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

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 populatio ...

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 Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

, 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. 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.

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