Enjoying a panoramic view of the hospital, he said with a broad smile on his face that it has already been built wonderfully though he chose its site in January. The external form clearly shows it is an ophthalmic hospital as the facade of its outpatient ward depicts man's eye and an eye-chart is displayed on its inpatient ward's outer wall, he added.

Noting that Munsu area has turned into a more perfect hospital village as it is intensively arranged with such hospitals as the Breast Tumour Institute of the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, the Ryugyong Dental Hospital and the Okryu Children's Hospital as well as the modern Ryugyong General Ophthalmic Hospital, he said he is very pleased to picture the people enjoying the benefits of the socialist healthcare system to the full.

Then he went round outpatient and inpatient wards to learn in detail about the construction of the hospital and specifications of its equipment and facilities.

The Ryugyong General Ophthalmic Hospital is of the highest level in design and construction, he said, adding it is a perfect medical center as it was built in close cooperation of the three parties--the designer, constructor and operator units--to fully meet the demands for architectural beauty, convenience and practicability as intended by the Party.

He noted that the hospital is equipped with all the best and ultra-modern facilities necessary for ophthalmic treatment.

He also went round an eye-glass shop at the hospital.

People will be very glad to visit the shop as its counters are full of spectacles of all kinds for adults and children, including sports glasses, and accessories and optical apparatuses, he said.

He noted that the shop has eye-sight test room, correction room and processing room to ensure the scientific accuracy, kindliness and promptness in eye-glass service.

He advanced tasks for managing and operating the hospital and gave an instruction to a relevant unit to arrange modern technical processes for producing various rims of spectacles liked by people.

Saying the Ryugyong General Ophthalmic Hospital is a perfect hospital of which the DPRK can boast to the world, he noted with pleasure that one of his strong wishes for the people has come true.

He was accompanied by Vice-Chairmen Choe Ryong Hae and Choe Thae Bok, Department Director Kim Yong Su and Vice Department Directors Jo Yong Won and Ri Mun Gon of the WPK Central Committee and Ma Won Chun, director of the Designing Department of the DPRK State Affairs Commission.