| P'yŏngyang Directly Governed City | |
|---|---|
| [image] | |
| Korean name | |
| McCune-Reischauer | P'yŏngyang Chikhalsi |
| Revised Romanization | Pyeongyang Jikhalsi |
| Hangul | 평양 직할시 |
| Hanja | 平壤直轄市 |
| Short name | P'yŏngyang (Pyeongyang; 평양) |
| Statistics | |
| Population | 2,741,260 (1993) |
| Area | n/a |
| Government | Directly Governed City, Capital of North Korea |
| Administrative divisions | 19 wards (Kuyŏk), 4 counties (Kun) |
| Region | Kwansŏ |
| Dialect | P'yŏngan |
| Location map | |
| [image] | |
P'yŏngyang (평양 / 平壤) is the Capital City of North Korea, located in the northwest of the country, situated on the Taedong River. The official population of the city is not disclosed; given as 2,741,260 in 1993, it was reported as 2.5 and 3.8 million in 2002 and 2003 by Chosen Soren, a pro-North Korean organization. Pyongyang is located at 39°2' North, 125°45' East (39.0333, 125.75).
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 Pyongyang as a Special City, but it has been reported that even the South Korean government adopted the Directly Governed City terminology in 1994.
Goguryeo moved its capital here in 427. The Tang Empire 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. After the war, the city was quickly rebuilt with Soviet help, with many buildings built in Stalinist architecture.
The capital has been completely rebuilt 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 1,082-foot Ryugyong Hotel. This hotel has 105 floors, encloses 3.9 million square feet of floor space, with a few pavilions for rotating restaurants. However, construction has been stalled since the early 1990s. The building stands now as an empty shell.
Some notable landmarks in the city include the Arch of Triumph (a larger replica of Paris's Arc de Triomphe), 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 Rungnado May Day Stadium).
A further landmark is Pyongyang TV Tower.
Pyongyang is served by Sunan Capital International Airport, which has weekly flights to Beijing (PEK), Shenyang (SHE), Bangkok (BKK), Vladivostok (VVO) and several other cities. There are occasional chartered flights to Macau (MFM), Incheon (ICN), Yangyang County (YNY) and several Japanese cities. The city also has regular international train service to Beijing and Moscow. A journey for Beijing taking about 24 hours; Moscow, 6 days.
| Administrative divisions of North Korea | [image] |
|---|---|
| Directly Governed Cities P'yŏngyang | Rasŏn | |
| Former Directly Governed Cities Ch'ŏngjin | Hamhŭng | Kaesŏng | Namp'o | |
| Special Administrative Regions Kaesŏng Industrial Region | Kŭmgangsan Tourist Region | Sinŭiju Special Administrative Region | |
| Provinces Chagang | North Hamgyŏng | South Hamgyŏng | North Hwanghae | South Hwanghae | Kangwŏn | North P'yŏngan | South P'yŏngan | Ryanggang | |
(Heijo)
(Pengyang)