North Korea's New Airport [DPRK] [Pyongyang]

[DLCseller]

Kim Jong-un showed off North Korea’s modern international airport this week, which includes a rich cornucopia of duty-free goods, “espresso-based drinks,” and other luxuries. But the story behind the airport’s design is unmistakably tyrannical.

The old airport was a symbol of 1950s and 60s-era Communism. It was done up in an imposing neoclassical style, and it became a symbol of North Korea, even as it aged.
The new airport is modern, glass-walled, and designed with all the trappings you’d expect of an airport in a developed country. Though those red-lit signs look familiar, don’t they? We don’t know if they were reclaimed from the old airport, or just made to look exactly like them.

I think that Kim Jong-un is taking advantage of South Korea's MERS problem but do you think that people would be interested in visiting North Korea during the drought?  

Source: http://gizmodo.com/north-koreas-new-airport-has-a-chocolate-fountain-and-a-1713871733

[BillyBones]

We don’t know if they were reclaimed from the old airport, or just made to look exactly like them.

We cannot predict anything about what is happening inside North Korea, sometimes I heard that people of North Korea loved their leader by their heart and soul and they are willing to fight for him till they face death, but at the same time I saw some videos regards to North Korea that many people are being hanged and shot by missile and the reasons are still kept mysterious.... (Yes, I am right not by Gun)

[bryant.coleman]

Kim Jong-un is slowly converting his country to a capitalist one from the old communist version. In cities such as Pyongyang and Pyongsong, a rich elite class (mostly having links to the high ranked political figures) has been emerging for the past many years. This neo-rich accounts for just 5% of the population, and they survive by exploiting the remaining 95% starving citizens.

[Wilikon]

Kim Jong-un is slowly converting his country to a capitalist one from the old communist version. In cities such as Pyongyang and Pyongsong, a rich elite class (mostly having links to the high ranked political figures) has been emerging for the past many years. This neo-rich accounts for just 5% of the population, and they survive by exploiting the remaining 95% starving citizens.

What you are describing is not capitalism nor any kind of free market model I know of.

Is this new airport an international airport? Let me answer my own question: nope.

 

[darkangel11]

Kim is still a dictator and a communist, an airport or any other project he's involved in won't change it. A man who sentences people to death for not being happy with their lives of poverty will never go far and won't attract any foreign capital.

[DLCseller]

We don’t know if they were reclaimed from the old airport, or just made to look exactly like them.

We cannot predict anything about what is happening inside North Korea, sometimes I heard that people of North Korea loved their leader by their heart and soul and they are willing to fight for him till they face death, but at the same time I saw some videos regards to North Korea that many people are being hanged and shot by missile and the reasons are still kept mysterious.... (Yes, I am right not by Gun)

Most of those who love their leader are people who are tricked by Kim's propaganda.

[Lethn]

We don’t know if they were reclaimed from the old airport, or just made to look exactly like them.

We cannot predict anything about what is happening inside North Korea, sometimes I heard that people of North Korea loved their leader by their heart and soul and they are willing to fight for him till they face death, but at the same time I saw some videos regards to North Korea that many people are being hanged and shot by missile and the reasons are still kept mysterious.... (Yes, I am right not by Gun)

Most of those who love their leader are people who are tricked by Kim's propaganda.

You can bet as well that these people all live inside a protective bubble surrounded by Kim's guards and don't know anything about the real world, as with any corrupt regime, the ones who defend it the most are usually the most delusional.

[u9y42]

Kim is still a dictator and a communist, an airport or any other project he's involved in won't change it. A man who sentences people to death for not being happy with their lives of poverty will never go far and won't attract any foreign capital.

Unfortunately, sentencing people to death for the stupidest reasons has never been a deterrent to foreign capital and investment - just look at Saudi Arabia, for example. The real deterrent comes only when the country/government isn't willing to play ball with the investor's interests.

[Falconer]

We don’t know if they were reclaimed from the old airport, or just made to look exactly like them.

We cannot predict anything about what is happening inside North Korea, sometimes I heard that people of North Korea loved their leader by their heart and soul and they are willing to fight for him till they face death, but at the same time I saw some videos regards to North Korea that many people are being hanged and shot by missile and the reasons are still kept mysterious.... (Yes, I am right not by Gun)

So, why there were many North Korean people escaped to South Korea as illegal immigrants? I have ever read an article about North Korea society where there are ridiculous rules about hairstyle, kind of song you must hear, Kim Jong-Il is a god, etc.

[bryant.coleman]

Unfortunately, sentencing people to death for the stupidest reasons has never been a deterrent to foreign capital and investment - just look at Saudi Arabia, for example. The real deterrent comes only when the country/government isn't willing to play ball with the investor's interests.

North Korea is attracting a lot of foreign investment from Russia and China for the past 2-3 years. There are even talks ongoing for the construction of a natural gas pipeline, connecting Vladivostok and Seoul through the North Korean territory. Such a pipeline could guarantee the DPRK regime billions of USD in transit fees every year. Also, DPRK is having a number of significant rare earth deposits, and many of the Russian and Chinese corporations are interested in exploiting these reserves.

[maku]

People in North Korea are starving so Kim decides to build a new airport, logic yeah. And isn't it to big? Who is going to use it? I don't think it will be too much crowded because I didn't see to many commercials inviting tourists to visit N.Korea

[Wilikon]

Unfortunately, sentencing people to death for the stupidest reasons has never been a deterrent to foreign capital and investment - just look at Saudi Arabia, for example. The real deterrent comes only when the country/government isn't willing to play ball with the investor's interests.

North Korea is attracting a lot of foreign investment from Russia and China for the past 2-3 years. There are even talks ongoing for the construction of a natural gas pipeline, connecting Vladivostok and Seoul through the North Korean territory. Such a pipeline could guarantee the DPRK regime billions of USD in transit fees every year. Also, DPRK is having a number of significant rare earth deposits, and many of the Russian and Chinese corporations are interested in exploiting these reserves.

Not good news for the citizens as only a few, tiny bit will see that $$$. But where are they going to spend it? In China and Russia?

[DLCseller]

We don’t know if they were reclaimed from the old airport, or just made to look exactly like them.

We cannot predict anything about what is happening inside North Korea, sometimes I heard that people of North Korea loved their leader by their heart and soul and they are willing to fight for him till they face death, but at the same time I saw some videos regards to North Korea that many people are being hanged and shot by missile and the reasons are still kept mysterious.... (Yes, I am right not by Gun)

So, why there were many North Korean people escaped to South Korea as illegal immigrants? I have ever read an article about North Korea society where there are ridiculous rules about hairstyle, kind of song you must hear, Kim Jong-Il is a god, etc.

Those are the chosen people to realise about the outside world where Kim Jong-Il didn't invent the hamburger & pizza. Most of those people who is currently living in DPRK are forced to follow Kim's order. Most defectors turn into activists.

[DLCseller]

People in North Korea are starving so Kim decides to build a new airport, logic yeah. And isn't it to big? Who is going to use it? I don't think it will be too much crowded because I didn't see to many commercials inviting tourists to visit N.Korea

Those people are starving, mate. They will die starving because of food shortage and Kim just let them die. How awful. Kim needs to be replaced. But who?

[photon_coin]

this country has been messed up for years 

i heard people get put in jail there for trying to connect to the internet near the SK border.

crazy place

[DLCseller]

this country has been messed up for years 

i heard people get put in jail there for trying to connect to the internet near the SK border.

crazy place

Only elite use the internet there in a special room or something.

[bryant.coleman]

Not good news for the citizens as only a few, tiny bit will see that $$$. But where are they going to spend it? In China and Russia?

Hmm... Earlier, the North Korean political elite used to spend the money on shopping trips to China and Russia. But nowadays a lot of supermarkets and coffee shops are coming up in Pyongyang and other cities, where imported Western goods, such as fruit juices, processed food and other "luxury" items are available.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/north-korea/130820/posh-pyongyang-north-korea
http://www.nknews.org/2013/08/fancy-new-coffee-shop-opens-in-pyongyang/

[jayce]

Not good news for the citizens as only a few, tiny bit will see that $$$. But where are they going to spend it? In China and Russia?

Hmm... Earlier, the North Korean political elite used to spend the money on shopping trips to China and Russia. But nowadays a lot of supermarkets and coffee shops are coming up in Pyongyang and other cities, where imported Western goods, such as fruit juices, processed food and other "luxury" items are available.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/north-korea/130820/posh-pyongyang-north-korea
http://www.nknews.org/2013/08/fancy-new-coffee-shop-opens-in-pyongyang/

I think it is useless to people of North Korean since most of them don't have money to go to any coffee shop. So, the places just visited by rich people and elite.
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/dec/19/north-korea-facts-secretive-state
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11389496/Kim-Jong-un-cannot-sleep-because-of-North-Koreas-poverty.html

I don't know why Jong-Un built the airport, I think not many people want to visit the country.

[bryant.coleman]

I think it is useless to people of North Korean since most of them don't have money to go to any coffee shop. So, the places just visited by rich people and elite.

As I had posted earlier, these restaurants and coffee shops mostly cater to the family members of the political elite and high ranking military officers. Nowadays, they seems to be having lots and lots of money, coming from exports of North Korean laborers to countries such as Qatar, Russia and Malaysia, as well as from the sale of coal and other natural resources to the Chinese companies.

[Chef Ramsay]

Kim Jong-un is slowly converting his country to a capitalist one from the old communist version. In cities such as Pyongyang and Pyongsong, a rich elite class (mostly having links to the high ranked political figures) has been emerging for the past many years. This neo-rich accounts for just 5% of the population, and they survive by exploiting the remaining 95% starving citizens.

I wouldn't call it capitalist by any stretch when it's more of an oligarchy of the well connected being allowed to flourish by the top dog as long as they toe the party line. This airport is for show on one hand and on the other, it's obviously meant to enhance tourism from China which is where the only flights come from. Kim is trying his best to dress up Pyongyang for his loyal party elites and, like you say, at the expense of the rest of the population.