- North Korea's The Ryugyong Hotel has spent over 30 years under construction
- READ MORE: From hidden perks to bizarre requests: the world of hotels revealed
A North Korean hotel that has been under construction for almost four decades plans to operate a casino on the premises in the hopes of finally booking in its first guest.
The Ryugyong Hotel, located in Pyongyang, is the tallest building in North Korea -standing 150 storeys high and 1,083 feet tall.
Construction on the pyramid-shaped building began in 1987, and, had it been completed on schedule two years later, it would have opened as the world's tallest hotel.
However, work was paused on the 'Hotel of Doom' in 1992 after North Korea entered a period of economic crisis following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
A series of setbacks and delays ensued in the years that followed, including a 16-year pause on development and a number of contractors withdrawing from the project.
Today, after 38 years, the hotel intends to welcome visitors by allowing them to run a casino within its premises, with the condition that the operator commits to finishing the construction of the building’s interior.
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 part 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 been examined. The aim is to attempt drawing in foreign investments," shared a Pyongyang inhabitant with RFA Korean, according to reports. Radio Free Asia .
The review took place under the order of the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, who intends to take 'practical measures' to boost foreign tourism.
The resident added: 'The authority to determine the location of the casino to be installed at the hotel and the right to operate the casino will be granted to a foreign entrepreneur who invests in the cost of internal construction.
'This project was approved by the Central Committee after reviewing and discussing the profitability of the casino installed at the Yanggakdo Hotel, also in Pyongyang.'
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 had sought to welcome foreign guests with new attractions in recent weeks , after shutting itself off at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Restrictions were eased in 2023, before Russian visitors were invited to visit last year.
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