__NOTOC__
Kim Il-sung Square is a large
city square
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
in the
Central District of
Pyongyang,
North Korea,
and is named after the country's founding leader,
Kim Il-sung. The square was constructed in 1954 according to a master plan for reconstructing the capital after the destruction of the
Korean War.
It was opened in August 1954. The square is located on the foot of the
Namsan Hill,
west bank of the
Taedong River
The Taedong River (Chosŏn'gŭl: ) is a large river in North Korea. The river rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north where it then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o.Suh, Dae-Sook (1987) "North Korea in 1986: Strengthenin ...
, directly opposite the
''Juche'' Tower on the other side of the river. It is the 37th
largest square in the world, having an area of about 75,000 square metres (807,293 square feet) which can accommodate a rally of more than 100,000 people.
[Pyongyang Images]
, New Korea Tours[Kwan, Lee Kyo]
. Digital Chosunilbo. July 22, 2001 The square has a great cultural significance, as it is a common gathering place for rallies, dances and military parades and is often featured in media concerning North Korea.
Overview
The Kim Il-sung Square is at the centre of Pyongyang on the west bank of the Taedong River. It is similar in form and design to the
Tiananmen Square in
Beijing
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Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 2 ...
and is used for the same purposes. Since the completion of the square, multiple parades have been held to commemorate many different events and also to show the world the military capabilities of North Korea. The Kim Il-sung Square is architecturally more refined with its dramatic riverside setting. If an observer stands in the square, the
Tower of the ''Juche'' Idea on the opposite bank appears to be located directly towards the west end of the square, although it is actually across the
Taedong River
The Taedong River (Chosŏn'gŭl: ) is a large river in North Korea. The river rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north where it then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o.Suh, Dae-Sook (1987) "North Korea in 1986: Strengthenin ...
, as with the
Workers' Party Monument and the
Mansudae Grand Monument. This optical effect is created because the square is a few meters lower in the centre when compared to the side near the Taedong River. Surrounding the square are a number of government buildings, with the
Great People's Study House located at the east end of the square.
Portraits of
Karl Marx and
Vladimir Lenin once hung on one of the buildings surrounding the square, but were taken down sometime in 2012.
During
Kim Jong-il's rule, only Kim Il-sung hung on these buildings, although his portrait on the building below the flag of the DPRK was removed.
When
Kim Jong-il died, his portrait was added to the buildings in commemoration. At the south end are two flag poles which were installed in 2013 for use in national events.
The old ceremonial grandstand on the square's south side was renovated in 2020.
Under the square, there is a department store selling products such as toys.
Kim Il-sung Square is the "
kilometre zero" of North Korea from where all national road distances are measured.
File:Pyongyang-May-2005.JPG, Pyongyang as seen from the Juche Tower, facing west across the Taedong River. The large square in the centre is Kim Il-sung Square; the large building behind it is the Grand People's Study House.
File:金正日广场Kim Il Sung Square.jpg, The Kim Il-sung square, with the Grand People's Study House, also known as the National Library of North Korea.
File:Jinrichengsquare.JPG, The Kim Il-sung Square and the Tower of Juche Idea seen from the Grand People's Study House.
File:Pyongyang JucheTower.jpg, The Kim Il-sung square, as viewed from the Study Hall to the Juche Tower.69
File:Fireworks, NYE 2016-7 from Kim Il Sung Square (33012486831).jpg, New Year fireworks at Kim Il-sung Square, January 2017.
File:Parade - North Korea.webm, North Korean female soldiers goose-stepping through Kim Il Sung Square while rehearsing for the Day of the Foundation of the Republic
Day of the Foundation of the Republic () is the Republic Day and National day of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, held on 9 September.
The Day of the Foundation of the Republic is one of the most important holidays of the country, al ...
parade in 2011.
Removal of anti-American propaganda
After the
Singapore Trump-Kim summit in 2018, North Korea removed the anti-American propaganda in Kim Il-Sung Square. Also, North Korea cancelled the annual ‘anti-US’ rally event in 2018. In 2017, the protests that were held in Kim Il-sung Square were supposedly attended by 100,000 people. Furthermore, North Korea issued special anti-US postage stamps in 2017.
References
Further reading
*
External links
360° Interactive panorama of Kim Il-sung Square at nightimages
Asian Historical Architecture: Kim Il-sung Square*Traveller's blog with pictures from North Korea
Kim Il-sung Square, Pyongyang, North Korea (video)
— practising for the Mass games
{{Coord, 39.01953, 125.75247, type:landmark, display=title
Squares in North Korea
Geography of Pyongyang
National squares
Kim Il-sung
1954 establishments in North Korea
Buildings and structures completed in 1954