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First, Professor Ahn talks about what Pyongyang means to architects. 

Architecture is the mirror of society, meaning that we can learn about society through its architecture. Architecture isn’t the creation of an individual but involves strenuous efforts of numerous minds as well as a large amount of money. 

When I visited Pyongyang, I saw a lot of socialist slogans on buildings. Such signs aren’t as easily found in capitalistic countries. When I said I found that interesting, the person next to me said that those slogans were the socialist version of commercials. I feel that’s a very accurate description. 

The South Korean capital of Seoul and the North Korean capital of Pyongyang have something in common. That is, both are historical cities that boast long traditions. As the capital of the Korean kingdom of Joseon some 600 years ago, Seoul was the center of politics, history and culture for a long time. 

The Han River flows through Seoul, while the Taedong River runs through Pyongyang. In this respect, the two cities might seem very similar. Historically, however, they are completely different cities. At present, Seoul is surrounded by four outer mountains and accommodates 10 million people. But when it was first formed 600 years ago, the capital referred to the area north of the Han River. Surrounded by four inner mountains at the time, it was a planned city for 100-thousand people. 

Pyongyang, on the other hand, is the place where the last capital of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo was located. 

Seoul is surrounded by mountains. So, if you stand in the center of Seoul and look to the horizon, you see mountain ridges and castle walls above them, although they are not seen these days because of buildings. But if you stand in the center of Pyongyang and look at the sky, you see nothing. That’s because Pyongyang has hills in the center and is surrounded by water—the Taedong River and the Pothong River. Seoul and Pyongyang are polar opposites. When the two cities were formed, they were wholly different in topography, just as they are totally different in terms of ideology. Both cities have developed along the river or by the river, and this makes the two cities look similar. 

The Korean Peninsula went through drastic changes in modern times. A considerable part of its old appearance was gone during the Japanese colonial period, while countless buildings were destroyed during the Korean War. Seven decades later, Seoul and Pyongyang have now become completely different cities. 

Although Seoul suffered damage during the Korean War, there still remain the vestiges of the past. In Pyongyang, in contrast, all the past had vanished without a trace. For example, there are no alleys in the heart of Pyongyang. As you know, alleyways are typically formed gradually over a long time span. Pyongyang was completely ruined during the war. North Korea started from scratch and built a new socialist city in a very short period of time. 

Pyongyang was designed as an ideal socialist city. In urban planning for socialist cities, public cultural facilities like libraries or theaters as well as squares are considered highly important. In a similar context, Kim Il-sung Square is located in the center of Pyongyang. Constructed in 1954, the square consists of a rectangular-shaped main square paved with granite, a smaller square and a VIP stage. With 75-thousand square meters, the square can accommodate some 100-thousand people. 

There are no such squares in Seoul. Gwanghwamun Plaza was actually a street in the past. Public squares are part of Western culture. Urban planning for socialist cities is basically rooted in Europe. That’s the case with Kim Il-sung Square. In Korean tradition, streets or city places are not named after people. Young people sometimes name roads after celebrities these days, but they were apparently influenced by Western tradition, as seen in names like Washington D.C. and Washington State. Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung Square represents the value upheld by the country they’re dreaming of and their commitment to remembering the creator of the new value that had never been found in history. 

Kim Il-sung Square is North Korea’s largest propaganda venue, where major political and cultural events like military parades and mass rallies frequently take place. 

Located in the heart of Pyongyang, Kim Il-sung Square is surrounded by the Grand People’s Study House, government buildings, an art gallery and a museum. That is, a library, an art gallery and a museum comprise the heart of Pyongyang. What does it mean? North Korea is telling the people that they are the master of the country, encouraging them to read books, study hard and cultivate themselves as decent citizens. 

The Grand People’s Study House is North Korea’s central library that was completed in 1982. Constructed in a traditional Korean style, the ten-story building has a total floor space of 100-thousand square meters. It can house 30 million books, and it has 600 rooms including more than 20 reading rooms with 6,000 seats. 

The structure was built in 1982, timed with the 70th birthday of former leader Kim Il-sung. In the course of rebuilding the country after the war in the 1950s, North Korea received massive assistance from the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. As a result, many buildings in major cities in North Korea, including Pyongyang, were constructed in the Eastern European architectural style. North Korea realized that the country had been influenced too heavily by foreign culture. Kim Il-sung began to advocate something independent or “North Korean-style.” North Korea believed that reviving traditional elements was at the core of socialist architecture. As a result, traditional architectural style was adopted in public cultural facilities, including the Grand People’s Study House. It symbolized North Korea’s juche or self-reliance ideology. 

Sports facilities also serve as one of the landmarks of Pyongyang. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is a good example. During the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in 2018, South Korean President Moon Jae-in gave a speech to the North Korean spectators at the stadium. 

Named after May Day, the international day celebrating labor, the large stadium can seat up to 150-thousand people. North Korea holds important events or treats foreign guests there. When former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang, the North held the large-scale Arirang mass gymnastic and artistic performance as well as card stunts at the May Day Stadium. The stadium is covered with a huge roof featuring multiple arches. 

Hotels also comprise the main architecture of Pyongyang. Many foreigners visiting North Korea stay at the Koryo Hotel, which opened in 1985. During the 2018 inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, a press center was set up there. The Yanggakdo International Hotel, located on Yanggak Island in the Taedong River, is one of the most luxurious operating hotels in North Korea. 

But the most famous North Korean hotel, albeit incomplete, is the Ryugyong Hotel. The 105-story building was designed to house 3,000 rooms. Construction started in 1987 but was suspended later due to economic reasons. After repeated suspension and resumption of construction, it still remains unfinished. At present, the hotel’s exterior is decorated with metal and glass, while LED lights are installed on its wall for light shows at night. 

A science and technology center called the Sci-Tech Complex is located on Ssuk Island in the Taedong River. Completed in 2015, the building surpasses the Grand People’s Study House, in terms of size. It looks like an atom from above, indicating the country’s determination not to give up its nuclear ambition. 

In the 1960s, North Korea was better off than South Korea, mainly due to scientific development. But later, North Korea’s science and technology lagged behind badly. North Korea decided to give special treatment to scientists again and created the Mirae Scientists Street, which is at the other side of the Sci-Tech Complex. North Korea began to show trust in science again, in the belief that it would be able to overcome hardships and revive socialism through science. 

After Kim Jong-un came to power, a number of new streets and skyscrapers that had never existed before were built in Pyongyang. When introducing Pyongyang, some foreign media agencies used the expression “Pyonghattan,” where the country’s top one percent lives. 

The colors of streets in Pyongyang have changed significantly. When I traveled to Pyongyang in 2005, streets were untidy and achromatic-colored. But since Kim Jong-un took power, bright, pastel tone colors have dominated Pyongyang’s streets to create a more open atmosphere. That’s a major change. 

Do you know there is a North Korean building named after a South Korean person? The building is the Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium. The structure was constructed for the purpose of promoting inter-Korean sports exchanges. South Korea’s Hyundai Group provided design, technology and major materials, while North Korea supplied labor and some locally available materials. A basketball game and a concert took place on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the gymnasium in 2003. At the 2013 Asia Cup and Interclub Weightlifting Championships, South Korea’s national flags were raised and its national anthem was played in front of the North Korean spectators at the gymnasium in Pyongyang. In 2018, a joint concert by South Korean musicians and a North Korean orchestra was held at the gymnasium under the theme of “We are one.” Indeed, the venue was regarded as the symbol of cross-border exchanges. 

Last but not least, Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the first university jointly built by South and North Korea. 

The project of building the school was largely funded by Christian charities and involved Yanbian University of Science and Technology in northern China. South Korea has participated in some construction or restoration projects in the North. For example, the two sides worked together for the restoration of Singye Temple at Mt. Geumgang, and a South Korean civic organization called the Korean Sharing Movement build a hospital in the North. 

Architecture is closely related to life. I believe South and North Korea can find many things in common in this area, as long as they cast away ideological prejudices.

Pyongyang was rebuilt as a typical socialist city. Buildings there highlight their size and symbols to publicize the superiority of the regime. In a major shift, however, structures have reflected international trends in recent years, apparently influenced by capitalism.