Pyongyang’s newest market…

As North Korean Economy Watch readers are aware, this site hosts the most authoritative mapping of North Korea on Google Earth (click here to download).  Google Earth recently updated its North Korea imagery requiring me to update a colossal amount of information.  This update (version 10) will be released by the end of May.

Growing influence of entrepreneurs
While updating information on Google Earth, one has a chance to compare how things have changed over the course of a few years.  One of the interesting changes in Pyongyang is the emergence of a new market about 5 blocks east of the Tower of the Juche Idea (pictured below).  It seems to have replaced an older market formerly located on the city’s outskirts at the end of the trolley line.  In the past, street markets (or “jangmadang”) like this have been held on the outskirts of the city.  This new, more convenient location (near peoples’ homes) is a testament to the growing importance of these markets, and their budding entrepreneurs, in meeting the needs of the North Korean people.  

pyongyang-market.JPG

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3 Responses to “Pyongyang’s newest market…”

  1. Mi Jeong Hibbitts says:

    When was this imagery taken? And when was the previous imagery taken that this new one was updated from?

  2. JimBoMo says:

    Looks busy – lots of pedestrian traffic on the NW and S approaches to the market. Judging by the angle of the sun, looks like imagry was taken mid-afternoon-ish. Any insights on who shops for what and at what hour in the day?