North Korea Unveils New Pyongyang Airport

North Korea has released pictures of a new airport terminal in Pyongyang.

Several pages of the daily newspaper Rodong Sinmun showed images of Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju inspecting the restaurants and shops.

North Korea has unveiled several large building projects in recent years but human rights groups say much of the country still lives in poor conditions.

The new airport, which will serve only a few flights, is set to open on July 1.

Earlier this month, North Korea said it was facing its worst drought in a century, sparking fears of worsening food shortages.

Three pages of Thursday’s Rodong Sinmun – the ruling Workers’ Party official daily newspaper – were devoted to images of Kim Jong-un and Ri Sol-ju being shown around the terminal.

In one image, Mars bars and bottled beers were on display in one of the airport’s new duty-free shops. 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.

Most of the tiny handful of flights to and from Pyongyang carry Chinese tourists and North Koreans on official business between the North Korean capital and Beijing.

Kim Jong-un described the building as a “landmark of the Songun [military-first] era”, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

He told workers and officials he was “very satisfied to see the terminal well built in harmony with modern aesthetic taste and national character”, KCNA said.

The North Korean leader was also reported to have called for the construction of a high-speed railway and a motorway between Pyongyang and the airport, some 15 miles northwest of the capital.

Since taking power in 2011, Kim Jong-un has promised to raise living standards in the isolated country, but most of his signature projects have been beyond the reach of average North Koreans, like ski resorts and water parks.

Many North Koreans suffer from a lack of food, drinking water and stable electricity.