North Korean Economy Watch

Visitors to Pyongyang’s Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum (Location here) will be interested to know that the DPRK has exported its museum technology to Syria’s Tishreen War Panorama (Location here).

The images are from this web page.

According to an official web page (I think), the panorama dimensions are 129.5m x 7.8m.  It was painted by Kim Sing Chol, O Kwang Ho, Ri Jae Su, Ri Kap Il, Kim Chol Jin, Choe Song Sik, Ri Jong Gap, Kim Ki Dok, Cha Yo Sang, Ri Yon Nam, and it opened on 6th October 1999.  These artists are employees of the Mansudae Overseas Development Group (Art Studio).

I thank a reader for sending me this information.  I have been mapping North Korean projects in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East on Google Earth.  Here are some I have blogged about: Monument to African Renaissanace, Zimbabwe Hero’s Park, Ethiopia’s Derg Monument, Kinshasa Kabila Statue, and quite a few more.  If you are aware of any North Korea projects in your area please let me know.

UPDATE: Cairo’s October War Panorama is also built by the North Koreans.   It appears to have nearly identical architecture.  It is located here.

North Korean defector poetry: I am personally not a big fan of poetry, but some poetry written by North Korean defectors has been translated into English and published.  Read it in Radio Free Asia.

North Korean Leadership Compounds: We have pretty much located all of the “easy to find” leadership complexes in North Korea on Google Earth.  However, not all of them are visible with high resolution imagery.  Here are a few I have recently taken care of:

1. Sinchon Compound (written about by Keji Fujimoto)

Click image for larger version

Download Google Earth overlay here.

2. Island getaway: For the leader who has everything

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Download Google Earth overlay here.

3. Sugnam

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Download Google Earth Overlay here

Eight Scenic Views of the Songun Era:

1. Sunrise over Mt. Paektu. (See here)

2. Snow Covered Tapak Sol guard post in Mangyongdae.  (See here – Actually not sure where the guard post is, but this is Mangyongdae)

3. Royal Azaleas on the Chol Pass. (See here)

4. Illuinated night view of the Jangja River in Kanggye. (See here)

5. Ulim Waterfall. (See here)

6. Rezoned Handre (Handure) Plain on the Unhung Cooperative Farm in Thaechon County. (See here)

7.  Potato flowers in Taehongdan. (See here)

8. Poman-ri fish farm. (See here)

A Song was even written about these places.

Today Kim Jong il’s trains and train stations were big news.  According to the Choson Ilbo:

When Kim travels, three separate trains operate in conjunction. The advance train handles security checks to see whether the rail tracks are safe. Behind Kim’s train is another carrying his bodyguards and other support personnel. Kim’s train travels at an average speed of 60 km/h. Around 100 security agents are sent ahead of time to stations and sweep the area for bombs. Before Kim’s train nears the station, the power on other tracks is shut off so that no other trains can move.

Kim’s train is armored and also contains conference rooms, an audience chamber and bedrooms. Satellite phone connections and flat screen TVs have been installed so that the North Korean leader can be briefed and issue orders.

Sources say when Kim gets out of his train and moves to his private retreat, he is driven in a Mercedes or other car that has been brought along. When Kim travels within North Korea aboard his private train, IL-76 air force transport planes, MI-17 helicopters and other aircraft provide security support and haul necessary personnel and equipment to nearby airports. So far, Kim has taken 129 on-the-spot guidance trips around North Korea, matching the record he set in 2005 and probably exceeding it by the end of the year.

Since I have already mapped out the North Korean railway system, I can offer links to satellite images of many of KJI’s personal train stations and other elite stations: Pyongyang (Ryongsong), Pyongyang (Ryongsong underground), Pyongyang (Ryongsong-original), Pyongyang (Hyongjesan), Wonsan, Sinuiju, Hyesan 1, Hyesan 2, Kanggye, Yongphung-ri, Myohyangsan 1, Myohangsan 2, Sakju 1(old imagery), Taegwon, Kyongsong 1, Kyongsong 2, Hungnam 1, Hungnam 2, and Sinchon. These are not necessarily the 20 stations cited in the above article, but the remainder are probably underground or not visible with Google Earth imagery.

(Click image to enlarge)

While cataloging North Korea’s economic, military, and political infrastructures on Google Earth, my colleagues and I have labeled over a dozen historical fortresses (castles) in the DPRK.  Normally the remnants of these fortresses consist of stone walls which skirt the surrounding mountain tops.

Today, however, I came upon Kyongsong Castle in Sungnam-ri on the DPRK’s east coast.  As far as I can tell it is the only walled city of this type remaining in the DPRK.  If not, it is certainly the most impressively preserved.  It is a shame nobody can visit this place–it looks absolutely beautiful.

The castle is not visible in Google Earth, so you can either look at the image above or download the Google Earth overlay I built.  The overlay allows you to to see the castle in its actual location on Google Earth. Download the overlay here.

If any readers can find information on this castle in Korean please let me know.  Nothing is available in English.

UPDATE 3 (2014-4-4): Here is the Red Cross report on the Ryongchon explosion (PDF).

UPDATE 2 (2004-4-22): Apparently these buildings have not aged well.

UPDATE 1 (2009-11-6) : This post was picked up by Yonhap:

N. Korea’s Ryongchon blast site reborn with Soviet-era complexes
Yonhap
Sam Kim

ORIGINAL POST (2009-10-28): 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:

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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):

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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:

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Below is the Google Earth satellite image from an area south of Sinuiju:

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The busy area at the top of the image is a local market (Jangmadang).

Below is a more recent image of the same area.

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We can see that the initial market has been closed and relocated to a larger and more modern facility.  This one is closer to the main road and reminds me of the Tongil Market in Pyongyang in terms of size and prominence.  Most all of the other markets are hidden from the main roads.

DPRK 3D
Several prominent buildings have been modeled in 3D for viewing in Google Earth.  Check them out here:

1. Mansu Hill
2. Moument to Party Founding
3. Monument to 3 Charters for National Reunification
4. Tower of the Juche Idea
5. May Day Stadium
6. You can also access a 3D model of the Ryugyong Hotel through Google Earth.

BBC photos
The BBC published some interesting photos of life in the DPRK.  See them here.

Jenkins Unplugged
An intrepid traveler ventured to Sado to speak with Jenkins. A couple of interesting new data points come out.

UPDATE 3 (2009-9-17): South Korea rules out “water attack”.  According to AFP:

South Korea’s new defence chief said Thursday there was no evidence that the sudden discharge of water from a North Korean dam which killed six southerners was a deliberate attack.

“We have no solid information to say the discharge was for a water attack,” Kim Tae-Young, appointed defence minister on September 3, said in a report to parliament.

He said the dam’s floodgates were opened after it was full of water.

The report tallies with accounts by the North, which said a sudden surge in the dam’s water level prompted an “emergency” release. Seoul officials had previously questioned the explanation of the incident which has strained cross-border relations.

In a related development Thursday, North Korea accepted a protest letter sent by South Korea’s parliament speaker Kim Hyong-O to his northern counterpart, Choe Thae-Bok, calling for a “sincere” apology from its neighbour and a full explanation.

He also suggested that Pyongyang should allow South Korean lawmakers to visit the site for an investigation. There was no immediate response from the communist country.

UPDATE 2 (2009-9-12): North Korean soldiers scouted the Imjin area before the water release.  According to the AFP:

North Korean soldiers scouted the inter-Korean border a day before the North released millions of tonnes of water from a dam, killing six South Koreans, news reports said on Saturday.

Military officials have told legislators that about 10 North Korean soldiers left their observation post and came south close to the military demarcation line dividing the two countries, Yonhap news agency said.

“They reconnoitred the area for about two hours before they returned to the North,” a lawmaker told Yonhap.

UPDATE 1 (2009-9-10): According to Yonhap, South Korean  Unification Minister Hyun In-taek said the incident appears to have been deliberate, although it was still not clear whether it was a “water attack.”  South Korea said Thursday that it will soon decide whether to take legal action against North Korea for its unleashing of water from the dam.

ORIGINAL POST (2009-9-8): Several innocent North and South Koreans were tragically drowned this week along the banks of the Imjin River when the DPRK released approximately 40 million tons of water from its Hwanggang Dam.

According to Yonhap:

The Hwanggang Dam, some 40km north of the border, was reportedly completed in 2007 and can hold up to 400 million tons of water. More than 340mm of rain fell on the region in late August, according to the North’s state television.

The victims were about 25km south of the border when the floodwaters came.

South Korea’s alert system was also faulted. The military detected rising water levels but failed to notify the local government, leaving the campers unattended. Flood alert equipment along the riverside also failed to operate.

The Koreas have no formal accord on controlling the floodgates. Seoul has asked for pre-notification at inter-Korean talks in recent years but the two sides have not been able to settle on technical procedures.

There have been no consultations on the matter since the conservative Lee Myung-bak government came to power in Seoul last year.

If Yonhap and the BBC are correct, this is the Hwanggang Dam’s location (Google Maps). The satellite imagery is old.  More interestingly, there is another dam on the Imjin River just above the DMZ.  It is here. This adds an interesting wrinkle to the story. This means that either the second dam down river from the Hwanggang Dam was either overrun or it was also opened.

The BBC ran an interesting video story on North Korean loggers felling trees in Russia.  Of course this has been going on for a long time. However, this is the first video footage of the logging facilities that has appeared in the Western media.

According to the video, North Korea’s logging concessions are managed by a company called “Association No. 2,” which is housed in a compound in northern Tynda, Russia.  According to the story, Association No. 2 receives 35% of proceeds of logging (appx $7m) some fraction of which is repatriated to the DPRK’s Ministry of Forestry.  Using the video, I located the Association No. 2 compound on Google Earth. Here is an image:

(Click on image for larger version.  You can see it in Google Maps here.)

Additional Notes:

1. I have not been able to locate the other North Korean logging camps in Russia.  If any readers can find them, please let me know.

2.  The DPRK appointed a new Minister of Forests last October.

3. Bertil Lintner on North Koreans working in Russia.

4. Andrei Lankov on the loggers.

5. Claudia Rosette on the loggers.

6. YouTube video on NKs in Russia.

The DPRK has long been pursuing a policy of food self-sufficiency by expanding its stock of arable land via reclamation from the sea.  Below are some of the more notable land reclamation projects.

Taegye Island land reclamation project
About 20km south of Sinuiju is Taegyedo.  According to KCNA, the Taegyedo tideland constructors have recently dammed about 14 kilometers of rough sea to acquire 8,800 hectares of land.  The sea wall makes it possible to protect the farmland from salt damage. Rice has already been planted in the paddy field of 2,600 hectares. A great ring road will circle the entire project and fresh water and sea water reservoirs with shellfish and lobster farms and salt fields will be built.  Here is a Korea story about it.  Here is an image from Google Earth:

(Click on image for larger version. Coordinates: 39°50’43.01″N 124°14’3.12″E)

Sin Island (probably not as much fun as it sounds)
Prior to Taegyedo, the DPRK reclaimed the Pidansom Tideland–reclaiming 5,500 hectares from the water.  This bought Sindo County ito existance. Here is the location on Google Earth:

(Click on image for larger version. Coordinates: 39°47’38.18″N 124°28’11.11″E)

Tasado Tideland reclamation
Appx 1000 hectares.  This is my best guess for the location:

(Click on image for larger version. Coordinates: 39°49’17.18″N 124°25’52.14″E)

Kwaksan
Image from Google Earth:

(Click on image for larger version. Coordinates: 39°49’17.18″N 124°25’52.14″E)

Rather than using its comparative advantages  (via international trade and investment) to increase living standards at home, the DPRK has chosen to invest its capital in the production of agricultural goods.  Unfortunately this is yet another case where poor economic policy makes perfect political sense.