North Korea’s Tallest Building May Soon Host a Casino

The tallest building in North Korea may soon host a casino. According to Radio Free Asia, authorities have promised to grant casino operating rights to any company that completes the interior work on the long-stalled Ryugyong Hotel project in Pyongyang.

Standing at 105 stories or 330 meters tall, construction on the Ryugyong Hotel began in 1987 with an initial opening date set for 1992. However, work halted after the Soviet Union’s collapse, which slowed funding for North Korea.

While the exterior was completed in 2011, the interior remains unfinished. The Ryugyong Hotel is currently known for its extensive LED lighting, which regularly displays government propaganda.

This may change, as Radio Free Asia reports that authorities are considering installing a casino in the hotel to attract foreign investment. A local resident stated, “A plan to install a casino at the Ryugyong Hotel has been reviewed. The rights to determine the casino’s location within the hotel and to operate it will be granted to a foreign entrepreneur who invests in the interior construction costs.”

This initiative was approved by the Central Committee after reviewing the profitability of the casino at the Yanggakdo Hotel, also in Pyongyang, which serves only foreign guests.

North Korea currently has two casinos, with the second located at the Bipa Hotel in the Rason Special Economic Zone near the borders with China and Russia.

The review of the Ryugyong Hotel casino plan followed an order from North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, for the government to take practical measures to boost tourism.

“When the casino is built at the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, and the hotel’s accommodations, restaurants, swimming pool, and billiards room are finally completed, tourism in Pyongyang is expected to be revitalized,” the resident added. “This is why overseas investment is desperately needed.”

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Source: IAG