Ryongchon town, four years later
On April 22nd, 2004 the small town of Ryongchon (Yongch'ŏn) was partly destroyed by a huge explosion at the railway station. The incident happened nine hours after leader Kim Jong Il passed through the town on his way back from a visit to China, triggering speculations that the explosion had been an assassination attempt. The town was hastily rebuilt with South Korean and international aid but the new buildings already look quite shabby only four years later.