NK News reported that the project had been agreed at a four-day meeting ending on 31 December 2019, which had "discussed and decided on the tasks to first construct a modern general hospital in Pyongyang for the promotion of the health of the people for the 75th Party Foundation anniversary".[3] At the groundbreaking ceremony, Chairman Kim Jong Un admitted that there were "numerous obstacles" to completing the hospital in such short a time and that completion of the hospital would come at the expense of other projects.[3] After groundbreaking, several officials penned op-eds in Rodong Sinmun vowing to wage “all-night battles” for the hospital's construction.[4]
The hospital is considered the first major project of the "head-on breakthrough" campaign, in the mould of the Chollima Movement, conceived in the wake of the failure of the Hanoi summit (and the corresponding lack of sanctions relief) and the subsequent downplaying of the five-year plan.[5]
Construction
By April 2, foundation works were already 63% complete, according to the Pyongyang Times.[6] By 15 June, the two towers of the hospital had topped-out.[7]
The project has passed the original deadline of October 2020 and is yet to be opened,[8] although preparations for the operation of the hospital have been 'pushed ahead'.[9]
In January 2021, Radio Free Asia reported that the exterior of the hospital was complete, but the interior was still incomplete, as the COVID-19 pandemic and sanctions against North Korea stalled importing hospital equipment.[10][11] In April 2023, it was published that in June 2022 Kim Jong Un approved the hospital's interior designs as well as the uniforms of the medical staff.[12]
Recent Visit of the Leader
On the 27 of February 2025, Kim Jong Un visited the hospital again where KCNA reported that the hospital is completed and ready to be inaugurated in October which is the month of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea. Kim expressed his satisfaction of the completed hospital project.[13]
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