Nearly five years after construction began, a network of new high-rise apartments adjacent to Pyongyang’s iconic Kim Il Sung square remains unfinished, suggesting that hurdles will only continue in 2021.

Extended construction delays in this area are notable because of the square’s political importance: Kim Jong Un observed military parades here in April 2017, Feb. 2018, Sept. 2018 and Oct. 2020.

Street-level photos obtained by NK Pro show that, as of Sept. 2020, windows were still not fitted on some of the buildings, leaving concrete walls exposed