North Korean authorities have offered casino management rights to any company willing to complete the interior work of the stalled Ryugyong Hotel project in Pyongyang.
Construction of the 105-story, 330-meter-tall building began in 1987, with an initial completion date set for 1992. However, work was halted following the collapse of the Soviet Union, which led to a significant reduction in funding for North Korea.
While the building’s facade was finished in 2011, its interior remains incomplete. The Ryugyong Hotel is currently known for its extensive LED lighting displays that frequently broadcast government propaganda.
According to Radio Free Asia, a local resident stated: “The plan to install a casino in the Ryugyong Hotel is under consideration. The aim is to attract foreign investment. 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 internal construction costs.”
This initiative was approved by the Central Committee after evaluating the profitability of a casino similar to the one in the foreigners-only Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang.
North Korea currently has two casinos: one in the Bipa Hotel in the Rason Special Economic Zone near the Chinese and Russian borders, and another in the Yanggakdo Hotel.
The revised plan for the Ryugyong Hotel follows an order from North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un for the government to implement practical measures to boost tourism.
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