"North Korea's Unusual Move: Using Social Media Influencers to Attract Tourists Amid Pandemic Border Openings"

Kim Jong-un has hired a mysterious glamorous influencer known as Viktoria to promote a North Korean ski resort on Instagram, despite the country's strict social media ban. The 23-year-old Russian model has faced criticism for her posts, which show a deserted Masikryong resort and a life of luxury in the hermit state. Speculation abounds about her ties to the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang and a potential Kremlin-backed project to promote North Korea amid the country's closer ties with Russia. This move comes as Russian tours to the ski resort are set to begin, following a meeting between Putin and Kim and increasing military cooperation between the two countries.