Capital of north Korea
Hello friends. Welcome to solsarin. Here today’s discussion is about “capital of north Korea”. Please stay with us until the end of the discussion and then share your idea.
What Is The Capital Of North Korea?
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea occupies the northern part of the Korean peninsula in Eastern Asia. Pyongyang (flat land) is the administrative capital and the largest city in North Korea. Korean mythology claims that the city was founded in 112 BCE by remnants of the Chinese dynasty on the site that was the capital of the heavenly King Dangun. The grave of the Chinese sage, Kija, who founded the city, lies in the northern part of Pyongyang. The city lies in the west-central part of the country along the Taedong River, 30 miles from the Korean Bay. Since its establishment, Pyongyang has undergone various transformations characterized by invasions, destruction, and reconstruction to become one of the largest cities in East Asia.
Names
The city’s other historic names include Kisong, Hwangsong, Rakrang, Sŏgyong, Sodo, Hogyong, Changan, and Heijō (during Japanese rule in Korea). There are several variants. During the early 20th century, Pyongyang came to be known among missionaries as being the “Jerusalem of the East“, due to its historical status as a stronghold of Christianity, namely Protestantism, especially during the Pyongyang revival of 1907.
After Kim Il-sung’s death in 1994, some members of Kim Jong-il’s faction proposed changing the name of Pyongyang to “Kim Il-sung City” (Korean: 김일성시; Hanja: 金日成市), but others suggested that North Korea should begin calling Seoul “Kim Il-sung City” instead and grant Pyongyang the moniker “Kim Jong-il City”. In the end, neither proposal was implemented.
History Of Pyongyang
Pyongyang’s history dates back to 108 BCE when it established as a trading colony by the Chinese. In 407 BCE, it became the capital of the Koguryo kingdom before being capturing by Chinese invaders in 668 BCE. The city remained a trading capital until 1592 when it was capturing by the Japanese. In the early 17th century, the Manchu took over the city exercising power until the late 18th century when Korea opened its doors to foreigners; and in 1880, Christian missionaries settled in the city naming it the Jerusalem of the East as Christianity was embracing. In the late 19th century, the city destroyed in the Sino-Japanese War and plague leaving it deserted. It was then rebuilt in the mid-20th century with the help of the Soviet Union and China as an industrial center that later expanded to become North Korea’s administrative city in 1953.
Pyongyang Today
The modern Pyongyang city is marking by a legendary bronze statue of Chollima, a winged Korean horse, which dominates the city’s skyline as a reminder to the citizens of the economic progress made after the end of the Korean War. Current landmarks in the city include the Grand Theatre and the Okryu Hall containing a monumental ceremonial hall for official functions and recreation amenities for the residents.
The industrial infrastructure in and around Pyongyang is some of the most highly developing in Asia. The infrastructural development is promoting by the availability of coal, iron, and limestone found in the outskirts of the city. As North Korea’s hub of transportation, Pyongyang commands a high density of air, rail, and road networks. Interregional highways and expressways to Nampo, Wonsan, and Kaesong originate from the city. Subways, buses, and trolley systems use as the primary means of transport in Pyongyang.
Subsistent farming takes place in the outskirts of the city where rice, corn, and fresh produce are growing to supplement the city’s demand for food. Moreover, efforts make around the city to ensure self-sufficiency in regards to meat production where chicken and hogs are raising in high-density facilities.
Since North Korea opened its doors to the outside, thousands of tourists flock in Pyongyang to view the blend on antique and modern designs incorporated in towers and statutes glorifying Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and the Juche philosophy.
What is it like in Pyongyang?
A visit to the capital of North Korea is describing by many as a mind blowing experience as are too trips to other areas of the DPRK.
The city consists of wide avenues, grandiose monuments and soviet styled monolithic buildings now blended with futuristic looking high rise buildings, all of which reflect the unique system of the DPRK.
Commercial billboards and advertisements give way to political slogans and propaganda posters. Trucks packed with KPA soldiers chanting patriotic songs reflect the military nature of the state and parade rehearsals either by soldiers or civilians are a common sight, showing the country’s emphasis on the collective over the individual.
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. The capital of south Korea has a population of 9.7 million people, and forms the heart of the Capital Area with the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province. Considered to be a global city and rated as an Alpha – City by Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC), the city was the world’s 4th largest metropolitan economy in 2014 after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles.
International visitors generally reach city via AREX from Incheon International Airport, notable for having been rated the best airport for nine consecutive years (2005–2013) by Airports Council International. In 2015, it rated Asia’s most livable city with the second highest quality of life globally by Arcadis, with the GDP per capita (PPP) in Seoul being around $40,000 and in 2017, the cost of living in Capital city ranked the 6th highest globally. In 2020, Capital’s real estate market was ranked 3rd in the world for the price of apartments in the downtown center. This city was one of the host cities for the official tournament of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.
North Korea in the Korean War
The Korean War started when North Korea invaded South Korea, and ended on July 27, 1953 with the armistice creating the well-known Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Before the War
In August 1945, two young aides at the State Department divided the Korean peninsula in half along the 38th parallel. The Soviet Union occupied the area north of the line and the United States occupied the area to its south.
Beginning
On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when some 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army poured across the 38th parallel, the boundary between the Soviet-backed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the north and the pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. Tactics were based on Soviet doctrine which emphasised rapid advances spearheaded by armoured and infantry assaults. The quality and power of the KPA’s initial invasion resulted in its opponents forces back to the southern tip of the Korean peninsula.
By July, American troops had entered the war on South Korea’s behalf. As far as American officials were concerned, it was a war against the forces of international communism itself. After some early back-and-forth across the 38th parallel, the fighting stalled and casualties mounted with nothing to show for them. Meanwhile, American officials worked anxiously to fashion some sort of armistice with the North Koreans.
The alternative, they feared, would be a wider war with Russia and China–or even, as some warned, World War III. By the end of the decade, two new states had formed on the peninsula. In the south, the anti-communist dictator Syngman Rhee (1875–1965) enjoyed the reluctant support of the American government; in the north, the communist dictator Kim Il Sung (1912-1994) enjoyed the slightly more enthusiastic support of the Soviets.
Neither dictator was content to remain on his side of the 38th parallel, however, and border skirmishes were common. Even so, the North Korean invasion came as an alarming surprise to American officials. As far as they were concerned, this was not simply a border dispute between two unstable dictatorships on the other side of the globe. Instead, many feared it was the first step in a communist campaign to take over the world. For this reason, nonintervention did not consider an option by many top decision makers.
The Currency Of North Korea Is The Korean People’s Won
History Of Currencies Of North Korea
On December 6th, 1947, the won became North Korea’s official currency replacing the Korean yen. Just like many other socialist states, there is another currency issued for foreigners by the Bank of Trade while the won is solely for North Korean citizens. However, the government of North Korea created two different types of the foreign exchange certificates (FEC). One certificate was for visitors from the socialist countries, and it colored red; it also referred to as the red won. The other certificate which was blue/green knew as blue won; it was for visitors from capitalist countries. The FEC was still in circulation until 1999, but in 2002, they officially abolished from use. The main reason for abolishing was so that foreigners could directly use their currency, especially the euro.
