Skyscrapers of North Korea

For most of us, the DPRK is a totalitarian state, stuck in the middle of the last century due to the “party line” and many years of sanctions. But the 21st century has brought changes even to this country, which is associated with dullness, hunger and concentration camps. North Korea has changed quite a lot in recent years. Skyscrapers even appeared in Pyongyang, which we want to tell you about.

The first building that can be called a skyscraper appeared in Pyongyang back in 1985. It was the Kore Hotel, which consisted of two twin towers with 500 rooms. By North Korean standards, it received five stars and became the most fashionable hotel complex in the capital. After the hotel was commissioned, the construction of high-rise buildings was put on pause and nothing interesting happened for two years.

But in 1987, construction began on another high-rise hotel - Rügen. It was a fantastically expensive long-term construction project, work on which was stopped every 1-2 years. The money allocated for the next stage of construction of the giant was quickly running out and the builders were waiting for new funding. The object was mothballed three times, and the delivery date was postponed several dozen times.

The Rügen Hotel was never completed. Despite this, it is the most recognizable building in Pyongyang and the tallest building in the DPRK. The height of the hotel is 330 meters, that is, almost like the Federation Tower in Moscow City. The building remains empty, and its outer walls are used to display propaganda videos.

Almost all of the high-rise buildings in the North Korean capital appeared relatively recently, in the 2000s. Some of them were built by local builders, but most were built by Chinese companies. Among the skyscrapers of Pyongyang there are buildings with residential apartments and apartments, commercial facilities and government institutions.

Of particular note is the 210-meter futuristic Galaxy Tower, towering over the scientific quarter of the capital. This residential building on Mirakvahakcha-kori Avenue (“Street of Future Scientists”) appeared in 2015. It’s easy to guess that its inhabitants are the country’s scientific elite, as well as pseudo-scientific party and military leaders.

The most productive years in terms of skyscraper construction were 2016 and 2017. During this time, a whole street of high-rise buildings, Remen, appeared in Pyongyang. There are 44 buildings on it with a number of storeys from 20 to 70. The tallest building on the street rises to 270 meters. Nearby there are smaller skyscrapers - 240, 210 and 200 meters high. This construction boom was caused by increased sanctions from the United States. The country's authorities decided to prove that they are not afraid of any restrictions.

By the way, if you want to know what the most fashionable hotels in the DPRK look like inside, we have a separate article about it.