North Korea is expanding dining-out infrastructure in Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, a city with extensive exchanges with China and Russia. Analysts say it is part of a regional development policy and also a move aimed at Chinese and Russian tourists.
Korean Central News Agency reported on the 25th that a grand opening ceremony for Chongjingwan, a large restaurant in Chongjin, North Hamgyong Province, was held on the 24th. According to the agency, Chongjingwan is a restaurant that sells meat-platter noodles and naengmyeon and has a large banquet hall. It consists of several two-story buildings in the style of a traditional Korean house and appears capable of accommodating hundreds of people at once.
North Korea recently opened Duman River Beer House, an extra-large pub, in Rason Special City, a land gateway to Russia.
Chongjin hosts the Chinese Consulate General and the Russian Consulate General. Chongjin and Rason are close to Hunchun in China's Jilin province and Khasan in Russia, so foreign traffic is relatively frequent.