What North Korea's Architecture Tells Us About Their Political Regime

[TomSea]

What North Korea's Architecture Tells Us About Their Political Regime
Written by Kaley Overstreet



North Korea is a country known for it’s rising nuclear tensions, extreme militaristic showboating, and draconian views of human rights. As one of the few remaining places on earth that is almost entirely shut off from the rest of the world, little is known about day to day life in the communist state. But for a nation that is so heavily shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, the efforts of their architectural bravado provide some insight into how their regime operates.

The modern era of design and urban planning in North Korea began in 1950, when the nation’s army marched across the 38th parallel and with Soviet aid, invaded South Korea. After the war ended, the capital of Pyongyang was a scene of complete destruction and chaos. To remedy this, the entire city was razed to create a tabula rasa, on top of which a new city and a strict ideology could be built. Drawing upon leafs of Soviet urbanism and the Five Year Plan, North Korea adapted a system of building that relied heavily on quantifiable targets and financial quotas in favor of placing any value in experiential and formal aspects of architectural design. The highly axial streets opened into grand boulevards lined by pastel buildings, giving the feeling of sameness after sameness.

The Corbusian Plan Voisin-tinged principles of urban design were articulated by Kim Jong-il in his 160-page discourse, On Architecture, in 1991. “The basic condition for harmonizing all the city’s architectural space,” he wrote, “is the focus on the leader’s statue and ensuring that the statue plays the leading role in the architectural formation of the city.” His ideals play out to the extreme in the form of a cult personality that carefully flanks every leader’s monument with soviet-inspired concrete buildings.

See more at:  https://www.archdaily.com/936037/what-north-koreas-architecture-tells-us-about-their-political-regime

North Korea has about 80% dirt roads, some high figure like this, don't let the article get one carried away. Also, I've heard it said that Pyongyang is really for the elitists, the poor don't go into the city for all intents and purposes.

[DB]

That they don't need many street lights because the power usually isn't on at night?

[TomSea]

Check this out:

One of the most notable stories to emerge from the isolated country was in 2014, when a 23-story apartment block in Pyongyang collapsed during construction, killing hundreds of locals who had already moved in.

That's no good, short excerpt per copyright rules.  The story of course, continues. Pretty bad.

I've watched impressive displays at that May Day stadium, when they flip cards over and stuff... but North Korea and China are too very bad governments.  So, Trump writes little Kim. I don't know, we see these people for what they are.  I'm not against him using some friendly persuasion but we've got to face it, these are evil regimes.