Reconstruction of Ryongchon
In 2004 much of the town of Ryongchon was tragically destroyed in a large explosion. Here is the Wikipedia page on the disaster if you would like a quick reference.
I compiled a couple of images to construct this “before” picture of Ryongchon:
(Click image for larger version)
Notice that the center of town is composed largely of traditional houses.
Here is the first “after” image (which is the default image on Google Earth):
(Click image for larger version)
As you can see a large number of traditional houses were destroyed as well as a school.
Below I have compiled more recent images to show how the city was reconstructed. Gone are the traditional homes. They have been replaced by typical Soviet-style apartment blocks:
(Click image for larger version)
UPDATE 1: Here are some great official photos taken in 2005 on the ground in Ryongchon. Apparently these buildings have not aged well.
UPDATE: This post was picked up by Yonhap:
N. Korea’s Ryongchon blast site reborn with Soviet-era complexes
Yonhap
Sam Kim
11/6/2009
