Kim criticizes North's health care system at landmark Pyongyang hospital's long-awaited completion

North Korea has completed construction of the Pyongyang General Hospital five and a half years after breaking ground, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday.

A picture of the Pyongyang General Hospital, which held its completion ceremony on Oct. 6, attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Oct. 7 [KCNA]

North Korea has completed construction of the Pyongyang General Hospital five and a half years after breaking ground, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday. The project, which began in March 2020, had been delayed due to material shortages and the Covid-19 pandemic.

"This is really one of the strongest wishes I have wanted to fulfill, something that has always been at the forefront of my mind," North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said during the completion ceremony on Monday, as reported by KCNA.

"In particular, as our workers lack experience in operating comprehensive modern medical facilities, it would be advisable to normalize the operations of the hospital from November after they have a full understanding of the relevant equipment."

Photos released by North Korean media showed a large general hospital with more than 1,000 beds. However, diagnostic and treatment equipment, as well as auxiliary facilities, appeared to be incomplete.

A significant portion of Kim’s speech was devoted to criticizing the country’s health sector as "weaker than any other sector," particularly the Ministry of Public Health. He said hospital facilities were especially “outdated,” and blamed the situation on extreme irresponsibility and self-preservation.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a completion ceremony for the Pyongyang General Hospital on Oct. 6, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Oct. 7. [KCNA]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a completion ceremony for the Pyongyang General Hospital on Oct. 6, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Oct. 7. [KCNA]

Kim went on to lambaste ministry officials as “devoid of common sense and concept; worse still, they have no desire to do something new,” and said he would consider forming a new group or organization to oversee health care modernization efforts.

He also sharply criticized the proposed designs for medical staff uniforms, saying they "looked like white cloth covering sacks."

Still, Kim described the completion of Pyongyang General Hospital as “the first result of the public health revolution," “a leap forward” and “the backbone” for driving the country’s health care revolution. He called the hospital a hub of health care for modernizing North Korea’s medical system.

He also announced plans to build a second general hospital in Pyongyang and central-level general hospitals in each provincial capital. Kim said the country’s health care modernization strategy would be presented at the Ninth Party Congress, expected early next year.

Those who accompanied Kim at the completion ceremony included Workers’ Party Deputy Department Director Kim Yo-jong, Party Secretary Jo Yong-won, Premier Pak Thae-song, Party Propaganda and Agitation Department Director Ju Chang-il, Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Pak Jong-chon and Supreme People’s Assembly Standing Committee Chairman Choe Ryong-hae.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY HONG JOO-HEE [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]