In a Nutshell: I was part of the first ever group of foreigners given access to all stations across both lines of the Pyongyang Metro. This may sound mundane, but the restricted Pyongyang Metro is surely among the most mysterious yet beautiful transit systems on earth. Each of its sixteen stations are unique yet ultra-nationalistic in theme, showcasing North Korea’s revolutionary history, goals and achievements to impressionable commuters through a series of mosaics, murals and monuments. It’s a lavish underground museum long shrouded by foreign conspiracy theory. Sensationalism aside, here is my journey in over sixty photos of the beating heart of Pyongyang, the Pyongyang Metro.
About: I’m Elliott. I’m the tour director at North Korea tour operator Uri Tours. I travel a lot myself, sometimes to the unusual, weird and wacky. Earth Nutshell is where I share my experiences. Interested in visiting North Korea for yourself? Shoot me an email at [email protected].
To set the scene, here’s a small video snippet descending to the platforms with the sound of revolutionary anthems booming from antique loudspeakers central to the escalator…
Bonus:
Want to visit North Korea for yourself? I can help. I’m the tour director at Uri Tours, a North Korea tour operator. For inquiries you can contact me directly at [email protected].
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As a life-long transit fan, thank you for such amazing article. Your pictures are priceless.
Thanks Chaffee, the response from the transit community (admittedly a larger community than I expected!) has been terrific. It’s been fulfilling to give the keener eyes such as yourself a look at what may well be one of the ‘holy grails’ of underground transit systems.
Since it appears not all of the students are wearing paper badges, I would suggest they are indicators of some sort of temporary authority for those who wear them. Hallway monitor or field trip leader, something along those lines.
Very nice and interesting photos. Thank you. The art work is simply wonderful. It is interesting that the press always tells us that everybody in North Korea is starving from hunger, yet all the people I see in the photos look healthy and well feed. Go figure, our western mainstream media and press…sigh
I think you are mislead to believe that in a prospering country you would need a Propaganda Ministry. Formerly living under a communist regime I can attest to the minute level of control and oppression exercised by the state. We once had to stick green leaves in the trees during the winter month of February because our dear beloved leader wanted to see the green side of life. Remember that the photographer was never allowed to choose its own route and he was lead from start to finish by some very helping tour guides. So I would think twice before blaming the Western media for the North Korean famine and policy of starving the population to feed the army.
I hope is this article opens eyes, the pictures are fascinating, but does not encourage anybody to inadvertently become a dupe for what are some of the most murderous criminals of our times.
Finest photos I have seen.
I bet there is no crime either.
Thanks John.
Indeed. But, I guess that depends on your definition of a crime. Remember, in North Korea taking a sharpie to Kim Il-Sung’s head may just well be a capital offense. As far as what we’re accustomed to; petty crime such as theft or more serious offenses such as violent crime, I’d wager these are staggering low in North Korea. But why? Is it this way at the expense of the (alleged) human rights violations, the fear of extreme punishment imposed for seemingly minor violations committed by citizens? If so, then can we truly make a fair comparison between North Korea and say…America in the way of street crime? I don’t think so, personally.
This certainly is a departure from the stereotypical image most Americans have of North Korea. We’ve been conditioned to believe that most North Koreans live in rags, and the nation is nothing but a society of starving peasants. While many of these photographs allow us to sense the fear and isolation so prevalent in North Korea, you have to acknowledge that there are certain elements of a culture that are envious. The city appears to be extremely clean; I suspect there is little crime; and, apparently, many North Koreans have respectable, decent jobs. Americans never even think about Pyongyang as a thriving metropolis with museums, subways, office buildings, and boulevards. Surely, there are North Korean construction workers, electricians, curators, train engineers, constables, managers, and myriad other skilled workers capable of building great cities – and even the world’s largest sporting arena! KUDOS, Elliott, for sharing! -RKO-
Spent quite a lot of time in and out of Asian cities and the thing I really noticed about the smiling was that oriental people are embarrased to show their teeth. So they either surpress the smile or cover their mouth with their hands. It’s considered bad manners to show your teeth in public.
Great pictures
Elliott, Thanks for the great photo tour. I feel like I have just been on the tour. Definitely, one of the best articles I have read on-line.
Thanks Elliot for sharing …pictures are great and had given me somewhat a sufficient partial view on the inside of NK….interesting captions too…great and well done job….kudos….