Published Apr 13, 2024
Pyongyang, the capital and largest city of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, holds a unique and enigmatic allure. Positioned along the banks of the Taedong River, approximately 109 kilometers upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea, Pyongyang stands as a testament to resilience, history, and the meticulous planning of its leadership.
With a population of over three million residents, Pyongyang is not only a bustling metropolis but also a city deeply intertwined with the narrative of Korean history. As one of the oldest cities in Korea, it has served as the capital of ancient kingdoms such as Gojoseon and Goguryeo. Even in modern times, Pyongyang has maintained its significance, becoming the de facto capital of North Korea following the country's establishment in 1948.
Modern highrise buildings in Pyongyang - Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Despite enduring devastation during the Korean War, Pyongyang swiftly rose from the ashes with the assistance of Soviet aid. The city's reconstruction wasn't merely about rebuilding infrastructure; it was about embodying a vision. Inspired by Kim Il Sung's ambition to create a capital that would uplift spirits in the aftermath of war, Pyongyang was meticulously redesigned. Wide boulevards lined with trees, meticulously landscaped public spaces, and grandiose buildings adorned with mosaics and elaborate ceilings became the hallmark of the city.
Pyongyang's architectural landscape is a blend of Russian influence and traditional Korean design, creating a cityscape that is both imposing and familiar. Its streets are meticulously laid out in a grid pattern, evoking a sense of order and efficiency. Neighbourhoods are carefully planned to accommodate residents' needs, with amenities such as food stores, clinics, and libraries within easy reach.
The city's skyline is a testament to its ongoing evolution. Dominated by high-rise apartment buildings, Pyongyang's urban landscape is constantly changing. The construction boom that began with projects like the Changjon Street Apartment Complex has continued under successive leaderships. Urban renewal programs initiated by Kim Jong Il and continued by Kim Jong Un have seen older buildings replaced with taller structures and the creation of leisure parks like the Kaesong Youth Park.
At the heart of Pyongyang's skyline stands the iconic Ryugyong Hotel, a towering structure that has yet to open its doors to guests. Despite its unfinished status, the hotel remains one of the most recognizable landmarks in North Korea, a symbol of the country's ambition and determination.
But what exactly is a skyline? In urban planning and architecture, the skyline refers to the silhouette created by a city's buildings against the sky. It's a visual representation of a city's identity, reflecting its history, culture, and aspirations. A skyline can evoke a sense of awe, pride, or even nostalgia, depending on the viewer's perspective. In the case of Pyongyang, its skyline is a testament to the country's resilience and determination to carve out a distinct identity on the global stage.
When considering the skyline of Pyongyang, one encounters a diverse array of architectural elements that define its urban landscape, let's see a list of the major elements.
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Korean Central History Museum
The Korean Central History Museum, situated in Pyongyang, North Korea, stands as a repository of Korean history, spanning from primitive society to the modern era. Originally established by Kim Il Sung on December 1, 1945, atop Moran Hill, the museum faced adversity during the Korean War, with many collections hidden and its original building destroyed by US troops. However, resilience prevailed, and the museum was rebuilt on Kim Il-sung Square in either 1960 or 1977. In 1998, it was honored with a series of commemorative postage stamps. In a 2014 speech, Kim Jong Un expressed his vision of elevating the museum to a global standard for history museums. Today, the Korean Central History Museum boasts 10,500 square meters of exhibition space across 19 rooms, housing approximately 100,000 relics and artifacts. Despite its historical significance, photography inside the museum is prohibited. Among its notable collections are one-million-year-old bones excavated from Komun Moru in 1966 and a replica of the world's first rocket battery. Open to foreigners and tourists, the museum stands as a testament to North Korea's rich cultural heritage and historical narrative.
Koryo Hotel
The Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, derives its name from the early kingdom that is the etymological source of 'Korea.' The hotel, located near Pyongyang Station in central Pyongyang, replaced an earlier establishment. Erected in 1985 under Kim Il Sung, it was intended to showcase the glory and strength of the DPRK. Notably, it once served as the site where Cho Man-sik, leader of North Korea's Democratic Party, was under house arrest. The hotel features a grand entrance with a 9-meter wide jade dragon's mouth, leading to a lobby adorned with a mosaic of North Korean cultural symbols made from precious metals and gemstones. With 500 rooms equipped with amenities such as a mini-bar and TV, the hotel offers various facilities, including a hard currency gift shop, gym, swimming pool, revolving restaurant, circular bar, cinemas, coffee shop, billiards room, and a casino in the basement. While some amenities are operated by Japanese expatriates as private businesses, they must pay fees to the state. The hotel is known for power outages, and certain floors seem unused. Guests have reported limitations on Internet use. Despite some reports of restricted movement, others claim the ability to wander off the hotel grounds. The Koryo Hotel is located a few blocks from the city's restaurant district and the Pyongyang Railroad Station.
Pyongyang TV Tower - 평양텔레비죤탑
Pyongyang TV Tower (평양텔레비죤탑) is a free-standing concrete TV tower with an observation deck and a panorama restaurant at a height of 150 metres (490 ft) in Pyongyang, North Korea. The tower stands in Kaeson Park in Moranbong-guyok, north of Kim Il-sung Stadium. The tower broadcasts signals for Korean Central Television. It was built in 1967 to enhance the broadcasting area, which was very poor at the time, and to start colour TV broadcasts. An observation deck is located 94 metres (308 ft) above the ground, and the tower is topped by a 50-metre (160 ft) antenna.
Mirae Scientists Street - 미래과학자거리
Mirae Scientists Street (Future Scientists Street) is a street in a newly developed area in Pyongyang to house scientific institutions of the Kim Chaek University of Technology and their employees. The six-lane street, located between Pyongyang Railway station and the Taedong river, is lined by high rise apartments. The area was formally opened on November 3, 2015. The tallest building is the 53-story blue Mirae Unha Tower. The street is designed to emphasize Kim Jong-un's focus on science and technology, built around the regime's nuclear weapons development. Mirae Scientists Street was reportedly the first location where the Mirae public WiFi network was installed.
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium
The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium occupying an area of 20.7 hectares (51 acres) on Rungra Island, Pyongyang, North Korea. It opened on 1 May 1989, with its first major event being the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students. It is the second largest stadium in the world by seating capacity (after India's Narendra Modi Stadium), considering the re-estimated number of seats in 2014, and the second largest stadium in the world considering its official seating capacity. The stadium was originally built with an official capacity of 150,000. After a 2014 remodel which included the replacement of some bench seating with individual seats, observers estimated a new capacity of approximately 114,000.
Ryugyong Hotel - 류경호텔
The Ryugyong Hotel (Korean: 류경호텔; sometimes spelled as Ryu-Gyong Hotel), or Yu-Kyung Hotel, more commonly known outside of North Korea as the 'Hotel of Doom', is an unfinished 105-story, 330-metre-tall (1,080 ft) pyramid-shaped skyscraper in Pyongyang, North Korea. Its name ('capital of willows') is also one of the historical names for Pyongyang. The building is also known as the 105 Building, a reference to its number of floors. The building has been planned as a mixed-use development, which would include a hotel. If construction were to be completed as of 2022, it would replace the Burj Al Arab as the 4th tallest hotel in the world. Construction began in 1987 but was halted in 1992 as North Korea entered a period of economic crisis after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. After 1992, the building stood topped out, but without any windows or interior fittings. In 2008, construction resumed, and the exterior was completed in 2011. The hotel was planned to open in 2012, the centenary of founding leader Kim Il-sung's birth. A partial opening was announced for 2013, but this was cancelled. In 2018, an LED display was fitted to one side, which is used to show propaganda animations and film scenes. The building consists of three wings, each measuring 100 metres (330 ft) long, 18 metres (59 ft) wide, lightly stepped once but otherwise sloping at 75‑degrees to the floor, which converge at a common point to form a pinnacle. The building is topped by a truncated cone 40 metres (130 ft) wide, consisting of eight floors that are intended to rotate, topped by a further six static floors. The structure was originally intended to house five revolving restaurants, and either 3,000 or 7,665 guest rooms, according to different sources. According to Orascom's Khaled Bichara in 2009, the Ryugyong will not be just a hotel, but rather a mixed-use development, including "revolving restaurant" facilities along with a 'mixture of hotel accommodation, apartments and business facilities'.
Mansu Hill Grand Monument - 만수대대기념비
The Mansu Hill Grand Monument (만수대대기념비) is a complex of monuments in Pyongyang, North Korea. There are 229 figures in all, commemorating the history of the revolutionary struggle of the Korean people, and especially their leaders. The central part of the monument consists of two 20-meter-tall (66 ft) bronze statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. The monument was originally dedicated in April 1972 in honor of Kim Il Sung's 60th birthday. At the time, the monument featured only Kim Il-sung. The statue was originally covered in gold leaf, but was later altered to bronze. Following Kim Jong-il's death in 2011, a similar statue of him was erected on the north side of Kim Il-sung. At the same time, Kim Il-sung's statue was altered to portray him at a later age and smiling. Kim Il-sung's original Mao suit was also replaced as Western-style suit. The statue of Kim Jong-il initially featured a long coat but it was promptly changed to his signature parka. South Korean sources have estimated the cost of the additional statue at $10 million, with North Korean workers working overseas being ordered to donate $150 each towards the monument.
Kim Il-sung Square - 김일성광장
Kim Il-sung Square is a large city square 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, 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. 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. 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. 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.
Juche Tower
The Juche Tower (more formally, the Tower of the Juche Idea), completed in 1982, is a monument in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, and is named after the ideology of Juche introduced by the country's first leader, Kim Il-sung. The Juche Tower is situated on the east bank of the River Taedong, directly opposite Kim Il-sung Square on the west bank. It was built to commemorate Kim Il-sung's 70th birthday. Although his son and successor Kim Jong-il is officially credited as its designer, interviews with North Korean former officials contradict this assertion. The architectural style of the Tower is inspired by stone pagodas of premodern Korea. The 170-metre (560 ft) structure is a four-sided tapering 150-metre (490 ft) spire – the tallest in granite – containing 25,550 blocks (365 × 70: one for each day of Kim Il-sung's life, excluding supplementary days for leap years), dressed in white stone with seventy dividers and capped with a 20-metre (66 ft)-high 45-ton illuminated metal torch. The torch on top of the tower is always lit. It is possible to ascend the tower by elevator and there are wide views over Pyongyang from the viewing platform just below the torch. At its base, there are reception rooms where videos explaining the tower's ideological importance are sometimes shown. The Juche Tower is the second tallest monumental column in the world after the San Jacinto Monument in Texas, United States, which is 2.9 metres (9.5 ft) taller. Associated with the tower is a 30-metre (98 ft)-high statue consisting of three idealised figures each holding a tool – a hammer (the worker); a sickle (the peasant); and a writing brush (the 'working intellectual') – in a classic Stalinistic-style reminiscent of the Soviet statue Worker and Kolkhoz Woman. The three tools form the emblem of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. There are also six smaller groups of figures, each 10 metres (33 ft) high, that symbolize other aspects of Juche ideology. A wall carrying 82 friendship plaques from foreign supporters and Juche study groups forms part of the Tower.
Kumsusan Palace of the Sun - 금수산태양궁전
The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun (금수산태양궁전), formerly the Kumsusan Memorial Palace (금수산기념궁전), is a building near the northeast corner of the city of Pyongyang that serves as the mausoleum for Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, and for his son Kim Jong-il, both posthumously designated as Eternal leaders of North Korea (Eternal President and Eternal General Secretary, respectively). The palace was built in 1976 as the Kumsusan Assembly Hall (금수산의사당) and served as Kim Il-sung's official residence. Following the elder Kim's death in 1994, Kim Jong-il had the building renovated and transformed into his father's mausoleum. It is believed that the conversion cost at least $100 million. Some sources put the figure as high as $900 million. Inside the palace, Kim Il-sung's embalmed body lies inside a clear glass sarcophagus. His head rests on a traditional Korean buckwheat pillow and his body is covered by the flag of the Workers' Party of Korea. Kim Jong-il is now on display in a room close to his father's remains and positioned in a very similar way. At 115,000 square feet (10,700 m2), Kumsusan is the largest mausoleum dedicated to a Communist leader and the only one to house the remains of multiple people. Some halls inside the building are up to 1 kilometre (3,300 ft) long. It is fronted by a large square, approximately 500 metres (1,600 ft) in length. It is bordered on its northern and eastern sides by a moat.
Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang - 개선문
The Arch of Triumph (Korean: 개선문) is a triumphal arch in Pyongyang, North Korea. It was built to commemorate the Korean resistance to Japan from 1925 to 1945. It is the second tallest triumphal arch in the world, after Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico, standing 60 m (197 ft) high and 50 m (164 ft) wide. Built in 1982 on the Triumph Return Square at the foot of Moran Hill (모란봉) in the North Korean capital city of Pyongyang, the monument was built to honour and glorify President Kim Il-sung's role in the military resistance for Korean independence. Inaugurated on the occasion of his 70th birthday, each of its 25,500 blocks of finely-dressed white granite represents a day of his life up to that point. The structure is modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but is 10 metres (33 ft) taller. The arch has dozens of rooms, balustrades, observation platforms and elevators. It also has four vaulted gateways, each 27 m (89 ft) high, decorated with azalea carved in their girth. Inscribed in the arch is the revolutionary hymn 'Song of General Kim Il-sung', and the year 1925, when North Korean history states that Kim set out on the journey for national liberation of the country from Japanese rule. Also depicted on the arch is the year 1945, when Korea was liberated. The arch is illuminated at night and has its own single cylinder diesel generator in case of main power failure.
Map of the Pyongyang Skyline
Embark on a virtual journey through the dynamic cityscape of Pyongyang with our interactive map. This innovative tool offers a comprehensive exploration of the capital's skyline, providing users with a unique opportunity to navigate through its towering skyscrapers, iconic monuments, and sprawling urban landscape from the comfort of their own screen.