- The Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea has been undergoing construction for more than three decades.
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A North Korean hotel that has been under construction for nearly 40 years intends to open a casino on site with the hope of welcoming its inaugural visitor at last.
The Ryugyong Hotel, situated in Pyongyang, stands as the tallest structure in North Korea. North Korea —rising to a height of 150 stories and standing at 1,083 feet tall.
The construction of the pyramidal structure started in 1987, and if it had finished according to plan just two years afterward, it would have debuted as the globe’s highest hotel at the time.
Nevertheless, work on the 'Hotel of Doom' came to a halt in 1992 when North Korea faced an economic crisis subsequent to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Several obstacles and hold-ups occurred subsequently over the years, encompassing an 16-year halt in progress along with multiple suppliers opting out of the initiative.
After 38 years, the hotel intends to welcome visitors by allowing the operation of a casino within its grounds. The condition for this is that the operator commits to finishing the construction of the building’s inside areas.
The external structure was finished in 2011, yet the inside of the building, spanning an area of 360,000 square feet, still stands empty. However, LED screens displaying promotional messages have been set up along one wall of the edifice, turning it into what may be the biggest screen globally.
A proposal to introduce a casino into the Ryugyong Hotel has been examined. The aim is to attempt drawing foreign investments," shared a Pyongyang citizen with RFA Korean, according to reports. Radio Free Asia .
The evaluation was conducted following an instruction from the nation's head, Kim Jong Un, who plans to implement 'concrete steps' to enhance international travel.
The resident commented, "The power to decide where within the hotel the casino will be set up as well as the privilege to manage the casino operations will be bestowed upon an international investor who funds the interior development costs."
The Central Committee gave approval for this project following an assessment and debate regarding the profits from the casino set up at the Yanggakdo Hotel, which is located in Pyongyang as well.
Having first opened its doors in 1998, The Yanggakdo is North Korea's first luxury hotel, and authorities now hope to emulate the success of its foreigners-only casino in the Ryugyong.
Casinos are a lucrative venture for the North Korean government, as they siphon foreign currency from international visitors, according to a resident from North Pyongan.
At present, the country operates two 'foreigners-only' casinos: at the Yanggakdo in Pyongyang, and the Bipa Hotel in the Rason Special Economic Zone, based in the northeast near the border with China and Russia.
The resident said tourism is Pyongyang is 'expected to be revitalised' once the hotel's amenities, such as its restaurants, swimming pool and suites, are finally completed, adding: 'This is why overseas investment is desperately needed.'
Despite plans to complete the hotel and welcome tourists, North Korea has put a sudden 'pause' on its Western tourist drive , just weeks after visitors entered the country for the first time in years.
Travel groups offering Britons adventures inside the Hermit Kingdom report that trips to the port city of Rason have been put on hold after the country tentatively reopened its doors to foreign visitors last month.
Young Pioneer Tours, a group that 'specialises in taking you to places your mother would rather you stay away from', advised holidaymakers to refrain from booking flights 'until we have more information' on Wednesday.
'We have been advised by our partners in the DPRK that tours to Rason are currently paused,' they wrote in a post on Facebook. 'We are in the process of clarifying how this will impact your upcoming trips.'
North Korea has attempted to greet international visitors with fresh draws in the past few weeks After closing down at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, restrictions were relaxed in 2023. The country then extended an invitation to Russian tourists to visit the previous year.
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