Learning from public space in Pyongyang

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Learning from public space in Pyongyang

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

Gianluca Spezza January 7, 2014

NK News

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.

About the Author

Gianluca Spezza

Gianluca Spezza earned his PhD in 2017 from the University of Central Lancashire under the supervision of Professor Hazel Smith, on the strength of research on the cooperation between UNICEF and the DPRK in education and childcare. Dr Spezza is an assistant professor of international relations and a senior researcher at the DPRK Strategy Center at KIMEP University in Almaty, Kazakhstan; he is writing a monograph on education, international cooperation, and human capital in North Korea (Palgrave 2021). His work on the DPRK, articles or interviews, can be found, among others, on the websites of the BBC, The Guardian, The Diplomat, IRIN News, NK News, DR.dk, Newsweek Korea, and El Confidential.

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