PYONGYANG SUBWAY

The construction of the only North Korean subway was decided following a trip by President Kim Jong-Il abroad. The work will last until 1973.

There are 17 stations, including Kwangmyong Station which is closed to the public as it is located at Kumsusan Sun Palace which is a highly sensitive and sacred place for the political regime. Each stop has a name which is directly derived from episodes or in reference to the Korean revolution. Any name is related to the geography of the city (a unique method in the world).

The decor: the gigantic frescoes-mosaics of Kwangbok station ("Renaissance") show scenes from the forest of Mount Paektu, where Kim Il-Sung, according to the propaganda of the regime, directed the resistance against the Japanese invaders. The frescoes of Kaeson station ("triumphal return"), represent a large crowd listening to Kim Il-Sung's speech on his return to Pyongyang after the liberation of the country. Konsol ("construction") shows the reconstruction of Pyongyang at the end of the Korean War. Finally, the pillars of Tongil ("reunification") show the "nostalgia of the nation for the unification of the two Koreas". Each station was carefully studied and its artistic components carefully selected, with massive use of marble and monumental bronzes. In total, there are more than one hundred murals and wall mosaics whose style, reminiscent of Moscow, highlights the achievements of the regime.

The layout: the entire network is built underground (about 120 m deep!), and the lines closely follow the route of the main streets of Pyongyang.

The wagons: the various trains are composed of train carriages, called DK4, built at the opening by the company Changchun Railway Vehicles Company Ltd (Chinese company). Former train carriages of the Berlin Metro have also been in service since the years 1980. Supposedly repainted, some report having seen complete German carriages circulating with their original graffiti... So open your eyes to see them!

Occupancy: it is estimated at maximum 700 000 people per year. Tourists cannot use all the stations and only two are accessible: Puhung and Yonggwang, which has led to the rumour that there are actually only those two stops. On the other hand, there is another rumour on the fact that other "secret" lines exist... Who can we trust then?

The tour of the Metro is included in group trips and foreigners travel for free. It is however possible, if the guide allows it, to go and buy a ticket (keep it preciously afterwards!) at the counter. A ticket costs less than a euro cent... After each visit there is the same ritual: take a huge mechanical staircase to arrive in a basement hall with a "bright" plan; you just need to press a button which bears the name of the station where you want to go and it will illuminate. Then there is the visit of the wharf: have a look at the decorations and the architecture as well as the panels which display the daily newspapers in the middle of the platform.

Then you will go in the subway. It is said that they will change all the trains in the years to come, so enjoy the style of the current equipment which is made up of wood and which looks very luxurious. Look at the number of Koreans who are sitting and playing on their mobile phone! Photos are allowed all along the tour but avoid taking snapshots of the people wearing uniform of the Metro Company as it is forbidden.