North Korea recently showed off its new airport in Pyongyang to leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju as the Workers' Party official daily newspaper Rodong Sinmun devoted a three-page spread to the visit.
Even though only a few commercial airlines fly into North Korea, the
new airport is set to open July 1, the BBC News reported. Most of the flights to and from Pyongyang carry Chinese tourists and North Koreans on official business to Beijing.
"In one photograph, Mars bars and bottled beers were on display in one of the airport's new duty-free shops," the BBC News noted. "Another showed a cafe serving espresso-based drinks. The glass-fronted building is reported to be six times larger than the old terminal but passenger numbers are likely to be low."
The Korean Central News Agency published a slideshow of 30 pictures of Kim Jong-un's visit of the
two-story terminal, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"Numerous photos showed (Kim Jong-un's) entourage in various states of laughter," the Times said. "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."
Photos of the new airport shows that it has at least 12 check-in counters; an immigration desk featuring modern, automated, glass entry gates; a clothing shop; a gift shop; a duty-free store; and several restaurants. Other amenities include a chocolate
fondue station and a wine bar, according to The Washington Post.
The country's master plan includes construction of a high-speed train line and roads from the airport to the city center to "ensure smooth traffic," the KCNA noted.
North Korea's building spree, though, does not appear to correlate to better living standards for the country's residents, according to the BBC News, which states that a majority of citizens still go hungry and without drinking water or reliable electricity service.
Kim Jong-un had promised to raise the standard of living for residents in his country after taking over in 2011 but new facilities like a ski resort and a water park seemed out of reach for most North Koreans, noted the BBC News.