By Kim Hyun-bin
Paekhwawon Guest House is where President Moon Jae-in is staying in Pyongyang. The building is famous for accommodating distinguished high-ranking foreign officials.
Moon has become the third Korean president to stay there following Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and Roh Moo-hyun in 2007.
Paekhwawon is located in the heart of Pyongyang and is known to be the most prestigious guest house in the North.
With “paekhwa” meaning 100 flowers, the house is decorated with 100 different kinds of flowers, and there is an artificial waterfall and a garden within the compound.
The famous Taedong River runs in front of the compound and a forest surrounds the building from the back.
Since it was constructed in 1983, the guest house has accommodated well-known international guests including U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Jiang Zemin and former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Fourteen officials of the presidential entourage, including chief presidential security adviser Chung Eui-yong, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon and Defense Minister Song Young-moo, will also stay at the guest house.
Paekwhawon is not only used to housing high-ranking officials but has also been used for summit talks. The previous two inter-Korean bilateral talks were held there when Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun met with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
The house went through renovations earlier this year. In March when Moon's special envoys visited Pyongyang ahead of the first bilateral talks, they did not stay at Paekwhawon and Kim Jong-un said at the time that the house was under renovation.