Indiana Jones and the Hotel of Doom pt. 3

Back in 2008, I wrote a post on the Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea. This particular structure was nicknamed the "Hotel of Doom," namely because of its then decrepit state and status.

Construction on the building began in 1987 as a response to the Olympics being held on the more prosperous corner of the Korean peninsula in Seoul. 5 years, a Soviet collapse, and $750 million later, construction halted due to "difficulties." What was left was a crumbling shell of concrete, a testament to North Korean economic policy:

It would've been more expensive tear it down than to actually demolish it, so they sorta just left it there as it was. And there it stood. For 16 years.

In 2008, Kim Jong Il finally decided to do somethin about his personal Burj Dubai. I wrote an updated post a year later to track the status of this damning project. Here's what it looked like in 2009:

Well, it's been a few years, and the North Koreans have stayed true to their word. Construction has been keeping up with a decent pace, and it looks like its actually slated to open in 2012. Hard to believe? Take a look at what it looks like today:

Wow. Maybe the economy is actually getting better.

"You know how you can tell he speaks Spanish? He had an accent."
-TR