April 19, 2024
News

Exclusive: North Korea seeks millions of dollars worth of hospital supplies

Volume of sought equipment raises questions about whether hospital can be completed before Oct. 10 deadline

North Korean authorities are trying to obtain millions of dollars worth of sophisticated medical equipment and supplies for the upcoming Pyongyang General Hospital project, according to wishlist documents seen exclusively by NK News.

The documents, which detail items sought by North Korea via its embassies and other organizations abroad, suggest that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's concerns about construction delays are well-founded. Combined with North Korea's economic problems, the global sanctions regime and a COVID-19 border shutdown, it's possible that Kim's keynote hospital project will not open by the expected deadline of Oct. 10, 2020 — the 75th anniversary of the ruling party's founding.

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