The Youth Hero Motorway (), also known as the Pyongyang–Nampo Motorway, is a expressway in

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 Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

that connects the cities of

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital 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 populat ...

, the capital of the country, and Nampo, a city on the coast of Korea Bay in

South Pyongan Province South Pyongan Province (Phyŏngannamdo; ) is a province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Pyongan Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, then became a province of North Korea. Its c ...

. Construction began in November 1998, and the expressway opened in October 2000. It is classified as a level 1 roadway. The motorway is one of many

Stakhanovite The term Stakhanovite () originated in the Soviet Union and referred to Workforce, workers who modeled themselves after Alexey Stakhanov. These workers took pride in their ability to produce more than was required, by working harder and more effic ...

"speed battle" projects commissioned by the Workers' Party and carried out rapidly by youth brigades under difficult working conditions. The project involved carrying 14 million cubic metres of earth and included over 80 irrigation structures, 50 bridges, and over 3 million cubic metres of asphalt. Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il inspected the motorway and complimented the youth brigades on November 13 following its opening. In the event of an armed conflict, the highway serves a defense purpose, allowing tank divisions of the

Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) is the military force of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Under the '' Songun'' policy, it is the central institution of North Korean society. Currently, WPK General S ...

to block access to Pyongyang.

References

{{North Korean motorways Roads in North Korea