North Korea: A Postorwellian Country III

North Korea, a country where a communist regime hopefully begins to be less restrictive. However, it doesn’t change the fact that a large proportion of its population still suffers from hunger. How such a situation could look like Europeans already know from their own experience not so long ago. This is described for example in a recent publication by Timothy Snyder, a professor of history at Yale University: Countless parents killed and ate their children and then died of starvation later anyway. One mother cooked her son for herself and her daughter. One six-year-old girl, saved by other relatives, last time saw her father when he was sharpening the knife to slaughter… Another family killed t heir daughter-in-law, fed her head to the pigs and roasted the rest of her body.(Timothy Snyder. Bloodlands. Europe Between Hitler and Stalin).

Anyway, back to the North Korean architectonical wonders this series of articles talks about. As it was indicated earlier, the capital, Pyongyang is filled with symbols representing the Kim dynasty. What else should remind not only North Koreans of the greatness of the communist Korea?

Juche Tower

A tower made of 25 550 granite stones is 170 meters high. The number 25 550 is symbolical since it represents number of days of Kim Il-sung’s life to his 70th birthday for which the tower was a gift. Moreover, the tower is crowned with an illuminated flame. In front of the building there is looming 30 meters high sculptural group that represents proletariat, peasantry and intelligentsia.

Rungnado May Day Stadium

A stadium of a strange shape evokes a Dr. Oetker’s pudding however, a bit deflated. It was finished on May 1 1989 and until present it is one of the largest stadiums on the world. It can take up to 150 thousand people and except sport events there are of course events that celebrate Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un. There was also the Arirang, an event where more than 100 thousand people participated.

Subway and mysterious underground constructions

Apart from buildings, archs, and towers there is also an interesting subway in Pyongyang. It has been operating since 1969 and allegedly it is the deepest subway in the world. Two subway lines (with stations named as Victory, Unification, Torch etc.) lead in 110 meters under the ground and their original purpose was to connect secret military facilities. The total length of the subway lines is 22.5 kilometers, however, the figures vary. Anyway, it is very likely there is a parallel subway line along the public subway. The other subway is probably dedicated to top military officials and it is, allegedly, longer then its public counterpart

Except mystery around the non-public traffic routes in the Pyongyang underground there are serious rumors about a “mammoth underground square” and an underground road. The first should serve as a bunker for the highest military ranks. The area of the square should equal the area of the Kim Il-sung’s square and it can take over 100 thousand people.

The underground road should connect Kim Il-sung’s palace with the Palace on Kumsu mountain and the Sunan airport. The role of the road was to be an escape route in the case Kim Ir-sen had to flee the country in an airplane.

Text: Maxim Kucer

Photo: Wikipedia.org - Kallgan, Kristoferb (talk), Nicor, David Stanley, Nikinoz1917