Sun, sea, secret police... North Korea wants its own Benidorm

ONE is a sun-drenched holiday hotspot, the other a paranoid Communist regime known for its barbed wire and gulags.

But Benidorm and North Korea may soon have a lot more in common – at least if Kim Jong-un has his way.

The despot has demanded the construction of a Benidorm-style beach resort after his officials were left ‘amazed’ by a trip to Spain’s Costa Blanca.

They were sent on a research trip, travelling down the coast from the French border to Alicante, Spanish media reported. They were seeking inspiration for a resort in Wonsan, on North Korea’s east coast. While seemingly unimpressed by Barcelona’s rich cultural attractions, they were said to enjoy Benidorm’s holiday parks, including the history-themed Terra Mitica.

But they boasted that their own development, set to open to international tourists next year, would be a ‘little bit bigger’.

North Korea’s bid to become a tourist destination follows the death last week of American Otto Warmbier, who had been imprisoned there and released in a coma.