Pyongyang

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P'yŏngyang 평양
P'yŏngyang Directly Governed City
transcription(s)
- Hangul	평양직할시
- Hanja	平壤直轄市
- McCune-Reischauer	P'yŏngyang-chikhalsi
- Revised Romanization	Pyeongyang-jikhalsi
From top left: P'yŏngyang's Skyline, Juche Tower, Kumsusan Memorial Palace, Arch of Triumph, Arch of Reunification, Tomb of King Dongmyeong, & Sunan International Airport
Nickname(s): Ryugyŏng (류경/柳京)  (Korean) " City of Willows "
Map of North Korea with P'yŏngyang highlighted
Country	North Korea
Region	P'yŏngan
Founded	1122 B.C.
Districts	19 districts (guyŏk), 4 counties (kun) Chung-guyok Pyongchon-guyok Potonggang-guyok Moranbong-guyok Sosong-guyok Songyo-guyok Tongdaewon-guyok Taedonggang-guyok Sadong-guyok Taesong-guyok Mangyongdae-guyok Hyongjesan-guyok Ryongsong-guyok Samsok-guyok Sungho-guyok Ryokpo-guyok Nakrang-guyok Sunan-guyok Unjong-guyok Kangnam-gun Chunghwa-gun Sangwon-gun Kangdong-gun
Area
- Total	3,194 km2 (1,233.2 sq mi)
Elevation	27 m (89 ft)
Population (2008)
- Total	3,255,388
- Dialect	P'yŏngan

Pyongyang (Korean pronunciation: [pʰjɔŋjaŋ]) is the capital of North Korea, located on the Taedong River. According to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,388.^[1]

The city was split from the South P'yŏngan province in 1946. It is administered as a directly-governed city (chikhalsi), on the same level as provincial governments, not a special city (teukbyeolsi) as Seoul is in South Korea. Some sources, mostly older and South Korean, refer to P'yŏngyang as a special city.

History

A large ancient village in the P'yŏngyang area called Kǔmtan-ni was excavated in 1955 by archaeologists who found prehistoric occupation from the Chǔlmun and Mumun pottery periods.^[2]

North Koreans associate Pyongyang with "Asadal (아사달; 신시)," or Wanggŏmsŏng (왕검성; 王儉城), the first capital of Gojoseon according to Korean history books, notably Samguk Yusa. Many South Korean historians dispute this association because other Korean history books place Asadal around the Liao He located in western Manchuria. Nonetheless, Pyongyang became a major city under Gojoseon.

No relic from the era of Former Han has been found around Pyongyang. It is likely that the area of Pyongyang ceded from disintegrating Gojoseon and belonged to another Korean kingdom by the time of fall of Wimanjoseon, the longest lasting part of Gojoseon, by Han dynasty of China in 108 BC. Relics from Later Han (25 AD to 220 AD) periods from the Pyongyang area seems to suggest China subsequently made successful military advances into the Korean peninsula including the area of Pyongyang. The area around Pyongyang was called Lelang-guk during the Later Han periods. As the capital of Lelang-guk (낙랑국; 낙랑),^[3] Pyongyang remained an important commercial and cultural outpost until Lelang-guk was destroyed by the expanding Goguryeo in 313.

Goguryeo moved its capital here in 427; according to Christopher Beckwith, Pyongyang is the Sino-Korean reading of the name they gave it in their language, *Piarna 'level land.'^[4] Tang Dynasty China and Silla allied and defeated Goguryeo in 668. In 676, it was taken by Silla but left in the border between Silla and Balhae until the Goryeo dynasty, when the city was revived as Sŏgyŏng (서경; 西京; "Western Capital") although never actually a capital of Goryeo. It was the provincial capital of the P'yŏngan Province during the Joseon dynasty, becoming provincial capital of South P'yŏngan Province from 1896 and through the period of Japanese rule.

In 1945, Japanese rule ended and it was occupied by Soviet forces, and became the temporary capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at its establishment in 1948 while it aimed to recapture its official capital at that time of Seoul. It was severely damaged in the Korean War, during which it was briefly occupied by South Korean forces—the only time in history that a communist capital fell to enemy forces. After the war, the city was quickly rebuilt with Soviet help, with many buildings built in Socialist Classicism.

Satellite view of P'yŏngyang.

Historic names

One of its many historic names is Ryugyŏng (류경; 柳京), or "capital of willows", as willow trees have always been numerous throughout the city's history, and many poems have been written about these willows. Even today, Pyongyang has numerous willow trees planted everywhere, and many buildings and places have "Ryugyŏng" in their names, the most notable of all being its uncompleted Ryugyŏng Hotel. Its other historic names include Kisŏng, Hwangsŏng, Rakrang, Sŏgyŏng, Sŏdo, Hogyŏng, Changan, etc. During the Japanese rule, and in the Japanese language, it was also known as Heijō, which is simply the Japanese reading of the Chinese characters 平壌 the name Pyongyang consists of.

Pyongyang seen from Spot Satellite

Administrative divisions

P'yŏngyang is divided into 19 wards (ku- or guyŏk) (the city proper) and 4 counties (kun or gun).^[5]

• Chung-guyŏk (중구역; 中區域)
• P'yŏngch'ŏn-guyŏk (평천구역; 平川區域)
• Pot'onggang-guyŏk (보통강구역; 普通江區域)
• Moranbong-guyŏk (모란봉구역; 牡丹峰區域)
• Sŏsŏng-guyŏk (서성구역; 西城區域)
• Sŏn'gyo-guyŏk (선교구역; 船橋區域)
• Tongdaewŏn-guyŏk (동대원구역; 東大院區域)
• Taedonggang-guyŏk (대동강구역; 大同江區域)
• Sadong-guyŏk (사동구역; 寺洞區域)
• Taesŏng-guyŏk (대성구역; 大城區域)
• Man'gyŏngdae-guyŏk (만경대구역; 萬景台區域)
• Hyŏngjesan-guyŏk (형제산구역; 兄弟山區域)
• Ryongsŏng-guyŏk (룡성구역; 龍城區域)
• Samsŏk-guyŏk (삼석구역; 三石區域)
• Sŭngho-guyŏk (승호구역; 勝湖區域)
• Ryŏkp'o-guyŏk (력포구역; 力浦區域)
• Rakrang-guyŏk (락랑구역; 樂浪區域)
• Sunan-guyŏk (순안구역; 順安區域)
• Ŭnjŏng-guyŏk (은정구역; 恩情區域)
• Kangnam-gun (강남군; 江南郡)
• Chunghwa-gun (중화군; 中和郡)
• Sangwŏn-gun (상원군; 祥原郡)
• Kangdong-gun (강동군; 江東郡)

Landmarks

The capital has been completely redesigned since the Korean War (1950–1953). It is designed with wide avenues, imposing monuments, and monolithic buildings. The tallest structure in the city is the uncompleted 330-metre (1,083 ft) Ryugyŏng Hotel. This hotel has 105 floors, encloses 361,000 square metres (3,885,772 sq ft) of floor space, and was planned to be topped by seven revolving restaurants.

Some notable landmarks in the city include the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, the Arch of Triumph (heavily inspired by Paris's Arc de Triomphe but of a larger size), the reputed birthplace of Kim Il-sung at Mangyongdae Hill, Juche Tower, and two of the world's largest stadiums (Kim Il Sung Stadium and Rungrado May Day Stadium). Pyongyang TV Tower is a minor landmark. Other visitor attractions include the Korea Central Zoo and the large golden statues of North Korea's two leaders. The Arch of Reunification has a map of a united Korea supported by two concrete Korean women dressed in traditional dress straddling the multi-laned Reunification Highway that stretches from Pyongyang to the DMZ.

Juche Tower, a reminder to the North Korean people of Kim Il-sung's philosophy of Juche (self-reliance).	Arch of Triumph.	Arch of Reunification, a symbolisation of the goal to a reunified Korea.	Rungrado May Day Stadium.
Kumsusan Memorial Palace	Tomb of King Tongmyong.	Ryugyŏng Hotel	Workers Party of Korea Monument

Transportation

Metro and rail

Pyongyang metro system.

Pyongyang Tram car - Be 4/4

The Pyongyang Metro is a two-line underground metro system which has a length of 22.5 kilometers (14 mi). The Hyoksin line serves Kwangbok, Konguk, Hwanggumbol, Konsol, Hyoksin, Jonu, Jonsung, Samhung and Rakwon station. The Chollima line serves Puhung, Yonggwang, Ponghwa, Sungni, Tongil, Kaeson, Jonu and Pulgunbyol station. There is also a 53 km (33 mi) long Pyongyang Tram and 150 km (93 mi) trolleybus service, but tourists have heard that few locals use them due to the high and frequent hazard of electrocution.^[6] There are not as many private automobiles as in Western cities, although the state government operates a sizeable fleet of Mercedes-Benz limousines for Party bureaucrats. The trolley bus-stops are fairly full. The incidence of use of the underground is difficult to gauge as tourists are only permitted to travel between two designated stops with a guide. It has been thought that on these pre-arranged occasions, the fellow passengers are selected to be there at the same time. The underground map is extensive but, again, just how many of the stations are operational at any one time is a matter of guesswork.

Air transportation

Sunan International Airport

State-owned Air Koryo has scheduled flights from Sunan Capital International Airport to Beijing (PEK), Shenyang (SHE), Vladivostok (VVO), Macau (MFM), Bangkok (BKK), Khabarovsk (KHV) and Shenzhen (SZX). There are occasional chartered flights to Incheon (ICN), Yangyang County (YNY) and several Japanese cities. Air Koryo also claims scheduled service on a few domestic routes, although the accuracy of this is not known. The only domestic routes are Hamhung, Wonsan, Chongjin, Hyesan and Samjiyon. Intermittent service to Pyongyang is also provided by a few foreign carriers, most notably Chinese. In April 2008, Air China launched regular, 3-days-per-week, service between Beijing and Pyongyang.

Intercity trains

The city also has regular international train services to Beijing and Moscow. A journey to Beijing takes about 25 hours and 25 minutes (K27 from Beijing / K28 from Pyŏngyang, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays); a journey to Moscow takes 6 days.

Climate

Climate diagram of Pyŏngyang

Sister cities

• Kathmandu, Nepal^[8]

People from Pyongyang

• Ahn Eak-tai, composer
• Hwang Jang-yop, politician
• George M. McCune, co-developer (with Edwin O. Reischauer) of the McCune-Reischauer romanization of Korean
• Pak Doo-Ik, former footballer
• Yun Sim-deok (1897–1926) female soprano

Notes

See also

• List of cities in North Korea

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pyongyang

Look up pyongyang in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• North Korea Uncovered, (North Korea Google Earth), a comprehensive mapping of North Korea, including all of the locations mentioned above, on Google Earth
• Holidays in Pyongyang

Further reading

• Chris Springer, Pyongyang: The Hidden History of the North Korean Capital. Saranda Books, 2003. ISBN 963-00-8104-0.
• Robert Willoughby, North Korea: The Bradt Travel Guide. Globe Pequot, 2003. ISBN 1-84162-074-2.

Pictorials

• Christian Kracht, Eva Munz, Lukas Nikol, "The Ministry Of Truth. Kim Jong Ils North Korea", Feral House, Oct 2007, 132 pages, 88 color photographs, ISBN 978-932595-27-7

v • d • e  Regions and administrative divisions of North Korea Regions Kwanbuk (Kwannam) · Kwansŏ · Kwandong (Ryŏngdong • Ryŏngsŏ) · Haesŏ Provinces Chagang · Hamgyŏngbuk · Hamgyŏngnam · Hwangbuk · Hwangnam · Kangwŏn · P'yŏngbuk · P'yŏngnam · Ryanggang Special administrative regions Kaesŏng · Kŭmgangsan · Sinŭiju Directly-governed cities P'yŏngyang

Coordinates: 39°01′55″N 125°45′14″E / 39.031859°N 125.753765°E / 39.031859; 125.753765