December 07, 2023
Evergreen

Learning from public space in Pyongyang

A market economy is coming, but space for the public can be set aside, author argues

The nature, characteristics and limits of urban spaces in North Korea have largely been defined by the Korean War.

The conflict left the country devastated, with the physical destruction of, on average, 85-90 percent of most major cities. The post-war years therefore offered a tabula rasa for the leadership to construct of a new country in physical and social terms. During the Cold War, North Korea created a model distinct from other socialist countries.