‘Deathtrap’ theme park, ski ‘slaves’ & city wrecked by cowboy builders – Kim Jong-un’s most disastrous vanity projects
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NORTH Korean despot Kim Jong-un loves to dream big, but his grandiose projects often turn into massive nightmares. From deserted ski resorts to crumbling luxury apartments, many of his long-plotted masterpieces are more like monuments to failure. Some have been branded death traps, with shoddy construction leaving buildings teetering on the edge of disaster.
![[North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong un]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2024-pyongyang-north-korea-independent-960359333.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Others, like his bizarre Benidorm knock-off, remain stuck in limbo, gathering dust instead of tourists. Even the infamous Ryugyong Hotel - a 105-storey monstrosity - has become a laughing stock, still unopened decades later. These vanity projects were meant to showcase North Korea’s “might” but have instead revealed a nation struggling under its own delusions of grandeur.
![[Kim inspecting one of his many vanity projects]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/south-korea-republic-korea-editors-377070122.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Here, we take a closer look at Kim Jong-un’s panned designs. Kim's attempt to bring the sandy beaches of Benidorm to North Korea hasn't gone exactly how he thought it would. Envisioned as a sprawling beach resort capable of accommodating up to 100,000 visitors, it has been said that the leader's intention is to create a coastal wonderland for tourists.
![[The imposing Ryugyong Hotel]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NINTCHDBPICT000842933674.jpg?strip=all&w=868)
Kim and his officials were so impressed after a visit to Spain's Costa Blanca in 2017 that they decided to build a replica in the isolated country. Unfortunately, the project has experienced multiple delays. Initially slated to open in 2019, its completion has been postponed several times, with the latest target set for June 2025.
![[Kim's Benidorm-style resort]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/south-korea-republic-korea-editors-960682475.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
