Russia announced on Wednesday that a groundbreaking ceremony for a joint Russian-North Korean friendship hospital took place in Wonsan, North Korea.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko stated at the event that the hospital’s construction is a direct implementation of the agreement reached between President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un during their recent summit.
Murashko emphasized that the hospital project is part of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, aimed at improving the well-being of citizens in both countries. He noted that North Korean doctors have been studying Russian medical expertise for years in fields such as obstetrics, organ transplantation, cardiovascular surgery, and oncology.
Russian Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov, also present at the ceremony, highlighted Wonsan’s importance as a North Korean tourist destination, stressing that high-quality hospitality services must include professional medical support.
Analysts suggest that the hospital’s location within the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, which opened last July, indicates its potential role in providing medical infrastructure for international visitors, including Russian tourists.
Kozlov had previously mentioned at a North Korea-Russia intergovernmental committee meeting in November that Russia was supporting the Wonsan General Hospital’s construction and preparing to supply equipment to hospitals in Pyongyang.
North Korea’s state-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on Thursday that the North Korea-Russia friendship hospital will be built on the picturesque shores of the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area. The paper noted that the groundbreaking ceremony took place on Wednesday in Wonsan, amid significant interest and anticipation from both governments and their citizens.
The North Korean delegation at the ceremony included First Deputy Prime Minister Kim Tok-hun, Health Minister Kim Du-won, and other high-ranking officials from various government departments.
Health Minister Kim Du Won remarked that the friendship between North Korea and Russia has evolved into an unbreakable strategic alliance under the leaders’ guidance. The joint projects are actively promoting national revitalization and improving the peoples’ welfare, bringing joy to all.
He added that the friendship hospital would stand as a symbol of unity and cooperation, serving as an advanced medical facility with state-of-the-art treatment environments and healthcare systems, further strengthening the bonds between the two nations.
Following the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in June 2024, both countries have intensified their medical cooperation. They signed a bilateral health agreement in 2024, and in November 2025, Minister Murashko visited Pyongyang to formalize collaboration in pharmaceutical production, disease control, maternal and child health, and non-communicable diseases. Russia is also providing medical equipment to North Korean hospitals and offering training programs for North Korean healthcare professionals in Russia.
