course,” and “Taesong Lake in the vicinity also divides the golf course area from the ordinary area, with the underwater area separated by a net and the above-water area separated by a barbed wire fence.”
In the past, during the Arduous March, there was an incident where a resident was shot and killed by an armed guard while fishing in Taeseong Lake. After that, people stopped approaching the lake altogether, the resident explained. He also said, “For the local residents, this is a place of fear where you could get shot and killed if you enter recklessly.”
Pyongyang Golf Course, which opened in 1987, was remodeled to increase its size and expand its accommodations and facilities, and reopened in 2019. Located near Pyongyang and surrounded by beautiful Taesong Lake, it was used as a private vacation spot for the Kim family, but as part of a strategy to revitalize the tourism industry, it is now being used as a comprehensive tourist facility centered around the golf course.
North Korea, which holds a golf tournament at Pyongyang Golf Course every spring and fall, has recently introduced images of residents enjoying leisure activities at the golf course through various propaganda media. The aim is to create a friendly image for foreign tourists by emphasizing the use of golf courses by ordinary residents.
In relation to this, the Korean Central TV reported in April that “as social interest and enthusiasm for sports are growing, many golf experts, enthusiasts, and workers are visiting the Pyongyang Golf Course to enjoy a pleasant time of relaxation.”
Before that, in November of last year, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs also posted a promotional article on its website saying, “Pyongyang Golf Course is now bustling with our people coming to enjoy golf culture, and it is also waiting with its doors open to golf enthusiasts from many countries around the world.”
Source: www.dailynk.com
