- 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 hosting its inaugural visitor soon.
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.
Work on the pyramidal structure commenced in 1987, and if it had finished according to plan just two years thereafter, it was slated to debut as the globe’s highest hotel.
Nevertheless, work halted on the 'Hotel of Doom' in 1992 when North Korea faced an economic crisis subsequent to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
A sequence of obstacles and hold-ups occurred in the subsequent years, involving a 16-year halt in progress as well as several suppliers opting out of the initiative.
Today, after 38 years, the hotel intends to welcome visitors by allowing them to run a casino within its grounds—under the condition that the operator commits to finishing the work on the inside of the structure.
The external structure was finished in 2011, yet the inside spanning 360,000 square feet still stands empty—although LED screens displaying promotional messages have been set up along one wall of the edifice, transforming it into what may be among the biggest digital billboards globally.
A proposal to introduce a casino into the Ryugyong Hotel has undergone review. The aim of this initiative is to attempt drawing in overseas investments," stated a Pyongyang citizen to RFA Korean, according to reports. Radio Free Asia .
The review was conducted following an instruction from the nation's leader, Kim Jong Un, who plans to implement 'concrete steps' to enhance international tourism.
The tenant stated: "The power to decide where the casino will be set up within the hotel and the permission to run the casino will be awarded to an international investor who funds the interior renovations."
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.
Opened initially in 1998, The Yanggakdo stands as North Korea’s premier luxury hotel, and officials are looking to replicate the achievements of its foreigner-exclusive casino located within the Ryugyong building.
Casinos represent a profitable enterprise for the North Korean regime, drawing foreign currency from overseas tourists, as reported by an inhabitant of North Pyongan.
Currently, the nation has two casinos exclusive to foreigners: one located at Yanggakdo in Pyongyang, and another at the Bipa Hotel within the Rason Special Economic Zone, which is situated in the northeastern part of the country close to both China and Russia’s borders.
The local inhabitant stated that tourism in Pyongyang is anticipated to be rejuvenated following the completion of the hotel’s features, including its dining facilities, swimming pool, and rooms, further noting: "That's precisely why foreign investments are urgently required."
Even though they had planned to finish the hotel and attract visitors, North Korea has unexpectedly hit the brakes on its tourism push toward the West. , merely weeks following the reopening of borders which allowed visitors into the nation after many years.
Tour operators arranging expeditions for British adventurers into the secluded nation have stated that visits to the port city of Rason have been temporarily halted following North Korea’s initial reopening to international tourists last month.
Young Pioneer Tours, a company known for ventures into destinations your mother might prefer you avoid, cautioned travelers against making flight reservations until they gather additional details on Wednesday.
We've received information from our colleagues in the DPRK that visits to Rason are presently suspended," they stated in a Facebook update. "We are now working to determine how this will affect your future travel plans.
North Korea has aimed 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 lifted in 2023. The country then extended an invitation to Russian tourists to visit last year.
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