North Korea’s Greatest Folly
- Categories: International, News
- Date: Sep 15, 2009 10:58 JST
- Tags: Architecture, Bizarre, Buildings, North Korea, Tourism
Work has resumed on North Korea’s immense Ryugyong Hotel, intended as the world’s tallest hotel, but experts are predicting that it could cost 10% of the nation’s GDP to finish safely, with some even predicting a spectacular collapse if the work is not done.
The hotel was set to be the world’s largest, at 330m tall with 105 storeys, 3000 rooms and a 7 storey rotating restaurant to give panoramic views of the desolate capital of Pyongyang. However, it has already been superseded by a Dubai hotel.
The initial construction costs were estimated to be $750,000,000, which is approximately 3-4% of North Korea’s presumed GDP.
Construction began in 1982, but with the collapse of communism and a series of problems with ground subsidence and an inability to fit elevators work was cancelled in 1992; after this the hulking derelict was dubbed “the world’s tallest ruin” by bemused Chinese sources.
Construction quietly resumed in 2008 with the involvement of an Egyptian firm, and now much of the building is at least glazed, though what remains of the presumably weather ravaged interior is not clear.
“Completion,” or at least its ceremonial opening, is scheduled for the 100th anniversary of Kim Il Sung in 2012.
However, sources familiar with the edifice are saying that it could cost $2,000,000,000 to complete the structure safely due to various inadequacies in construction. This would amount to some 10% of the North Korean GDP, a crippling sum and one the leadership would surely rather spend on missiles with which to threaten its neighbours.
Should the structure not be properly finished, some are predicting its collapse, though should the funds be somehow scraped together it seems possible the nation itself might collapse.
Were it to be completed and used as a hotel North Korea’s problems might only exacerbate, as the running costs of a gigantic but empty hotel would be an even further drain.
In any case, it seems this grand spire might truly be North Korea’s greatest folly.
Via Heaven.
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Dumb. North Korea has barely any tourism to fund it.
i bet its actually a missile base or an imperial cruiser xD
you're a genius O.o
North Korea: Actually the Brotherhood of NOD in disguise.
well...at least it's stupider than china..for once...
I thought it's always stupider than China.
The US space program consumed approximately 4% of GDP while it was active. Compared to that, building a huge hotel that doesn't get nearly the same amount of publicity.
It will be a marvelous sight, especially at night when the hotel lights shine alone upon the darkness of its vicinities.
NORTH KOREA THE BEST KOREA.
Your statement suggested that NK might be subsidized by the USSR.
That's unlikely, doubly so if China and Russia entered a territorial war.
But if that happened, China might invest in the NK military/economy.
the Soviets doomed NK when they stopped being a threat. And if that's what you were saying all along, I apologize.
I view this project as a good sign..
Maybe the two Koreas will rejoin faster than I thought..
'Imagine a prosperous China, with an educated, well-informed, home-owning, and well-traveled population engaged in a host of transactions with the rest of the world. Now imagine that this population is still ruled by a party with something like the monopoly of power and controls over behavior that exist today. The combination simply doesn’t compute.'
Communism is a great ideal, and in some cases it can even and has been established at a acceptable level..
but once a country becomes richer, selfishness spreads.. a well educated man will not consider a poor farmer as his equal..
and slowly the country becomes more democratic.. capitalism spreads..
Communism is just one of the possible earlier stages of civilization, and some could argue that it could be the final stage of human society.. but that is if we ever get there..
o hohoho hohohohoho..
This wouldn't have happened to North korea if the USSR was still alive..
Communism collapsed so... there you go.
NK was always China's ant farm, they just don't make very good allies.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, there had already been a few minor "incidents" on the Chinese border.
So... what you're saying COULD be true, but not for the reasons you're thinking.
so what reasons do you think Im thinking then?
lol "proper" anarchy. It doesn't exist(in reality) for a good reason. I'm sure we all would like to live in a world without advanced medical care, stable food production, live without technologies like computers & cellphones and go back to banging rocks together. Stick your ideals up your ass and grow up, kid.
It will be a miracle if they have a dozen rooms occupied
This is so so stupid >_>
heck! that thing looks apocalyptic! maybe is the Tower of Babel?
Just a very slight tremor, and that shit will collapse like a house of cards.
Communism can never achieve its intended goals because it is fundamentally flawed. It treats all human beings(the workers to be more precise) as responsible, hard working, diligent and patriotic people; which never were.
That's exactly it!
It does look like a giant missile silo. Maybe it splits in half like buildings did on NGE launches then back as a building again. But don't know if the rooms are protected from the rocket fire.
I can think of three reasons I'd never want to stay in that hotel.
1. It's in North Korea.
2. Likely is built to questionable safety standards and from even more questionable materials.
3. It's likely to be a target for a B2 in the near future.
In any case, it seems this grand spire might truly be North Korea’s greatest folly.
I guess if you ignore the fact they chose communism as their type of government.
Wrong fuck-face the ideologies of Socialism came first before Communism. Communism is Socialist principles applied to it. Learn to understand a book if you actually claimed to have picked one up, palsy. =)
You can check in, but you can never check out....
Actually, anyone except South Koreans, Americans and, I think but am not sure, Japanese can easily acquire a tourist visa for NK. Also Americans are permitted entrance during the "Mass Games".
They treat tourists reasonably well(by their standards) and the worst that can happen to you(if you screw up big time)is to be put on a first plane out of North Korea, for any other "minor offense"(like speaking against the "Leader")you will only get warned not to repeat it, but your "goverment minder" will pick up all the heat, as he is considered responsible for your actions.
They orchestrate entire tours to impress foreigners(again by their standards, as they think their country is paradise when compared to others), hence the inability to wander around unsupervised. Public opinion seems very important to them and the money isn't a waste either, so they encourage tourism in their showcase capital. Sadly what North Koreans don't understand is just how bleak Pyongyang is to us.
Worlds tallest ruin indeed
The world's last remaining dickhead state. But if we didn't have at least one it would be boring. I'm a fan of North Korea. It makes the USA's hawks look friendly.
omg it's a super death ray
You know that one episode of gundam 00's second season where the space elevator fell and almost killed a few million people...
That city is screwed unless they can lease a few gundams from japan >_>
Why does this remind me of the badguys tower from power rangers?
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...the next HQ of the United Nations.
Think about it.
OK, lesboswede porn is a fucking (lol) brilliant investment. What the world needs more of is lesbian porn.
Who want to visit North korea anyway?!?
It loooks like shit.
good
they should concentrate on economy rather than military
At least the nazis built good stuff that could be used. In fact most buildings are still used today.
This monster is only good for postcards. Even if it'll be completed, nobody with half a brain will visit this forsaken country.
Knowing North Korea, it probably fires a missile or something.
This system has no way to work. First: in less then a month, it will hacked. Making an "open-to-world" program to let everyone cooperate to its growth is like saying to A WORLD OF HACKERS"hey you, please, why don't you try to hack this system and take control of my Nation?".
Second: even without hacking, is very easy to subdue others to vote for your idea or for you, by useing force or threats... since no one can check the status of someone voting.
Third: this system works assuming everyone has a computer for himself. If you are sharing your Pc with your mom, dad, or brother, your privacy is fucked up.. plus, no one can guarantee that the one voting is the mother, or the son... or maybe just the daddy using the accounts of everyone in the family to vot for what he likes.
And this is only the iceberg' top of the HUGE mass of issues of this system.
cut em a little slack... it takes a lot of resources for a poor country like north korea to build, furnish, and bug every room in that hotel.
I don't know why they want to Invest into a Hotel that looks like a Giant Blue Penis?
They might as well make Gambling legel in there country.
it's just like Atlas in Shangri-La
Stupid kids, it's so obvious this "hotel" is a missile silo
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/wp-content/gallery/misc-images-xxviii/ryugong-hotel-pyongyang-north-korea-7.jpg
last pic looks shopped
I don't think the North Koreans really wanted this thing; I think the ruler wanted this thing.
"HEY! LOOKEY HERE! SEE MAH DICK! THIS BUILDING IS MAH DICK! IT IS SO BIG!"
Norht Korea DOES have a visa waiver program, and they do use it. The North Korean border guards dragged a journalist on the China-side of the border, into North Korea.
The building itself looks pretty cool in the blue-glass-everywhere Photoshopped renditions. In its current state, it looks like an ugly, triangular prison (maybe it is).
If it collapses or is blown up, it might make a cool movie set.
It's not a secret hideout then?
The bad guys always live in the big pointy thing.
lol +1
what is the point of building this hotel when no one is going to use it?
Thats still one of the coolest buildings i think ive ever seen. Its like something out of some fantasy world. Too bad there is nothing to do in NC except maybe tour the concentration camps and partake in family friendly fun day there, as well as sample fine North Korean delicacies such as grass
NC = North Carolina?
my bad, meant NK, was typing in the dark
i fucken lol'd
But the "C" is nowhere near the "K", not even on DVORAK.
Well, North Carolina is NOT one of the Top Ten places in Amreica you could visit . . .
Duh, this is their economy stimulist package.
Maybe it'll shoot lasers out of the top prism.
NK is Nod! Now it all makes sense...
It's just a Nod wannabe. Such a crap country can't possibly be run by the comparatively more competent Brotherhood of Nod.
Or it could be a ruse!
that 2nd pic with the fog and all its the perfect image of a real world super villain's lair now if we just had a good super villain to move in
I'm sure Kim Jong Il or one of his spawns will set foot in there at some point.
Actually, I'm pretty sure that they'll be given a permanent appartement somewhere at the top. I guess it would look pretty cool at night, when all the Hotel is dark with light only in the topmost appartement. Would be quite metaphoric.
yeah,,,, it hasn't been done.
Here's MY take- which will surely endear me to both sides.
Communism is the basic tool of civilization- in a village, everyone is willing to make sacrifices so the community can do what it needs to.
With larger units, this model breaks down very rapidly.
People will NOT willingly sacrifice their village for another village, and will only accept the concept that all villages must sacrifice if cowed into submission. Regular press conferences doesn't make a central government any less of a artificial construct.
This was a reply to fatty and his pals. No idea how it got down here.
This is true. You're one of few with Common Sense here.
It's a hotel. For 3000 missiles. The fireworks picture was a test-run.
Talk about financial ruin...
looks like an angel from evangelion @ first glance.
its probably a weapon...........
On that note, isn't the world supposed to end in 2012?
this is why communism fails
It's a dictatorship.
North Korea is a socialist dictatorship.
There never have been communism dude, communism has no state at all and no chance there will be a human exploring another human.
But then, communism is just an utopia.
A communist dictatorship, like most of the other communist nations have been.
It's communism in name only.
Nothing communist about NK, it's simply a dictatorship, It's impossible to be a dictator in a communist country, the 2 of them together would make no sense.
Dictatorship.
Every leader of the Soviet Union except Mikhail Gorbachev would like to disagree with your statement 17:07 Anon.
communism is a good idea, its just that it hasn't been properly implemented. it always gets corrupted and turned into a shitstorm before it is completed. read up on history some time.
More like communism is a good idea, but we're too human for it to work.
Enlighten us Fatty Fat Fat McFat pants, how could it possibly be 'properly' implemented...
I have food, shelter, clothing and a certain amount of luxory in the form of consumer electronics - just like all of you. I like the way things are right now. Fuck your Communism, I don't need it.
Ignorance at its best, Communism is a great idea, Americans are only afraid of it because they fail to understand it. THERE IS NO TRUE DEMOCRACY OR COMMUNIST COUNTRY they're either morphed into socialism or a dictatorship.
Communism cannot work because People = Shit.
LOL, nice one!
Why so angry? Do you even know anything about the ideals of communism? Just because it hasn't been done yet doesn't mean it can't be done. People who only question others and insult them are such retards.
Yes, I do know about the ideals of communism. I asked a legitimate question. Good job questioning and insulting me, retard. Welcome to the internet, don't forget your sense of humor.
Communism has never been completely achieved. The theory allows for a transition, which is basically a dictatorship until everything is in place to make it work properly. Corrupt administrators never allow for it to leave it's transitional state.
Get out of here you dirty reds.
this is also why communism fails.
communism sucks, ALWAYS.
lol "proper" anarchy. It doesn't exist(in reality) for a good reason. I'm sure we all would like to live in a world without advanced medical care, stable food production, go about our business without technologies like computers & cellphones and go back to banging rocks together. Stick your ideals up your ass and grow up, kid.
Communism is the best form of government! .... But only sentient ants and hive mind aliens can make Communism work. Everyone else is too greedy to so few in control of so much for the "common good"
No in anarchistic voids, in pure anarchy there would be no rule to take. Learn the difference between reality and theory.
More than this, we managed to live with it for millions of years, I'm sure we could again, we just need to go through several steps to get there safely; and these steps unfortunately are invisible to me, I'm not that good a sociologist.
if the common good demands we make you an underground plumber who cleans shit drains, would you call it simply 'greedy'? And all the while, your friend gets a job as a lamborgini valet parker.
And if there was absolutely no government in power, it would be easy to take power for oneself and rule as a warlord. Replacing a big corrupt government with a smaller government that's equally corrupt and much more likely to personally put a bullet in peoples' brains.
Like, you know, what happens in actual anarchies.
Communism and democracy are completely different things. One is an economic system and the other is a political\government system. Apples and oranges.
People just tend to associate communism with dictatorships, for obvious reasons.
yeah like democracy has lead to smart thinking and war-free nations.
This is why government should never be in place. People can't govern people because people in power always get corrupted by it. It's the absolute truth that not one single being on this planet wouldn't be corrupted if they were in power.
Communism is failed Socialism. Having said that, I think we should goad N. Korea to continue with this construction, maybe this will be the tipping point to their economic demise.
Socialism is failed communism you retard, pick a book up one of these days.
Wrong jackass! Socialism came first before Communism. Communism is Socialist ideals applied to it. Before telling people to pick up a book, learn how to read and comprehend what's inside one. You look like a damn fool, palsy.
The same can really be said of any form of government. Ideally, the perfect government would be a dictatorship ruled by enlightened, benevolent king, one that cuts out all bureaucracy and indecision, but isn't bogged down by an entrenched ruling family more interested in self preservation than the people. Of course, that's never going to happen, and neither will the ideal forms of any other social system, economic or political.
How did the saying go? DEMOCRACY SUCKS, but it's the best kind of government we have so farm. (emphasis mine.)
Actually, Democracy does suck. In fact, all democracies fail rather spectacularly. America is oft misidentified as a democracy, but it is actually a republic. Republics are indeed the best form of government conceived as of yet. It's a shame that no matter how successful a republic becomes, it will always become a dictatorship eventually. A charismatic leader will always come about and use promises of reappropriating wealth from one group to another to manipulate the less fortunate into voting them into power. Then they nationalize as much of the private sector as possible, and once the needs of the people are solely held in the hands of the government, they declare absolute rule.
I, of course, am talking about Julius Caesar, though you may draw a corollary to a similar leader we have today...
That kind of government has happened a few times in the past but always ends when the leader dies and the fall is a very hard one.
You're saying that Ronald McDonald is going to overthrow the American government? It does make a strange sort of sense...
communism will always fail because its idealistic and ask citizens to be altruistic, which unfortunately, human kind fail too much to be able to do that
if actualized.. a communistic nation would have no central governing body and everyone would act according to their own belief in goodness and will work towards a better tomorrow without asking things in return and that is, needless to say, impossible.
Everyone with substandard literacy would complain about their vote bieng 'stolen'. Every Lobbyist, Journalist and Politician would oppose it for the simple reason it'd cost them influence. And every foreign power would try to find a way to hack the system.
I agree that It could be done. It could even be done competently in less than a decade. But unless a wave of scandals clears 50% of the house, it's a doomed concept.
I view this project as a good sign..
Maybe the two Koreas will rejoin faster than I thought..
There is a way to have something similar except in an opposite way and with current technology it could be done. That is where everyone is the government and everyone takes time to help run the government. Everyone has an equal duty and equal say in how it is run. This could be done through computers and the internet and people will either volunteer or be randomly assigned duties. All voting would be done by everyone instead of a select body. If the country has a state or province system they could have state and national systems.
A way to prevent hacking of the system is using a randomly distributed encrypted data system. All information would be encrypted and randomly distributed over all computers connected to the system.
Also to make sure everyone is doing their governmental duties one of the duties is to make sure people are doing their duties and to report it to the system. Depending on how often it happens and how many infractions voting on restrictions being placed on the person could be from local all the way to the national level.
The software running the government would be made in a similar way to that of open source software like WINE where it is developed by anyone and everyone can look at the code. A document of all features would be provided on completion for voting. (same with patches)
Also everyone has the choice on whether to vote or not but there needs to be a minimum amount of people to vote on each issue. Also it will be easy to vote and all issues will come up on starting the program and logging in.
unftly, since humans beings are born different(IQ and etc) that cant be achieved