Pyongyang (, , ) is the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
and largest city of
North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the
Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the
Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,288.
Pyongyang is a
directly administered city () with equal status to
North Korean provinces.
Pyongyang is one of the oldest cities in Korea.
It was the capital of two ancient Korean kingdoms,
Gojoseon and
Goguryeo, and served as the secondary capital of
Goryeo. Much of the city was destroyed during the
First Sino-Japanese War, but it was revived
under Japanese rule and became an industrial center. Following the establishment of North Korea in 1948, Pyongyang became its ''de facto'' capital. The city was again devastated during the
Korean War, but was quickly rebuilt after the war with
Soviet assistance.
Pyongyang is the political, industrial and transport center of North Korea. It is home to North Korea's major
government institutions, as well as the ruling
Workers' Party of Korea which has its headquarters in the
Forbidden City.
Names
The city's other historic names include ''Ryugyong'', ''Kisong'', ''Hwangsong'', ''Rakrang'', ''Sŏgyong'', ''Sodo'', ''Hogyong'', ''Changan'', and ''Heijō'' (during
Japanese rule in Korea). There are several variants. During the early 20th century, Pyongyang came to be known among missionaries as being the "
Jerusalem of the East", due to its historical status as a stronghold of
Christianity, namely
Protestantism, especially during the
Pyongyang revival of 1907.
After
Kim Il-sung's death in 1994, some members of
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...
's faction proposed changing the name of Pyongyang to "Kim Il-sung City" (), but others suggested that North Korea should begin calling Seoul "Kim Il-sung City" instead and grant Pyongyang the moniker "Kim Jong-il City". In the end, neither proposal was implemented.
Prehistory
In 1955, archaeologists excavated evidence of prehistoric dwellings in a large ancient village in the Pyongyang area, called Kŭmtan-ni, dating to the
Jeulmun and
Mumun pottery periods. North Koreans associate Pyongyang with the
mythological
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
city of "
Asadal" (), or ''
Wanggeom-seong'' (), the first second millennium BC capital of
Gojoseon ("Old Joseon") according to Korean historiographies beginning with the 13th-century ''
Samgungnyusa''.
Historians deny this claim because earlier Chinese historiographical works such as the ''
Guanzi'', ''
Classic of Mountains and Seas'', ''
Records of the Grand Historian'', and ''
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...
'', mention a much later "Joseon". The connection between the two therefore may have been asserted by North Korea for the use of propaganda. Nevertheless, Pyongyang became a major city in old Joseon.
History
Pyongyang was founded in 1122 BC on the site of the capital of the legendary king
Dangun.
Wanggeom-seong, which was in the location of Pyongyang, became the capital of
Gojoseon from 194 to 108 BC. It fell in the
Han conquest of Gojoseon in 108 BC.
Emperor Wu of Han
Emperor Wu of Han (156 – 29 March 87BC), formally enshrined as Emperor Wu the Filial (), born Liu Che (劉徹) and courtesy name Tong (通), was the seventh emperor of the Han dynasty of ancient China, ruling from 141 to 87 BC. His reign la ...
ordered four commanderies be set up, with
Lelang Commandery in the center and its capital established as "Joseon" (朝鮮縣, 조선현) at the location of Pyongyang. Several archaeological findings from the later,
Eastern Han (20–220 AD) period in the Pyeongyang area seems to suggest that Han forces later launched brief incursions around these parts.
The area around the city was called Nanglang during the early
Three Kingdoms period. As the capital of Nanglang (), Pyeongyang remained an important commercial and cultural outpost after the Lelang Commandery was destroyed by an expanding
Goguryeo in 313.
Goguryeo moved its capital there in 427. According to
Christopher Beckwith, ''Pyongyang'' is the
Sino-Korean reading of the name they gave it in their language: ''Piarna'', or "level land".
In 668, Pyongyang became the capital of the
Protectorate General to Pacify the East established by the
Tang dynasty of China. However, by 676, it was taken by
Silla, but left on the border between Silla and
Balhae. Pyongyang was left abandoned during the
Later Silla period, until it was recovered by
Wang Geon and decreed as the Western Capital of
Goryeo. During the
Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
period, it became the provincial capital of
Pyeongan Province.
During the
Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98), Pyongyang was captured by the Japanese and held until they were defeated in the
Siege of Pyongyang.
Later in the 17th century, it became temporarily occupied during the
Qing invasion of Joseon until peace arrangements were made between Korea and Qing China. While the invasions made Koreans suspicious of foreigners, the influence of
Christianity began to grow after the country opened itself up to foreigners in the 16th century. Pyongyang became the base of Christian expansion in Korea. By 1880 it had more than 100 churches and more Protestant missionaries than any other Asian city,
and was called "the
Jerusalem of the East".
In 1890, the city had 40,000 inhabitants.
It was the site of the
Battle of Pyongyang during the
First Sino-Japanese War, which led to the destruction and depopulation of much of the city. It was the provincial capital of South Pyeongan Province beginning in 1896. Under
Japanese colonial rule, the city became an industrial center, called Heijō (with the same Chinese characters but read as ) in Japanese.
In July 1931, the city experienced
anti-Chinese riots as a result of the
Wanpaoshan Incident and the sensationalized media reports about it which appeared in Imperial Japanese and Korean newspapers.
By 1938, Pyongyang had a population of 235,000.
After 1945
On 25 August 1945, the
Soviet 25th Army entered Pyongyang and it became the temporary capital of the
Provisional People's Committee for North Korea. A People's Committee was already established there, led by veteran Christian nationalist
Cho Man-sik. Pyongyang became the de facto capital of North Korea upon its establishment in 1948. At the time, the Pyongyang government aimed to recapture Korea's official capital,
Seoul.
Pyongyang was again severely damaged in the
Korean War, during which it was briefly occupied by South Korean forces from 19 October to 6 December 1950. The city saw many refugees evacuate when advancing Chinese forces pushed southward towards Pyongyang. UN forces oversaw the evacuation of refugees as they retreated from Pyongyang in December 1950. In 1952, it was the target of the largest aerial raid of the entire war, involving 1,400 UN aircraft.
Already during the war, plans were made to reconstruct the city. On 27 July 1953 – the day the armistice between North Korea and South Korea was signed – ''The Pyongyang Review'' wrote: "While streets were in flames, an exhibition showing the general plan of restoration of Pyongyang was held at the Moranbong Underground Theater", the air raid shelter of the government under
Moranbong. "On the way of victory... fireworks which streamed high into the night sky of the capital in a gun salute briefly illuminated the construction plan of the city which would rise soon with a new look". After the war, the city was quickly rebuilt with assistance from the
Soviet Union, and many buildings were built in the style of
Stalinist architecture
Stalinist architecture, mostly known in the former Eastern Bloc as Stalinist style () or Socialist Classicism, is the architecture of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, between 1933 (when Boris Iofan's draft for the Palace ...
. The plans for the modern city of Pyongyang were first displayed for public viewing in a theatre building. Kim Jung-hee, one of the founding members of the Korean Architects Alliance, who had studied architecture in
prewar Japan, was appointed by Kim Il Sung to design the city's master plan.
Moscow Architectural Institute, designed the "Pyongyang City Reconstruction and Construction Comprehensive Plan" in 1951, and it was officially adopted in 1953. The transformation into a modern, propaganda-designed city called Stalin style architecture with a Korean-style arrangement (and other modernist architecture that was said to have been greatly influenced by Brazilian architect
Oscar Niemeyer) began. and in the
1972 Constitution it was officially declared as the capital.
In 2001, North Korean authorities began a long-term modernisation programme. The Ministry of Capital City Construction Development was included in the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
in that year. In 2006, Kim Jong-il's brother-in-law
Jang Song-thaek took charge of the ministry.
Throughout the rule of
Kim Jong-un
Kim Jong-un (; , ; born 8 January 1982) is a North Korean politician who has been Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is a son of Kim Jong-il, who was North Korea's sec ...
a number of residential projects were constructed. In 2013 and 2014 residential projects dedicated to scientists were completed in Unha Scientists Street and Wisong Scientists Street while in 2015 residential project in
Mirae Scientists Street. In 2017, in dedication to the
105th birthday of the
founder and first leader,
Kim Il-sung, 3,000 units built in the new
Ryomyong Street complex. The second decade of the 2000s saw the construction of residential projects in Saesalim Street near the
Taedonggang Brewing Company in Sadong District (2021), in Taephyong () as well as the Pothong Riverside Terraced Residential District located at the city center next to the Pothong River on a land previously used by the headquarters of the
International Taekwon-Do Federation which began construction in 2022. and which Kim Jong-un ordered to rename to Kyongru-dong meaning “beautiful bead terrace”. From the 50s to the 70s the area was the location of the residence of Kim Il-sung and was known as “Mansion No. 5” In addition to the residential projects, number of public buildings constructed including the
Mansudae People’s Theater opened in 2012, the
Munsu Water Park which opened in 2013, the renovated and expanded
Sunan International Airport and
Pyongyang Sci-Tech Complex both of which completed in 2015 the Samjiyon Orchestra Theater which was fitted out of the domed Korean People's Army Circus built in 1964, as well as the
Pyongyang General Hospital of which construction started in 2020. Additional re-development projects occurred in the area around the Arch of Triumph where the Pyongyang People’s Hospital no. 1 was demolished as well as apartment blocks in the area of Inhŭng-dong, in
Moranbong-guyok district and in the area of Sinwon-dong in
Potonggang-guyok which were demolished in 2018-2019 for the construction of new apartment buildings. Also in 2018 the Youth Park Open-Air Theatre in Sungri Street, used to host political rallies was rebuilt.
Pyongyang, alongside
Seoul,
launched a bid to host the
2032 Summer Olympics
The 2032 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXV Olympiad and also known as Brisbane 2032, will be an international multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featu ...
, but failed to make the joint city candidate list.
Geography
Pyongyang is in the west-central part of North Korea; the city lies on a flat plain about east of the
Korea Bay
The Korea Bay, sometimes the West Korea Bay (; ; or ), is a bight and the northern extension of the Yellow Sea, between the southeastern coastline of China's Liaoning province and the western coastline of North Korea's North Pyongan, South P ...
, an arm of the
Yellow Sea. The
Taedong River flows southwestward through the city toward the Korea Bay. The Pyongyang plain, where the city is situated, is one of the two large plains on the Western coast of the Korean peninsula, the other being the Chaeryong plain. Both have an area of approximately 500 square kilometers.
Climate
Pyongyang has a hot-summer
humid continental climate (
Köppen: ''Dwa''), featuring warm to hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. Cold, dry winds can blow from
Siberia in winter, making conditions very cold; the low temperature is usually below freezing between November and early March, although the average daytime high is at least a few degrees above freezing in every month except January. The winter is generally much drier than summer, with snow falling for 37 days on average.
The transition from the cold, dry winter to the warm, wet summer occurs rather quickly between April and early May, and there is a similarly abrupt return to winter conditions in late October and November. Summers are generally hot and humid, with the
East Asian monsoon
The East Asian Monsoon is a monsoonal flow that carries moist air from the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean to East Asia. It affects approximately one-third of the global population, influencing the climate of Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, Ch ...
taking place from June until September; these are also the hottest months, with average temperatures of , and daytime highs often above . Although largely transitional seasons, spring and autumn experience more pleasant weather, with average high temperatures ranging from in May and in September, coupled with relatively clear, sunny skies.
Politics
Major government and other public offices are located in Pyongyang, which is constitutionally designated as the country's capital. The seat of the
Workers' Party Central Committee and the Pyongyang People's Committee are located in Haebangsan-dong,
Chung-guyok. The
Cabinet of North Korea
The Cabinet of North Korea (''Naegak'') is, according to the Constitution of North Korea, the administrative and executive body and a general state-management organ in the Government of North Korea. The Cabinet's principal newspaper is ''Minju C ...
is located in Jongro-dong,
Chung-guyok.
Pyongyang is also the seat of all major North Korean security institutions. The largest of them, the
Ministry of People's Security
The Ministry of Social Security is a law enforcement agency in North Korea.
Unlike most ministers in North Korea, which operate under the Cabinet, the Ministry of Social Security is directly supervised by the State Affairs Commission. The cur ...
, has 130,000 employees working in 12 bureaus. These oversee activities including: police services, security of party officials, classified documents, census, civil registrations, large-scale public construction,
traffic control, fire safety,
civil defence,
public health and
customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...
. Another significant structure based in the city is the
State Security Department, whose 30,000 personnel manage intelligence, political prison systems, military industrial security and entry and exit management.
The politics and management of the city is dominated by the
Workers' Party of Korea, as they are in the national level. The city is managed by the Pyongyang Party Committee of the
Workers' Party of Korea and its chairman is the ''de facto''
mayor. The supreme standing state organ is the Pyongyang People's Committee, responsible
for everyday events in support of the city. This includes following local Party guidance as channeled through the Pyongyang Party Committee, the distribution of resources prioritised to Pyongyang, and providing support to KWP and internal security agency personnel and families.
Administrative status and divisions
P'yŏngyang is divided into 20 wards (''ku-'' or ''guyŏk'') ''(the city proper)'', 2 counties (''kun'' or ''gun''), and 1
neighborhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
(''dong'').
*
Chung-guyok (; )
*
Pyongchon-guyok (; )
*
Potonggang-guyok (; )
*
Moranbong-guyok (; )
*
Sŏsŏng-guyŏk
Sŏsŏng-guyŏk, or Sosong District, is one of the 18 guyŏk of Pyongyang, North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Ko ...
(; )
*
Songyo-guyok (; )
*
Tongdaewŏn-guyŏk (; )
*
Taedonggang-guyŏk (; )
*
Sadong-guyŏk (; )
*
Taesong-guyok (; )
*
Mangyongdae-guyok (; )
*
Hyongjesan-guyok (; )
*
Hwasong-guyok (; )
*
Ryongsong-guyok (; )
*
Samsok-guyok (; )
*
Ryokpo-guyok (; )
*
Rakrang-guyok (; )
*
Sunan-guyŏk (; )
*
Unjong-guyok
Ŭnjŏng-guyŏk, or Ŭnjŏng District is one of the 18 guyŏk that constitute Pyongyang, North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of ...
(; )
*
Kangdong County
Kangdong County, is one of Pyongyang's two suburban counties. In 1983 it was separated from South P'yongan Province and assumed direct governance by the Pyongyang City People's Committee. It is bordered by Sŏngch'ŏn-gun (Songchon County), South ...
(; )
*
Kangnam County (; )
*
Banghyun Dong (; )
Foreign media reports in 2010 stated that
Kangnam-gun,
Chunghwa-gun,
Sangwŏn-gun
Sangwŏn County is a county of North Hwanghae, formerly one of the four suburban counties located in east P'yŏngyang, North Korea. Prior to 1952, Sangwŏn was merely a township of Chunghwa County. In 1952 it was separated as a separate county, ...
, and
Sŭngho-guyŏk had been transferred to the administration of neighboring
North Hwanghae province. However, Kangnam-gun was returned to Pyongyang in 2011.
Banghyun Dong, a missile base, was administrated by
Kusong
Kusŏng () is a city in central North Pyongan province, North Korea. It borders Taegwan to the north, Taechon to the east, Kwaksan and Chongju to the south, and Chonma to the west. The highest point is Chongryongsan (청룡산, 920 m). The ye ...
,
North Pyongan Province. It had been transferred to the administration of P'yŏngyang on February 10, 2018.
Cityscape
After being destroyed during the Korean War, Pyongyang was entirely rebuilt according to Kim Il-sung's vision, which was to create a capital that would boost morale in the post-war years. The result was a city with wide, tree-lined boulevards and public buildings with terraced landscaping,
mosaics and decorated ceilings. Its Russian-style architecture makes it reminiscent of a
Siberian city during winter snowfall, although edifices of traditional Korean design somewhat soften this perception. In summer, it is notable for its rivers, willow trees, flowers and parkland.
The streets are laid out in a north–south, east–west grid, giving the city an orderly appearance. North Korean designers applied the Swedish experience of self-sufficient urban neighbourhoods throughout the entire country, and Pyongyang is no exception. Its inhabitants are mostly divided into administrative units of 5,000 to 6,000 people (''dong''). These units all have similar sets of amenities including a food store, a barber shop, a
tailor, a public bathhouse, a
post office, a clinic, a library and others. Many residents occupy high-rise apartment buildings. One of Kim Il-sung's priorities while designing Pyongyang was to limit the population. Authorities maintain a restrictive regime of movement into the city, making it atypical of
East Asia as it is silent, uncrowded and spacious.
Structures in Pyongyang are divided into three major architectural categories: monuments, buildings with traditional Korean motifs and high-rises.
Some of North Korea's most recognisable landmarks are monuments, like the
''Juche'' Tower, the
Arch of Triumph and the
Mansu Hill Grand Monument. The first of them is a
granite spire symbolizing the ''
Juche'' ideology. It was completed in 1982 and contains 25,550 granite blocks, one for each day of Kim Il-sung's life up to that point.
The most prominent building on Pyongyang's skyline is
Ryugyong Hotel,
the
seventh highest building in the world terms of floor count, the tallest unoccupied building in the world, and one of the
tallest hotels in the world. It has yet to open.
Pyongyang has a rapidly evolving skyline, dominated by high-rise apartment buildings. A construction boom began with the Changjon Street Apartment Complex, which was completed in 2012.
Construction of the complex began after late leader
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...
described Changjon Street as "pitiful". Other housing complexes are being upgraded as well, but most are still poorly insulated, and lacking elevators and central heating. An urban renewal program continued under Kim Jong-un's leadership, with the old apartments of the 1970s and '80s replaced by taller high rise buildings and leisure parks like the Kaesong Youth Park, as well as renovations of older buildings.
In 2018, the city was described as unrecognizable compared to five years before.
Landmarks
Notable landmarks in the city include:
* the
Ryugyong Hotel
* the
Kumsusan Palace of the Sun
* the
Arch of Triumph (heavily inspired by, but larger than,
Paris's
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (, , ; ) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' ...
)
* the birthplace of
Kim Il-sung at
Mangyongdae Hill at the city outskirts
*
''Juche'' Tower
* two large stadiums:
**
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium
**
Kim Il-sung Stadium
* the
Mansu Hill complex, including the
Korean Revolution Museum
The Korean Revolution Museum (), located in Pyongyang, North Korea, was founded on August 1, 1948, and holds a large exhibition of items related to Kim Il Sung and the Korean revolutionary movement. It is situated behind the Mansu Hill Grand Monume ...
*
Kim Il-sung Square
*
Yanggakdo International Hotel
Pyongyang TV Tower is a minor landmark. Other visitor attractions include the
Korea Central Zoo. The
Arch of Reunification
The Arch of Reunification, officially the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification, is a sculptural arch located south of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It was opened in August 2001 to commemorate Korean reunificat ...
has a map of a united Korea supported by two concrete Korean women dressed in traditional dress straddling the
Reunification Highway, which stretches from Pyongyang to the
Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
File:Juche Tower (7399212056).jpg, ''Juche'' Tower Monument to the philosophy of '' Juche'' (self-reliance)
File:PyongYang-Arch of Triumph.jpg, Arch of Triumph
File:Monument-to-National-Reunification-2014.jpg, Arch of Reunification
The Arch of Reunification, officially the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification, is a sculptural arch located south of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It was opened in August 2001 to commemorate Korean reunificat ...
, a monument to the goal of a reunified Korea
File:Party-Foundation-Monument.jpg, Monument to Party Founding
File:Kumsusan Memorial Palace, Pyongyang.jpg, Kumsusan Palace of the Sun
File:Tomb of King Tongmyong, Pyongyang, North Korea-1.jpg, Tomb of King Tongmyeong
File:Ryugyong Hotel - August 27, 2011 (Cropped).jpg, Ryugyong Hotel
File:Ryomyong Street.png, Ryomyong New Town
Ryomyong New Town ( ko, 려명거리신도시) refers to a new town located in Pyongyang, North Korea. The exact location is Ryomyong Avenue which refers from Yongsaengtap to Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Taesong-guyok.
Name
The name "Ryomyon ...
File:Mirae Scientists Street - Nordkorea 2015 - Pjöngjang (22971791331).jpg, Mirae Scientists Street
File:Rungnado May Day Stadium, Pyongyang, North Korea (2910089252).jpg, Rungrado May Day Stadium
Culture
Cuisine
Pyongyang served as the provincial capital of
South Pyongan Province until 1946,
and Pyongyang cuisine shares the general culinary tradition of the Pyongan province. The most famous local food is ''
Pyongyang raengmyŏn'', or also called ''mul raengmyŏn'' or just simply ''raengmyŏn''. ''Raengmyŏn'' literally means "cold noodles", while the affix ''mul'' refers to water because the dish is served in a cold broth. ''Raengmyŏn'' consists of thin and chewy buckwheat noodles in a cold meat-broth with ''
dongchimi'' (watery kimchi) and topped with a slice of sweet
Korean pear.
Pyongyang ''raengmyŏn'' was originally eaten in homes built with ''
ondol'' (traditional
underfloor heating) during the cold winter, so it is also called ''"Pyongyang deoldeori"'' (shivering in Pyongyang). Pyongyang locals sometimes enjoyed it as a ''
haejangguk'', which is any type of food eaten as a hangover-cure, usually a warm soup.
[
]
Another representative Pyongyang dish, ''
Taedonggang sungeoguk
''Sungeo-guk'' () is a variety of ''guk'', or Korean soup, made with flathead grey mullet and black pepper. It has a clear broth seasoned with salt, minced garlic, ginger juice and chopped scallions.
During ancient times, the flathead grey mu ...
'', translates as "flathead grey mullet soup from the
Taedong River". The soup features
flathead grey mullet (abundant in the Taedong River) along with black peppercorns and salt. Traditionally, it has been served to guests visiting Pyongyang. Therefore, there is a common saying, "How good was the trout soup?", which is used to greet people returning from Pyongyang. Another local specialty, ''Pyongyang onban'' (literally "warm rice of Pyongyang") comprises freshly cooked rice topped with sliced mushrooms, chicken, and a couple of ''
bindaetteok'' (pancakes made from ground mung beans and vegetables).
Social life
In 2018, there were many high quality restaurants in Pyongyang with Korean and international food, and imported alcoholic beverages.
Famous restaurants include
Okryu-gwan and Ch'ongryugwan.
Some
street foods exist in Pyongyang, where vendors operate
food stalls. Foreign foods like hamburgers, fries, pizza, and coffee are easily found.
There is an active nightlife with late-night restaurants and karaoke.
The city has water parks,
amusement parks, skating rinks, health clubs, a shooting range, and a dolphinarium.
Sports
Pyongyang has a number of sports clubs, including the
April 25 Sports Club and the
Pyongyang City Sports Club.
Economy
Pyongyang is North Korea's industrial center.
Thanks to the abundance of natural resources like
coal,
iron and
limestone, as well as good land and water transport systems, it was the first industrial city to emerge in North Korea after the Korean War. Light and heavy industries are both present and have developed in parallel. Heavy manufactures include
cement, industrial ceramics, munitions and weapons, but mechanical engineering remains the core industry. Light industries in Pyongyang and its vicinity include
textiles
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
, footwear and food, among others. Special emphasis is put on the production and supply of fresh produce and subsidiary crops in farms on the city's outskirts. Other crops include
rice,
sweetcorn
Sweet corn (''Zea mays'' convar. ''saccharata'' var. ''rugosa''), also called sugar corn and pole corn, is a variety of maize grown for human consumption with a high sugar content. Sweet corn is the result of a naturally occurring recessive muta ...
and
soybeans
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...
. Pyongyang aims to achieve self-sufficiency in meat production. High-density facilities raise pigs, chicken and other livestock.
Until the late 2010s Pyongyang still experienced frequent shortages of electricity.
To solve this problem, two power stations – Huichon Power Stations 1 and 2 – were built in
Chagang Province
Chagang Province (Chagangdo; ) is a province in North Korea; it is bordered by China's Jilin and Liaoning provinces to the north, Ryanggang and South Hamgyong to the east, South Pyongan to the south, and North Pyongan to the west. Chagang was ...
and supply the city through direct transmission lines. A second phase of the power expansion project was launched in January 2013, consisting of a series of small dams along the
Chongchon River. The first two power stations have a maximum generating capacity of 300 megawatts (MW), while the 10 dams to be built under second phase are expected to generate about 120 MW.
In addition, the city has several existing or planned
thermal power stations. These include Pyongyang TPS with a capacity of 500 MW, East Pyongyang TPS with a capacity of 50 MW, and Kangdong TPS which is under construction.
Retail
Pyongyang is home to several large department stores including the
Pothonggang Department Store,
Pyongyang Department Store No. 1
The Pyongyang Department Store No. 1 ( ko, 평양제1백화점) is a major retail store in Pyongyang, North Korea. On Sungri Street near Kim Il-sung Square in downtown Pyongyang, it is one of the largest retail stores in the country and is often ...
, Pyongyang Department Store No. 2, Kwangbok Department Store, Ragwon Department Store, Pyongyang Station Department Store, and the Pyongyang Children's Department Store.
The city also has Hwanggumbol Shop, a chain of state-owned convenience stores supplying goods at prices cheaper than those in the
jangmadang markets. Hwanggumbol Shops are specifically designed to control North Korea's expanding markets by attracting consumers and guaranteeing the circulation of money in government-operated stores.
Transportation
Pyongyang is also the main transport hub of the country: it has a network of roads, railways and air routes which link it to both foreign and domestic destinations. It is the starting point of inter-regional highways reaching Nampo, Wonsan and Kaesong.
Pyongyang railway station serves the main railway lines, including the
Pyongui Line
The P'yŏngŭi Line is an electrified main trunk line of the Korean State Railway of North Korea, running from P'yŏngyang to Sinŭiju on the border with China.Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), It is the main cor ...
and the
Pyongbu Line
The P'yŏngbu Line is an electrified standard-gauge trunk line of the Korean State Railway running from P'yŏngyang to Kaesŏng in North Korea and further south across the DMZ to Seoul in South Korea; the name comes from the two (theoretical) te ...
. Regular international rail services to
Beijing, the Chinese border city of
Dandong
Dandong (), formerly known as Andong, is a coastal prefecture-level city in southeastern Liaoning province, in the northeastern region of People's Republic of China.
It is the largest Chinese border city, facing Sinuiju, North Korea across the ...
and
Moscow are also available.
A rail journey to Beijing takes about 25 hours and 25 minutes (K27 from Beijing/K28 from Pyongyang, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays); a journey to Dandong takes about 6 hours (daily); a journey to Moscow takes six days. The city also connects to the
Eurasian Land Bridge via the
Trans-Siberian Railway. A
high-speed rail
High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...
link to Wonsan is planned.
The
Metro,
tram and
trolleybus systems are used mainly by commuters as a primary means of urban transportation.
Cycle lanes were introduced on main thoroughfares in July 2015. There are relatively few
car
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as ...
s in the city. Cars are a symbol of status in the country due to their scarcity as a result of restrictions on import because of international sanctions and domestic regulations. Some roads are also reported to be in poor condition. However, by 2018, Pyongyang had begun to experience traffic jams.
State-owned
Air Koryo has scheduled international flights from
Pyongyang Sunan International Airport to Beijing (
PEK),
Shenyang
Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a major China, Chinese sub-provincial city and the List of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Lia ...
(
SHE),
Vladivostok (
VVO),
Shanghai (
PVG) and
Dandong
Dandong (), formerly known as Andong, is a coastal prefecture-level city in southeastern Liaoning province, in the northeastern region of People's Republic of China.
It is the largest Chinese border city, facing Sinuiju, North Korea across the ...
. The only domestic destinations are
Hamhung
Hamhŭng (''Hamhŭng-si''; ) is North Korea's second-largest List of cities in North Korea, city, and the capital of South Hamgyong, South Hamgyŏng Province. It has an estimated population of 768,551. Located in the southern part of the South Ham ...
,
Wonsan,
Chongjin,
Hyesan and
Samjiyon. Since 31 March 2008,
Air China
Air China Limited () is the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China and one of the "Big Three" mainland Chinese airlines (alongside China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines). Air China's headquarters are in Shunyi District, ...
launched a regular service between Beijing and Pyongyang, although Air China's flights are often canceled due to lack of passengers.
Education and science
Kim Il-sung University, North Korea's oldest university, was established in 1946.
It has 21 faculties, 4 research institutes, and 10 other university units. These include the primary medical education and health personnel training unit, the medical college; a physics faculty which covers a range of studies including
theoretical physics, optical science,
geophysics and
astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...
; an atomic energy institute and the largest law firm in the country (Ryongnamsan Law Office). Kim Il-sung University also has its own publishing house, sports club (
Ryongnamsan Sports Club), revolutionary museum, nature museum, libraries, a gym, indoor swimming pool and educator apartment houses. Its four main buildings were completed in 1965 (Building 1), 1972 (Building 2), and 2017 (Buildings 3 and 4).
Other higher education establishments include
Kim Chaek University of Technology,
Pyongyang University of Music and Dance and
Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies
The Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies is a five-year university in Pyongyang, North Korea, specializing in language education.
History
The university was split off from Kim Il-sung University in 1964. North Korea's state-run Korean Cent ...
.
Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) is the country's first private university where most of the lecturers are American and courses are carried out in English. A science and technology hall is under construction on Ssuk Islet. Its stated purpose is to contribute to the "informatization of educational resources" by centralizing teaching materials, compulsory literature and experimental data for state-level use in a digital format.
Sosong-guyok hosts a 20
MeV cyclotron called MGC-20. The initial project was approved by the
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...
(IAEA) in 1983 and funded by the IAEA, the United States and the North Korean government. The cyclotron was ordered from the
Soviet Union in 1985 and constructed between 1987 and 1990. It is used for student training, production of medical isotopes for
nuclear medicine as well as studies in biology, chemistry and physics.
Health care
Medical centers include the Red Cross Hospital, the First People's Hospital which is located near Moran Hill and was the first hospital to be built in North Korea after the
liberation of Korea
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...
in 1945, the Second People's Hospital, Ponghwa Recuperative Center (also known as
Bonghwa Clinic or Presidential Clinic) located in Sokam-dong,
Potonggang-guyok, northwest of
Kim Il-sung Square, Pyongyang Medical School Hospital, Namsan Treatment Center which is adjacent
Pyongyang's Maternity Hospital, Taesongsan General Hospital, Kim Man-yoo Hospital, Staff Treatment Center and Okryu Children's Hospital. A new hospital named
Pyongyang General Hospital began construction in Pyongyang in 2020.
Twin towns – sister cities
Pyongyang is
twinned
Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to:
* In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so;
* Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning
* Twinning inst ...
with:
*
Baghdad, Iraq
*
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...
, Thailand
*
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
*
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
, Indonesia
*
Kathmandu, Nepal
*
Moscow, Russia
*
Tianjin, China
*
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
See also
*
List of cities in North Korea
The important cities of North Korea have self-governing status equivalent to that of provinces. Pyongyang, the largest city and capital, is classified as a chikhalsi (Special cities of North Korea, capital city), while three cities (see the list ...
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
* .
*
Further reading
*Dormels, Rainer. ''North Korea's Cities: Industrial Facilities, Internal Structures and Typification''. Seoul, Jimoondang, 2014. .
*
*
*
Kracht, Christian, Eva Munz & Lukas Nikol. ''
The Ministry of Truth: Kim Jong Il's North Korea''. Feral House, October 2007. .
*Meuser, Philipp, editor. ''Architectural and Cultural Guide Pyongyang''. Berlin, DOM, 2012. .
*Springer, Chris. ''Pyongyang: The Hidden History of the North Korean Capital.'' Saranda Books, 2003. .
*
*Willoughby, Robert. ''North Korea: The Bradt Travel Guide.'' Globe Pequot, 2003. .
External links
Interactive virtual tourAerial view of Pyongyang city
Panoramic view of Pyongyang city
*
North Korea Uncovered(
North Korea Google Earth), a comprehensive mapping of North Korea, including all of the locations mentioned above, on
Google Earth
Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...
Holidays in PyongyangCity profile of Pyongyang
*
Pyongyang at night
*
*
{{Authority control
Capitals in Asia
Directly Governed Cities and Special Administrative Regions of North Korea
Socialist planned cities
12th-century BC establishments