Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Situated in the west of the central part of Korea, it is 84 metres above the sea on the average. Blending harmoniously with the surrounding mountains, hills, fields and the clear River Taedong, it has been known as a scenic place from olden times.
Its history began when King Tangun, the founding father of the Korean nation, established Kojoson, the first ancient Korean state, and chose Pyongyang as the capital of the country in the early third millennium BC.
After President Kim Il Sung liberated Korea in August 1945 and established the DPRK, the city’s new history began as the capital of a sovereign and independent state.
During the Korean war (1950-1953) the US imperialists dropped more than 428 000 bombs on Pyongyang, a greater number than the population of the city at the time, reducing it to ashes. The heroic Korean people, however, healed the war wounds in a short period of time.
As the political, economic and cultural centre of the country, Pyongyang has been developed into a modern city. The heart of the city is Kim Il Sung Square.
The streets in the central part and on the outskirts of the city have been laid out in full consideration of the citizens’ labour conditions, residence and conditions for rest.
Since the 1970s new streets, including Chollima, Munsu, Changgwang, Kwangbok, Thongil, Chongchun, Mansudae, Changjon and Mirae Scientists, have been built one after another, thus facelifting the whole looks of the city beyond recognition.
The Mangyongdae Revolutionary Site, the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the Korean Revolution Museum, the Grand Monument on Mansu Hill, the Tower of the Juche Idea, the Arch of Triumph, the Party Founding Memorial Tower and other revolutionary sites, monuments and towers in different parts of the city showcase the greatness of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il, their immortal exploits and the brilliant traditions and history of the Korean people’s struggle.
At present, the city has first-rate educational, cultural and public health establishments, sports and cultural facilities and scientific research institutions.
Carefully preserved in Pyongyang which belongs to the cradle of human race and the fountainhead of the “Taedonggang Civilization,” one of the world’s five cultures, are the remains and relics showcasing the history and culture of the Korean nation.
