00:00In the heart of Pyongyang, North Korea, a giant standstill against the skies,
00:06the Ryugyong Hotel. Dreamed up in the 1980s during the Cold War, it was meant to show the
00:12world North Korea's strength. The country's leaders wanted something bigger and better
00:16than what their southern neighbors had just built. When the Weston Stamford Hotel in Singapore
00:22opened in 1986 and became the tallest hotel in the world, North Korea decided they needed one
00:29of their own. Taller and grander, construction on the Ryugyong Hotel began in the year 1987.
00:37The plan was bold. The hotel would reach a height of 1,080 feet and would be shaped like a
00:44giant
00:44pyramid. Its name, Ryugyong, means Capital of Willows, a nod to one of the city's old nicknames.
00:52From the very start, it was supposed to be more than just a building. It was meant to be a
00:57message,
00:57a symbol that North Korea could stand tall in a modern world. The design was striking. Three
01:04sloping wings would rise sharply at 75 degree angles, leading up to a pointed tip. At the top,
01:11eight floors were planned to rotate, with six more floors meant to stay still. The idea was to have
01:18five revolving restaurants offering sweeping views of the city. Altogether, the building was supposed to
01:24hold more than 3,000 rooms. It would have been the tallest pyramid-shaped building on earth, even
01:30taller than famous structures like the Shard in London, or the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.
01:37The hope was that the Ryugyong Hotel would attract a wave of foreign investors. Officials dreamed of
01:44bringing in about 186 million pounds of outside money. It was an ambitious goal for a country that was
01:52starting to feel the pressure of a crumbling Soviet Union, their biggest supporter at the time. As
01:58construction crews worked, it became clear that the project faced serious problems. Unlike other
02:04countries that used strong lightweight materials like steel for skyscrapers, North Korea had to rely on
02:11heavy concrete. The building's wide base and pointed top were shaped by necessity, not just style. The
02:19concrete was too heavy for a slimmer design. Still, work pressed on, and by the early 1990s, the enormous
02:27skeleton of the Ryugyong Hotel loomed over Pyongyang, the tallest thing for miles around. Even in those early
02:35days, there was something haunting about the unfinished giant. Stories began to swirl among locals, whispers of
02:43strange feelings and shadowy figures near the site. Some said the hotel was cursed, a bad omen for a country
02:51already facing hard times. After years of silence, the Ryugyong Hotel's story took another strange turn.
03:00In the year 2008, construction resumed after a long 16-year pause. This new phase was led by an Egyptian
03:07company, Araskam Group, which had also been contracted to build North Korea's first mobile phone network.
03:14The long-abandoned crane at the very top of the hotel, a haunting symbol of the halted project,
03:21was finally taken down. Workers then began covering the raw concrete skeleton with modern glass and metal
03:29panels, giving the building the shiny appearance it has today. Despite the fresh exterior, the inside of the
03:37hotel remained largely unfinished. No furniture filled the rooms, and no electrical or plumbing systems were fully installed.
03:45It was like dressing a ghost in new clothes.
03:48The inside was still cold, dark, and lifeless.
03:52Locals watching the sudden activity hoped that the hotel might finally open, but doubts remained strong.
04:00In the year 2011, North Korean authorities announced that the hotel's exterior was completed.
04:07There was excitement once again, when a luxury hotel company, Kempinski, revealed plans to partially open
04:14the Ryugyong Hotel in the middle of 2013. Early reports promised around 150 guest rooms,
04:22several restaurants, shops, ballrooms, and even a movie theater. It was the first real hope in decades
04:28that the hotel would finally welcome visitors. However, these plans quickly fell apart.
04:35Kempinski pulled out just months later, citing the market conditions as not being right for a hotel
04:41opening. Some believed that political tensions and North Korea's nuclear tests scared the company away.
04:49Others whispered that there were deeper problems inside the building itself,
04:53unsafe construction, structural flaws, and unfinished work that could not easily be fixed.
05:00As hopes faded once more, stories about the hotel's haunted reputation only grew.
05:06Locals began to say that the Ryugyong Hotel was cursed, that no matter how much they tried to finish it,
05:12something unseen was stopping them. And once again, the glass tower stood empty and silent over the city,
05:21looking down on Pyongyang like a giant forgotten relic. By the late 2010s, the Ryugyong Hotel remained
05:29unopened, but it found a strange new purpose. In the year 2018, the outside of the building became a digital
05:37canvas when authorities installed massive LED screens on parts of the exterior. These screens were used
05:44to display colorful propaganda videos, showing fireworks, national symbols, and patriotic slogans
05:51across the glass surface. This move allowed the hotel to serve as a giant light show, especially during
05:57national holidays and important political events. The transformation of the hotel into a visual symbol
06:04was seen as a way to shift public focus away from its incomplete status. International visitors who
06:11were allowed into Pyongyang could see the bright flashing lights from miles away, making the hotel appear
06:16vibrant from a distance, even though it remained empty inside. In the same year, satellite images taken by
06:24independent researchers showed that there was no significant progress inside the Ryugyong Hotel.
06:29The images revealed empty floors, no signs of internal wiring, plumbing, or furnishings.
06:38Analysts confirmed that while the outside looked modern, the interior was still hollow and unfinished.
06:44Meanwhile, North Korean media, which had once avoided mentioning the Ryugyong Hotel at all,
06:49began to occasionally feature it in promotional materials. Photos and videos often focused on the exterior,
06:55carefully avoiding any mention of the inside condition. To many observers, it seemed clear that the
07:02government wanted the hotel to symbolize strength and modernity, even if the reality was very different.
07:09Rumors continued to circulate internationally about possible future uses for the building.
07:14Some speculated it might be turned into an office complex, a museum, or even luxury apartments.
07:21However, no official announcements confirmed any of these ideas. In truth, the Ryugyong Hotel remained locked,
07:29silent, and closed to the public, even as it glowed brightly in the night sky. In the years that followed,
07:37the Ryugyong Hotel continued to stand as one of the most recognizable features of Pyongyang's skyline.
07:43Despite its unfinished interior, the building maintained its reputation as the tallest structure in North Korea,
07:51measuring approximately 1080 feet with 105 floors. Its triangular shape remained unique compared to other
07:59skyscrapers worldwide, setting it apart in both design and appearance. Tourists who visited Pyongyang
08:07under strict supervision often caught glimpses of the Ryugyong Hotel from a distance, but were rarely allowed close to it.
08:15Reports from travelers who managed to get nearer described a guarded perimeter, with no visible activity at the entrances or
08:22windows.
08:23There were no signs of workers or preparations for opening, and the surrounding grounds remained largely empty.
08:29Engineering experts who analyzed the structure from afar pointed out potential challenges that would come with any future renovation.
08:38Because the building had been exposed to the elements for so many years before partial completion efforts resumed,
08:44concerns about the integrity of the concrete and steel frame were often discussed.
08:50Experts suggested that fully finishing or repurposing the building could require enormous resources and major repairs.
08:59Making it a difficult and expensive task.
09:02Throughout the early 2020s, there were occasional claims from foreign media that the Ryugyong Hotel might finally open for limited
09:10use,
09:11but none of these reports were ever verified.
09:14The North Korean government offered no public updates, and the hotel remained absent from official statements regarding future developments in
09:22Pyongyang.
09:23Today, the Ryugyong Hotel is still seen as a powerful symbol, not just of architectural ambition, but also of the
09:32complex political and economic story of North Korea.
09:36Even without ever opening its doors, it has become a part of history, a silent giant towering over a city,
09:44embodying both dreams and difficulties that have lasted for decades.
09:48The New Jersey
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