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One Of The World's Largest Hotels Is About To Open In North Korea
Business Insider ^ | July 25, 2011 | Julie Zeveloff

Posted on 07/25/2011 10:33:34 PM PDT by Pinkbell

The massive Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang is nearly ready to welcome guests after nearly two decades in the making, according to Architizer.

The pyramid-shaped hotel, the largest structure in North Korea and one of the tallest hotels in the world, will open in 2012, 33 years after it was originally set to accept guests.

Construction on the project was stalled for 15 years until 2008, when Egyptian conglomerate Orascom committed $400 million to finishing it, Architizer reported.

The tower's sleek and shiny facade was finally completed this year.

The hotel, which has more than 3,000 rooms, will reportedly have five revolving restaurants. It is the only hotel in the world with more than 100 stories, though the Emirates Park Towers, which opened in Dubai this year, is technically taller.

North Korea's Kumgang tourist district is also apparently ramping up on its efforts to attract tourists. The country reportedly agreed to allow foreign entities to invest in the troubled resort area in May.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: kimjongil; northkorea
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See the link for pictures.

After sitting there for 15 years and a good part of it having been built by the commies, you wonder how safe it is. This thing will never be close to full, but for the commies, it's a front, something they'll show off and brag about.

1 posted on 07/25/2011 10:33:38 PM PDT by Pinkbell
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To: Pinkbell

The story says it has 5 (count ‘em...five) revolving restaurants. Given the food shortages rampant in North Korea, what are they gonna serve...grass soup?


2 posted on 07/25/2011 10:41:17 PM PDT by hoagy62 (Help stamp out crack-pull up your pants.)
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To: Pinkbell

Expect it to pancake in the near future.


3 posted on 07/25/2011 10:42:03 PM PDT by PetroniusMaximus
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To: Pinkbell
Reminds me of the communist East German-built TV tower in Berlin. They were extremely anti-Christian, and closed many Churches, and took crosses off the top of steeples. The atheistic government made it a great point of pride as to their engineering of the TV tower (which was really done by Swedish engineers)--but when the sun shines on it the reflection is clearly a cross.


4 posted on 07/25/2011 10:43:42 PM PDT by AnalogReigns
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To: hoagy62

Anybody want to go on vacation to North Korea????

I think I’ll pass on the chance to visit North Korea.

Stupid question — How does North Korea justify this excess in this monument to capitalism, if they are good communists? How do they justify wanting to build up a tourist economy, generating international income, when they are a worker’s paradise??

Is Kim Il Sung turning in his grave at this monument to capitalist indulgence? Not too many North Koreans will be able to afford to stay there.


5 posted on 07/25/2011 10:44:31 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Pinkbell
"After sitting there for 15 years "

This is what it looked like for most of the 15 years:

That's more concrete than steel.

yitbos

6 posted on 07/25/2011 10:45:37 PM PDT by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds." -- Ayn Rand)
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To: hoagy62

“The story says it has 5 (count ‘em...five) revolving restaurants. Given the food shortages rampant in North Korea, what are they gonna serve...grass soup?”

S. Koreans who have starved to death. Watch what you eat.


7 posted on 07/25/2011 10:48:16 PM PDT by flaglady47 (When the gov't fears the people, liberty; When the people fear the gov't, tyranny.)
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To: hoagy62
what are they gonna serve...grass soup?

Either that, or...

...Kimchi Helper.

.

8 posted on 07/25/2011 10:50:53 PM PDT by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never...except to convictions of honour and good sense. W. Churchill)
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To: flaglady47
"The tower's sleek and shiny facade was finally completed this year."

Shiny facade is probably where it will end.

Commies are good at facades, think Potemkin.

yitbos

9 posted on 07/25/2011 10:56:04 PM PDT by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds." -- Ayn Rand)
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To: bruinbirdman

Well then a fire or plane crash cannot bring it down, just ask Rosie.


10 posted on 07/25/2011 10:56:35 PM PDT by LukeL (Barack Obama: Jimmy Carter 2 Electric Boogaloo)
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To: Pinkbell
North Korea, my dream vacation.

Rotsa Ruck.

11 posted on 07/25/2011 10:57:52 PM PDT by Lazamataz (If you pet a tiny goose, you will feel a little down.)
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To: Pinkbell

I wonder if they remembered to run electricity to the place.


12 posted on 07/25/2011 11:02:27 PM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: Pinkbell
Now I won't be so ronery...

On a related note I watched the Vice Guide show on North Korea, where they took a trip through NK - it was quite amazing to see how it all "functioned". It's on Netflix, and highly recommended!

13 posted on 07/25/2011 11:02:42 PM PDT by FromTheSidelines ("everything that deceives, also enchants" - Plato)
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To: AnalogReigns

I hate that thing almost as much as that glass dome they stuck on top of the Reichstag.


14 posted on 07/25/2011 11:20:37 PM PDT by americanophile ("this absurd theology of an immoral Bedouin, is a rotting corpse which poisons our lives" - Ataturk)
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To: FromTheSidelines

I saw it on Youtube, and it was fascinating.


15 posted on 07/25/2011 11:39:09 PM PDT by Pinkbell
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To: bruinbirdman

I always thought that hotel was spooky. It reminds me of Cabrini Green.


16 posted on 07/25/2011 11:42:37 PM PDT by boop ("Let's just say they'll be satisfied with LESS"... Ming the Merciless)
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To: boop
The commie pyramid is only a shell. Empty.

yitbos

17 posted on 07/25/2011 11:49:15 PM PDT by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds." -- Ayn Rand)
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To: FromTheSidelines
> I watched the Vice Guide show on North Korea...

I watched it after learning about it on a thread here on FreeRepublic some time ago, and I'll say again what I said back then,
“Thank God I'm an American” "Thank you Lord, thank You, thank You, thank You."

18 posted on 07/26/2011 12:05:13 AM PDT by ADemocratNoMore (Jeepers, Freepers, where'd 'ya get those sleepers?. Pj people, exposing old media's lies.)
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To: Pinkbell

>>> After sitting there for 15 years and a good part of it having been built by the commies, you wonder how safe it is.

Yes, between third world materials and worksmanship I’d be fearful of a collapse or Towering Inferno fire. This won’t be a long lasting structure.

But I have to say I like what they tried to do. It’s a Blade Runner building. Architects who try to get away from the upended soda-cracker box skyscraper are at least making an effort.


19 posted on 07/26/2011 1:07:33 AM PDT by tlb
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To: Pinkbell

Check out the underground videos from North Korea, the faked tourism is crazy, everything is a Potemkin village


20 posted on 07/26/2011 1:12:16 AM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Happiness)
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