(Credit: Rodong Sinmun/EPA)

After pushing for his dream ski resort, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un finally rode the lift at Masik Pass Ski Resort, which only took one year to build from scratch. Sanctions didn't stop him from that ride. The lift, analysts say, is a 1970s model and has been ripped off from another resort after European lift sellers canceled North Korea's pre-order due to sanctions imposed on luxury goods.

Kim touts the ski resort is for the people, but the average wage in the country is less than $100 a month. Admission fee for Masik Pass is $50.

See Kim's life in photos here.