The Ponghwa Clinic and Hospital(봉화진료소) is a hospital located in Sinwŏn-dong,

Potonggang-guyok Potonggang-guyok is one of the 18 districts, or guyok, of Pyongyang, North Korea. It is most famous as the location of the Ryugyong Hotel. It is named after the Pothong River (literally "the simple river"), which serves as the district's border on ...

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

, and is believed to be one of the top hospitals in North Korea, treating members of the political elite. It is administered by the Ministry of Public Health.

History

Construction on the clinic began in 1968, on orders from

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

. The Clinic opened in 1971. The clinic underwent a series of expansions in 2003-2005 and 2009–2010.

Patients

Access to Ponghwa is restricted to members of North Korea's political elite, and the existence of the hospital is secret within North Korea.

Facilities

The Clinic has a helipad. It is reportedly one of the few hospitals in North Korea capable of performing complex surgeries. The ruling Kim family reportedly have a private wing for their healthcare requirements.

Weapons of mass destruction

The Clinic has been linked to the biological warfare program of North Korea.

Notes

References