Foreign tourists who come to the North Korean capital have followed more or less the same route for decades. They are shown the same landmarks and have been expected to admire the same sights since the 1980s. One such point of interest is the Pyongyang subway.

For many Westerners, the idea that the subway of a major city is the object of particular interest to visiting tourists is rather bizarre. After all, few if any visitors to New York descend a few meters below the surface to admire the authentic, 1920s interior of some subway stations – though I am