https://twitter.com/pearswick/status/613867812486905857
To much fanfare in North Korea, Kim Jong-un has opened Pyongyang’s new international airport:
North Korea has finished building an international airport terminal, state media reported Thursday, and photos show leader Kim Jong Un inspecting rather swanky amenities that include a jewelry store, a pharmacy and a coffee bar with — is that a chocolate fountain?
It was unclear what international assistance impoverished North Korea received for constructing the two-story terminal, or how much it cost. A 30-photo slide show published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency showed Kim touring the terminal with his wife and a group of about a dozen people. Numerous photos showed the entourage in various states of laughter.
The facility, which also has a new control tower, will open July 1, the agency said. It replaces a terminal that dated to the 1950s and may be part of efforts by Kim to increase the country’s appeal to tourists and earn foreign currency [LA Times]
You can read the rest at the link.
Probably the most interesting thing about this airport is not where the money came from, but the fact he had its architect executed last year as part of one of his purges to consolidate power.
In this photo, exclusively obtained and released on June 12, 2015 by local radio station BBS, black smoke and flames billow from a bridge between the 43rd floors of Koryo Hotel in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang on the previous day. The fire had broken out at the hotel frequented by foreigners, without any information being provided on casualties or property damage, reports said on June 12, 2015. The fire appears to have been extinguished, according to The Associated Press. (Yonhap)
A foreign runner is cheered by North Korean spectators during an annual marathon in Pyongyang on April 12, 2015, in this photo released by the North’s Korean Central News Agency. The marathon, which drew about 650 foreigners, was held as one of the events marking the 103rd birth anniversary of North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung, which falls on April 15. (Yonhap)
