March 29, 2024
Photos

Hand-sculpted towers rise up around North Korea’s ‘hotel of doom’ — in photos

Rare ground-level images reveal makeshift construction techniques still used on elite projects in central Pyongyang

Over 30 years after construction largely stopped on North Korea’s 105-story Ryugyong Hotel, the central Pyongyang neighborhood surrounding the empty building dubbed the “hotel of doom” is being transformed into the city’s latest cluster of concrete high-rises. 

NK News has obtained exclusive photos of the new apartment towers taken this summer that offer an unfiltered street level view of imperfectly hand-sculpted concrete facades and scant safety measures on construction sites — scenes that North Korean authorities work hard to hide from the outside world. 

Become a member for less than $4 per week.

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.