How did the Kim dynasty design Pyongyang?

Let's learn about one of the planet's most secretive cities. Watch over 2,400 documentaries with Curiosity Stream for free for a month by signing up at CuriosityStream.com/citybeautiful and using the code, "citybeautiful" at checkout.
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Resources:
A. This video is a synthesis of several sources. The most used was “Model City: Pyongyang” by Cristiano Bianchi, Kristina Drapic, and Pico Iyer. Other sources include:
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
www.intheblack.com/articles/2...
38northdigitalatlas.org
www.ancient.eu/Pyongyang/
Produced by Dave Amos in sunny San Luis Obispo, California.
Edited by Ryan Alva in Los Angeles, California.
Audio by Eric Schneider in cloudy Cleveland, Ohio.
Select images and video from Getty Images.
Black Lives Matter.

[@CityBeautiful]

Did I say "southeast Asia"? I meant northeast Asia. Sorry about that!

[@CAPNsaveya]

Will you make a video about building a Minecraft city or reviewing would be pretty great seeing something like that

[@TheBendablespoons]

It's ok, often times imperialist Propagandists get confused as to which group of yellow people they're supposed to be demonizing.

[@WeAreAHorde]

did you really have to repeat lies about the DPRK?

[@SouthernPrincipe]

Just wrote a comment correcting your error, but then read this comment and how you already corrected yourself. 😅 so i had to delete haha

[@sunblock8717]

@@TheBendablespoons The fuck?

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Not only is the May Day Stadium one of Asia's largest, it's actually the SECOND world's largest stadium. It used to be the largest but India stole our thunder in 2020. We will get them back

[@Checkmate07351]

Indeed supreme leader 😁

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

Need space to hold all those nationalism events where people are forced to perform

[@NIN10DOXD]

Is it true that this is where you invented Koreaball or as the western pigs call it, "basketball?"

[@RTMonitor]

That is true

[@rhino5591]

Can I join you regime supreme leader

[@BRZguy]

Painting the soviet housing was a really good idea actually. Definitely helps fix that monotone depressing look.

[@siegfried2k4]

Now it looks like new york which is equally depressing

[@Salsmachev]

I've often thought that you could get the best of both worlds by putting community murals on all the buildings. It's visually interesting, creates a sense of community identity, provides landmarks for easy navigation, and so on. Plus it could replace things like public advertising, orienting the space away from extracting value from people through rabid consumerism.

[@BRZguy]

@@Salsmachev Yes I agree! Murals would be really cool to have! Plus, it would give your city a lot of tourism. I'm particularly a fan of the Venice Art Walls which, if you aren't familiar, are remnants of the Venice Pavilion in LA. Before it was demolished, local graffiti artists pleaded with the city to keep it up for the artwork, but they compromised by leaving a couple walls and concrete structures intact, and now the city lets people repaint the graffiti on the walls once a week so they're always changing.

[@zainmudassir2964]

Brutalism at it's finest

[@Salsmachev]

@@new-lviv Ooh! I'll have to go looking for pictures! I've never actually seen it done before!

[@portugueseeagle8851]

How about a video about the reconstruction of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake?? 1700's city planning sounds interesting! 😁

[@JarrettOriginal]

yes please!

[@andrelandry548]

I guess 1755 was a bad year for building as gb burned a lot of french speaking people east of quebec

[@portugueseeagle8851]

@@andrelandry548 well let's say Lisbon suffered one 9.0 earthquake, then a giant tsunami, then a 6 day long fire and then another earthquake a week later, probably a replica, so the city had to be redesigned and the first anti-earthquake construction techniques for buildings were invented. Fascinating stuff!

[@deanc9453]

+

[@DacLMK]

Or Skopje's reconstruction after the devastating earthquake from 1963. They truly wanted to turn my city into a post-modern brutalist city of the future (and half of it was realized, just search "Skopje brutalist architecture" and you'll see what I mean).

[@jasonfleischer3622]

I would still really love to see a video on Soviet Mass transit. Not just in the Soviet Union itself but also the role that Soviet planning played in mass transit in the Warsaw Pact.

[@user-df9iy1sn9v]

I live in soviet city :)

[@prettypic444]

That Los Angeles feeling when Pyongyang has better public transit than you...

[@kainname4585]

tbf Pyongyang has pretty decent public transit which is necessary because most North Koreans can not afford a car.

[@jalpat2272]

and gonna be the same but with more homeless in a couple years and another replublican majority.

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

It's only because cars are rare in North Korea with most being made in China while the average income of North Korean Citizens is

[@slitbodmod5555]

On one hand, government with the worst human rights record by far, on the other hand trains for half a cent, starting to look pretty tempting tbh.

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

@@slitbodmod5555 Theres also no taxes in North Korea which is another bonus

[@chairmanofrussia]

Worth mentioning that wasn’t mentioned in this video: Pyongyang is designed along axes set by major boulevards, for the purpose of creating “favorable” street views. If you look through the arch of triumph towards Kim Il Sung square to the south, you see what looks like the Statue of Kim Il Sung on Mansudae leading soldiers to victory through the arch. This is almost 3 Km away from the viewpoint. That’s how carefully planned the city is. Park space is supposed to be equally distributed among each neighborhood, so I wouldn’t have trouble believing that park space is abundant. Though behind the apartment buildings that line the boulevards of North Korea cities you’ll find industrial buildings, shops and other amenities. You’ll also find a lot of one story houses similar to the ones you find in the rural areas. There may or may not be park space in those areas, which are pretty crowded. The Left bank is more historic and where the original footprint of the city is, as well as Kim Il Sung Square, whereas the right bank is newer, has more organized blocks and WAY more of those informal rural houses bundled together. The main monument on the Right bank would be the Juche Tower and the Worker’s Party Monument. The city was originally planned for 1 Million people, and the original layout was designed by (I think) planners from both Hungary and East Germany. There are multiple parts of the city that do not have a density gradient between the rural and urban areas. Specifically near tongil street and the Reunification Arch. When you pass the arch, which is just outside the city the first buildings you will see are hi-rises, and city streets at similar densities and activity to the streets found near the center of the city. There is no suburban in-between. There are other parts of the city that do this too. I would go into details about how the Districts are divided into micro districts, and how there are Union-like organizations that carefully monitor the individuals in each section, but I can’t quite remember. If you want know what life is like in the rest of the country, I would look into a report called “Pyongyang Republic” by the committee for human rights in North Korea. Another good source is the 2 Volume series “Architectural and Cultural Guide to Pyongyang.” In those books you get to see the city in details that even the tourists often don’t get to see, including the _floor plans of the apartment buildings!_

[@ulti-mantis]

I was amazed by the shot he showed at 11:24, how the buildings far away in the background serve as as symmetric background for the monument

[@seneca983]

0:53 "the world's most [...] dangerous national capital" Mogadishu: Am I a joke to you?

[@omarvi280]

I think he refered about political/diplomatical danger, not criminal/violence danger.

[@Joshlama]

As an update, in the Human Rights Watch World Report 2022, it starts with "The DPRK remains one of the most repressive countries in the world...[Kim Jong Un responded to COVID-19] with deepened isolation and repression, and maintained fearful obedience in the population through threats of execution, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, and forced hard labor in detention and prison camps." So there's your standard.

[@seneca983]

@@Joshlama WikiTravel says of Mogadishu: "As of May 2017, the city remains extremely dangerous and near suicidal for independent travelers. Armed warlords and Islamic militant factions still have a large presence in the city, and foreigners are a prime target. Do not wander the streets alone for any reason. Gunfire and random explosions are frequent. If you must venture around the city, you should be accompanied by armed and well trained security personnel and ride in an armored vehicle. These arrangements should be made in advance through private security and tactical firms which specialize in these types of environments. Most employers and governmental bodies that might send you here are well aware of the situation on the ground and will do their best to keep you safe, but your head must be on a swivel to your surroundings 24×7. Make 100% certain that any hotel accommodations that are made come with 24 hour private security, which is standard at most hotels in the city catering to foreigners. Even so, hotel bombings and suicide attacks are frequent." Things are, of course, different for locals in both Mogadishu and Pyongyang but I'd estimate that ever for them Modadishu is more dangerous. In Pyongyang you can just keep your head down so as not to attract the ire of the regime. For many North Koreans the biggest threat may often be things like starvation but if you're even allowed in Pyongyang that's probably not such a big risk.

[@Joshlama]

@@seneca983 Looking at Somalia, I think you win. Human Rights Watch World Report 2022 says of Somalia, Where Mogadishu is located: "During a year that marked the 30th anniversary of the collapse of the Somali state, domestic and international attention was focused on plans for the delayed parliamentary and presidential electoral process. Political tensions stalled reform efforts key to advancing human rights in the country, while conflict-related abuses, insecurity, and humanitarian and health crises took a heavy toll on civilians. All parties to the conflict in Somalia committed violations of international humanitarian law, some amounting to war crimes." Mogadishu actually looks like a nice city to be in, apart from everything mentioned above.

[@seneca983]

@@Joshlama "Mogadishu actually looks like a nice city to be in" Apparently it has the nickname "Pearl of the Indian Ocean".

[@tomascinnsealeach9979]

Honestly doesn't seem like a bad city, at another time of the year when the trees are in bloom I can imagine it looking quite nice!

[@trenttheb0ss430]

Satire?

[@westside213]

@@trenttheb0ss430 this whole video/comment section seems like satire haha

[@alexjohnson6192]

@@trenttheb0ss430 well-planned cities can exist in countries with lots of problems...

[@bishplis7226]

its pretty cold 90% of the year but ok

[@bishplis7226]

@@westside213 too many yanky tools watching fox news

[@hynnyoozhao656]

10:54 The footage is actually a Korean bank in mainland China, it says Hana Bank Tianjin Binhai Branch

[@lzh4950]

'Hana' is also the same name of Asiana Airlines translated into Chinese (literally meaning "Korean Asian airlines")

[@trebuh]

I was thinking "why does a bank in north korea use chinese characters'

[@bishplis7226]

dont ruin their propaganda video please, fbi paid a lot of money for this

[@buckyhermit]

If you ever do another Korean-related video, just a small pronunciation tip: J almost never has a "zh" sound. It's often a relatively hard J, like in "jog" or "Joe." So "Juche" sounds like "joo-chay" (rather than "zhoo-chay").

[@birkli2959]

In German, it was transliterated as Dschutsche

[@bishplis7226]

actually in the south it does z=j

[@siohunndai]

@@bishplis7226 Not really. Z only becomes J because Z doesn't exist in Korean.

[@Emilio_Garcia]

At 8:12 you said that North Korean plans for reunification would imply reunification under Kim rule. Instead, North Korea now (since '93) mostly focuses on reunification under a pan-national system, where both countries maintain current governments. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Point_Programme_for_Reunification_of_the_Country

[@Person01234]

Almost like what the media makes everyone think about North Korea isn't 100% accurate.

[@zyanego3170]

Reminds me on "One Country, two systems"

[@vulpes7079]

I don't think that would be very practical

[@mulethedonkey2579]

That also talks about democracy and individualism. By democracy and individualism, that means exclusively through Juche, and establishing a state that south koreans do NOT wish to be a part of. Also "peaceful and neutral." South Korea would maybe be a slightly sovereign juche puppet state, an imperial system. Why does South Korea, which does not want to be under Kim, need to be unified with North Korea? Ethnicity alone?

[@mulethedonkey2579]

They also say to "cease all manner of political disputes." By forcing everyone to be Juche. That's the only way to cease all political dispute. "Not punish political opponents", while also ceasing all political disputes, this is highly contradictory but for clear reasons. Sorry to get your hopes up about democratic unification.

[@lzh4950]

Previously thought "Kim Jong Il" was read as "Kim Jong 2" (mistaking 'Il' for 'II', the Roman numeral for '2')

[@flipo010]

The sequel

[@respectedgaming]

You can say that aswell... It's fine He was the second leader of North Korea anyways

[@kripolik]

and to make it even more confusing, "il" actually means "one" in korean

[@blitzn00dle50]

IlllllIllIIlIIIIIlIIIIIlllIlIII

[@scottgrohs5940]

Going by your logic, he should be Kim Jong III.

[@alexanderkim4889]

Great video! But I do think you could have mentioned the re-emergence of Korean architecture in Pyongyang. The government endorsed a "Korean National Style" which is essentially a mixture of traditional and modern Soviet-style architecture. A good example is the Grand People's Study House. It is an interesting philosophy toward traditional architecture, especially when compared to the South Korean approach, which is essentially more purist and less aggressive in mixing traditional and Western styles.

[@pongop]

It's mind boggling that something can be so inexpensive that the US doesn't have a unit of currency small enough. A penny is double the cost. Wow.

[@sigmaballsnetwork]

Have you heard of the Russian Ruble by any chance?

[@pongop]

@@sigmaballsnetwork Are they any relation to Barney Rubble?

[@tortellinifettuccine]

The usa does have a unit for it, you just don't know it lmao. Half pennies are a thing, and still exist.

[@pongop]

@@tortellinifettuccine Are you talking about half cents? That's no longer made or circulated as currency, but it's a collectible.

[@tortellinifettuccine]

@@pongop no, half pennies, and we very much still make them and use them.

[@anguscovoflyer95]

Pyongyang was building a third metro line in the 1970's across the river when suddenly, a part of the tunnel collapsed.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

less so now, but it is a more common occurrence than you might think... certainly, most soviet systems had their history of collapses, less so in the west, but with less proficient builders (such as in the US, where they are re-learning the technology after a long gap of no construction), or going a couple of decades earlier even in places such as Britain and France, you would from time to time hear of such Mining style accidents occurring in new tunnels... in the past decade, I remember an accident in Guadalajara, Los-Angeles, and I believe somewhere in Shanxi province PRC... have a vague feeling Montreal also had some collapse issues not that long ago in the day however this was at a level, where even the USSR did not try to hide it... and they minimized any information about technical failures

[@donovanfausette8521]

Americans: socialist buildings are so boring. American suburbs: 🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️

[@akapasokopo]

still better then a communist suburb brother

[@akapasokopo]

better dead than RED

[@anneeq008]

"one ticket costs 1/2 cent" That's INSANE!

[@Nathan-jh1ho]

And the daily salary is?

[@bruno_0902]

@@Nathan-jh1ho There is no daily salary, every citizen receives around $ 200-100 per year.

[@edwardspencer9397]

@@bruno_0902 Oh that is excellent then. Great Idea. Provides equality.

[@bruno_0902]

@@edwardspencer9397 It's a joke?

[@jenjuice432]

@@bruno_0902 I really hope so.

[@brsn2991]

yes daddy tell me more about masterplanned new cities

[@CityBeautiful]

Weird comment but point taken.

[@nutterinherbutter5080]

I never thought I would ever be alive to see this... XD

[@theprovost]

r/BrandNewSentence

[@college54114]

Perfect comment

[@noahjoo7231]

so funny lol

[@BATTIS94]

Pyongyang is super interesting! Walking through the city is super surreal. It's interesting that you mention changes in NK, I think Kim Jong Un is looking at China for inspiration. He's portrayed in official propaganda as a bearer of change and It looks like he's implementing similar measures to the ones Deng Xiaoping implemented in China. For starters, having a free market zone, investing on rural areas, decentralizing power (focusing on the provinces governments), importing cultural elements (now, for example, you see pizza places inspired in Naples), etc. I get the feel they're aiming for market socialism and that's why Kim Jong Un is much more focused on stopping the US block than Kim Jong Il ever was. The Kim-Trump reunion was supposed to be the breaking point. Btw, there are no monuments dedicated to Kim Jong Un! Just like there were almost no monuments dedicated to Kim Jong Il until he died. And the reunification monument is NOT about reunification under Kim's rule! Kim Jong Il has a bunch of speeches where he states that "The country's reunification is not a matter of settling any class contradictions within our nation or antagonism between social systems. It is the national cause of establishing the nation's sovereignty all over the country. We maintain that the north and the south join their efforts to promote co-existence, co-prosperity and common interests." as in: Two systems, one country. The monument represents the idea of a dual country coexisting as a confederation.

[@noiserabbit]

Great comment! Thank you for the insight!

[@oleroux]

Totally agree with you. Pyongyang is one of the more interesting cities I ever got the chance to visit. I really enjoyed the video. There seems to have been many new towers and areas added to the city since my tour.

[@erikthomsen4768]

Symbiosis between capitalism and preliminary stage of communism? Fascinating.

[@ianeons9278]

Not at all my guy. Deng Xiaoping was more like Mikhail Gorbachev, he moved on from hardcore Marxist-Leninism to market socialism. Kim Jong-Un on the other hand, is more like Joseph Stilinus, they say they are trying to make the country better by opening up, but in reality all the food and foreign that comes into the country is destroyed or given to Kim Jong Un.

[@wheresmyeyebrow1608]

"(now, for example, you see pizza places inspired in Naples)," Ah yes that one chef in that one restaurant you see in NK propaganda eaten by actors and foreign tourists lol

[@EatMyShortsAU]

Actually looks a lot nicer than cities in Brazil and India.

[@priyanshtiwari1191]

Come to Mumbai you will see much developed places

[@Skiamakhos]

I gotta say, those 6 floor housing blocks that are so "Soviet"? You'll find them all over Sweden, Norway & Germany too. Also France. It's just your standard "We gotta throw something up fast that people can live in" structure. Here's the thing though: high rise towers tend to become places of urban social decay, whereas 6 floors or fewer, you can look out of your window, see what's going on outside, and you're about within range of being able to shout a greeting to a neighbour. I'd sooner be in a 5 or 6 floor block than a high rise tower - unless we're talking *serious* luxury, concierge-guarded kinda place with a gym and a swimming pool.

[@LadyZeldaia]

housing blocks is not normal in Norway, only in the cities, and they are still rare there, we mostly go with older buildings or modern ones, what they mean with soviet is just concrete blocks where people live in, thats not the normal in europe lmao

[@HenryMidfields]

They've also been around in the New Towns of Japan too, called danchi. Admittedly, they're not all that hot in terms of popularity (though it's more to do with lack of updates to the buildings), but they're not exactly slums either.

[@skyrien]

Extremely informative, thank you for producing this!

[@benjaminthompson8359]

Loved this mix of history and city planning. I hope you can make more about other cities.

[@RafaelVieiraVEVO]

Great video! I'm an urban researcher from Brazil and I love the channel!

[@Jaepeg]

Thank you for this video! Combining two of my personal interests :)

[@salamista]

An idea for a video: Saigon Specifically the traffic in Saigon. The city has people mostly moving on motorbikes. But currently, they are building a subway system, and the new neighborhoods are spaced to be car-friendly. I would like to hear your opinion and predictions on how these changes might affect the traffic and the society in Saigon. Thanks for the great videos BTW

[@derkach7907]

Saigon? Pfff, never heard of that. How dare you! 😅

[@lucianorenatonevesrocha9206]

Ho Chi Minh City*

[@salamista]

@@lucianorenatonevesrocha9206 communist much?

[@TALK-is1qd]

@@lucianorenatonevesrocha9206 It's fine to call it Saigon, nobody care

[@thelonewanderer2550]

​@@lucianorenatonevesrocha9206 Saigon 💛❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛

[@WilliamCarterII]

I mean to be fair, we have a statue of various slave owners carved into a mountain haha Lots of American public squares have dead leaders too. The one closet to me in LA has a huge stature of Abraham Lincoln in a park that bares his name.

[@Salsmachev]

Plus you're surrounded by corporate advertising pretty much everywhere, from the freeway to KZbin. I doubt they advertise communism as much as we advertise capitalism.

[@WilliamCarterII]

I'd frequent San Francisco because of school and I'm always seeing the Salesforce Tower. ( mostly because of the adjacent Metro Station) I doubt that communist Nations have infrastructure named after corporations 😂

[@Salsmachev]

@@WilliamCarterII Great point! We even have to rename our famous buildings when they get bought, like Sears Tower.

[@notarabbit1752]

the crucial difference is that North Korea still has slaves. Literally, the regime enslaves 1.1 million people for forced labor. EDIT: addendum to respond to some of the replies here. Yes there is prison labor in the US which I also equate to slave labor. But this is an argument against the US prison system (which should probably be abolished in its current form). Using it as a defense of North Korea is just whataboutism. The biggest difference is that in the US we have the political tools to change these things whereas NK remains a completely authoritarian state. There are asthetic comparisons (we have statues too! look, a city!), but these comparisons only serve to soften the image of North Korea in ways that it frankly doesn't deserve.

[@sayaks12]

@@notarabbit1752 well so does the US. not that i think North Korea is better than the US (i dont really know, but i suspect not), slavery is legal in the US as a punishment for crime and penal labor is often basically slavery.

[@DenTheGodKing]

Consistently great content. Thank you.

[@salvadorhenriquez4091]

I think that if Pyongyang keeps growing, it will start to look like a city from mainland China

[@TommyD2ful]

Great video bro. Keep up the good work

[@Smittel]

you can walk around Pyongyang without realising you're in a southeast asian city, because its not a southeast asian city.

[@maxobakso123]

it literally has north in its name haha

[@mntsam1930]

Are you blind or something? He corrected his mistake in the pinned comment.

[@Smittel]

@@mntsam1930 ask me if i care

[@mntsam1930]

@@Smittel Whether you care or not is currently irrelevant to the situation. The situation of course being that you are stupid.

[@Smittel]

@@mntsam1930 you are a very special kind of person, im sure your parents are proud.

[@LayX201]

3:45 Kim Jong Un really looks like his grandfather Kim Il Sung but a less handsome version

[@ThankYou_Please]

Once you explained how many times they'd been invaded it kind of makes sense as to how alone "they" want to be.

[@vash47]

If you're interested in going deeper with the topic, watch "History of North and South Korea" by History Scope

[@pear222]

Hi, a long time Korean fan here, thanks for a great video. I am usually very against the 'nationalistic' ideas, but I really need to point something out. The idea that the Japanese Occupation of Korea industrialized it is a common argument that the Japanese Imperialists say when they try to justify the harsh conditions that the Koreans had to go through. Straight to the point, it is simply not fair for Koreans, if not downright offensive. IF there were any infrastructure left behind, it got torn up by the Korean war that happened right after. The war lasted literally more than 3 years. The picture at 4:44 was the general state of what was left of korea post korean war. They needed to be rebuilt because there were literally none left standing. If anything, South Korea was way more influenced by the US subsidies economically. Why do we say so? Because Korea's GDP growth didn't skyrocket till mid 1970s, long after the Japanese influence has worn off. Before that it was still a strictly agricultural industry with very little industry, people were literally starving back then. Frankly it can be more sensibly attributed to the industrialization efforts by then millitary dictator, Park Jung Hee, who took power in, well, 1970s. Another point is, Southern Korea was exploited for its agricultural resources, while the Northern Korea for its industry (although still mostly primary sector). Lets not forget that the Imperial Japan was starving of supplies, and rice was a very valuable resource that Southern plains in Korea was plentiful of. To be fair, North Korea had some industry left by the Japanese, which was why they had an head start on economy. It wasn't till, again, mid 1970s, where the booming Korean economy overtook North Korean GDP. The economic difference wasn't that big before 1970s anyways, and attributing South Korean growth to the Japanese Occupation, when North Korea is still struggling to this day, despite them having the same "glorious industrialization of Korea by the thankful Imperial Japanese- advantage" as South Koreans, cannot be explained by that theory. Please remember that Japan is still denying the atrocities that happened in all of Asia, to this day, despite murdering easily 2-4 times that of the Nazis, and that this is a very sensitive topic that should not be taken lightly. Again, thanks for the great video as always. Regards,

[@andrewputnam2717]

Yeah japan has been unfairly forgiven with it's war crimes and it sucks you make a great point though

[@reporterid]

While the guy (I don't know his name because I'm not subscribed) did say that during the Japanese occupation there was an industrialization of Korea, he was just making a quick summary of what happened back then. I don't believe it's fair to delve so much into details about something that wasn't even the point of the video and is talked about for just 20 seconds. You make great points and I'm sure they're all true but there probably is some context that you aren't thinking about. For example, it's never said that Korea became an industrial powerhouse thanks to that industrialization of the early 1900s: he just said it was the second most industrialized country in Asia after Japan at that time, which means everything and nothing at the same time. I mean, which asian countries could have been considered "industrialized" back then? It was probably pretty easy to reach the top of that list. He also never mentioned what happened during and after the Korean war nor he said that Korea is what it is now thanks to that early and limited Japanese industrialization so, while you're making great points, it has nothing to do with what he actually said. The guy wasn't trying to defend Japan or diminish what Koreans achieved with their own labour and ingenuity. I'm not trying to defend anybody here and Korea is a beautiful country. Maybe it's a bit cryptic what I'm about to write but you went in a place where nobody here had any intention to go to. Again, much love to Korea and its beautiful people.

[@pear222]

@@muhamadkenzo7433 Words alone means very little. Yes, nation-to-nation compensation happened (though civilian side is still disputed) but if you turn around and do things that says otherwise, how are we to believe that the apology was sincere? For example, in Germany nazi salutes and symbols are illegal, a sincere way to say that the past isn't to be forgotten. Meanwhile, Japanese 'military' still officially flies Imperial rising sun flags to this day, and throws fit whenever the very neighbours who got attacked with those flags say those are offensive. Its not just passive aggression we are speaking. Japan still holds war criminals in their shrines and their political figures actively go and pray to them for who knows whatever sinister things they are supposed to representing. Like... Why??? Japan did their apology, yes. But apology has a meaning when the behavior follows. So please, kindly do your homework too.

[@pear222]

​@@muhamadkenzo7433 We are well aware of what happened in Vietnam, but, it wasn't an invasion like what Imperial Japan did to most other countries. I do understand that atrocities still did happen by Korean Forces then, a lot of which were pretty serious. However, the scale of atrocities is on a different level to what Imperial Japan did. For example, no institutionalized, systematic versions of ethnic cleansing, torture or rape of civilians happened. It was done on the solider level by individuals, against the will of Korean Gov' who clearly told the troops to protect civilians. When such atrocities were known, they were convicted as war criminals and aptly treated. In contrast, Japan had systematic sex slavery, Eradication of entire cities, and Unit 731 dedicated to human experiments. Speaking of which, PM Abe had a public ride in a plane with the number 731 in 2013. Out of probably more than 731 numbered planes, it had to be THAT. Awfully inconsiderate, don't you think? That's how much Japan 'care' about history. If thats a Japanese way of "doing everything asked for", I don't know what to say. That is not the case of what we are doing. Is Korea still responsible for what its troops has done in Vietnam? Yes. Are we still apologizing? Yes, last time we did was 2020. Are we still trying to help? Yes. Since 1992 and we are still investing into Vietnam, per their request. So please. Do your homework.

[@pear222]

@@muhamadkenzo7433 dude, i never once said the things Korean troops done was a good thing. They are both bad. But it happened, we can't change the past. The question lies on what you are doing currently. It is one thing to say, that as a citizen of a guilty nation, to say "we are doing everything we can" and another thing to say, "that we've done enough and you are being petty", despite recent provocative actions. When the first thing your former pm Abe does after he leaves office is to go pray to the war criminal shrine, it is kinda telling what kind of attitude Japan has towards history. To be honest, I am sick and tired of this thing too. I'd love to see KR and JP to be friendly. We are very similar, in both economically and politically, towards common threats like NK or CN. We both have mature population that we have to solve. And lets be fair, despite us both hating to admit, but we are also culturally similar and ethnically similar (though I must add KR is much more related to Manchurians). I'd love to see some common blocks like EU and NATO right here in East Asia, that would be awesome. But what I don't really understand is, why Japanese has this attitude towards history. I suspect it is due to your sole political party favoring extremist right views, and that your politics like to move towards that direction. Another thing I don't understand is why the younger generation in your country like to stay silent. The only real good protest I've seen out of Japan recently was when your college students did one against Myanmar coup, but even then it was directed to foreign government instead of yours. I've visited many countries but one to JP was one of the very best. People were very friendly and caring, albeit a few haters but I understand that it was Osaka out of all places. So I do understand that the people aren't evil. I suspect it is your collective silence towards government that is at fault. Have a stronger second party. Be more politically active. Kick people out of the f-king office if they suck. That is all I wanna say. Have a good day.

[@ashishy7]

Make it a series. It's great 😊

[@mattr0103]

I actually think going to North Korea, and Pyongyang in particular, would be quite an interesting experience and I'd like to go someday

[@mickanvonfootscraymarket5520]

You have at very least, a 55 percent chance of being arrested there.

[@duckface81]

reminder that it is a very isolated country where any small sign of disobedience to the regime can be heavily punished

[@zachperkins688]

I would actually love to visit Pyongyang. It just really fascinates me.

[@hectork-l9670]

I wanted to go, but... pandemic happened. I will go when all this is over.

[@Paper304]

There are many more beautiful places than pyeongyang. I would go somewhere else that won't kill a traveler lol

[@james_holder]

It would definitely be an interesting place to visit but please don’t! All the money spent on tourism goes straight to the Kim Dynasty

[@hectork-l9670]

@@james_holder So? The people suffer enough from the sanctions that US is forcing on them. Why not spend money there? Let them have the system they want to. It's their country.

[@james_holder]

@@hectork-l9670 do you not understand that by going there you are feeding the Kim family money that they won't spend on their citizens but on military and nuclear expansion?

[@KarolaTea]

Interesting video, thanks!

[@tzlilkesemamos6357]

just want to say a big thank you about this video! I'm at the university and I'm doing a presentation about the north Korean architecture and i haven't found information about this in google and then i entered to youtube to this video and it helped me so much and gave me all the information i need. so really, thank you! it's not obvious that you do it and it's really interesting and helps university.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

6:02 Correction: Every day of Kim Il-sung's life until 1982, which was when the monument was completed. Built for his 70th birthday An interesting fact about Pyongyang is that during the early 20th century it was known as the "Jerusalem of the East" due to the big Christian (more specifically Protestant) presence within the city at the time. Yes, the churches they have there now you may find laughable because of the regime's actions, but historically on the contrary, Pyongyang was very much a Christian city Honestly I prefer Pyongyang's Arch of Triumph over the one in Paris. It's taller than the Arc de Triomphe, and not to mention there's no traffic jams

[@wayward4657]

4:56 "You can walk through many parts of Pyongyang and barely realize you're in a South-East Asian city". That's because you're not, you're in an East Asian city. SE Asia is Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and Bhutan. East Asia is China, Korea (both), Japan, and Taiwan

[@user-db2vx8fd4c]

He already adressed this in the pinned comment 9 months ago

[@nvizible]

Maaan does every single piece of media about the DPRK have to start with like 5 minutes of propaganda, cmon.

[@TheFinalByte]

Heyo, I love the vids and I'm subscribed on nebula. IDK if it's possible but it'd be cool if you could link the nebula videos here so when that part of the video hits i can be like oh yeah and just jump over there

[@Nounooon]

« The tallest unoccupied building in the world » isn’t in North Korea. Marina 101 in Dubai Marina is nearly 100m taller.

[@leandersearle5094]

Although it isn't exactly a title that's hotly contested...

[@sujannembang2559]

north korea much more better then dubai you see dubai 90%come from another country

[@Nounooon]

@@sujannembang2559 I’m missing your point

[@fatstacksfatlips8708]

@@sujannembang2559 North Korea is shit lmao

[@NoFuqinIdea]

I'm mostly surprised that Kim Jong Un finished what his father started with the Ryugyong Hotel (well, on the facade lol) instead of getting rid of it all together. It looks like the headquarters of a James Bond Villain and is a very painful reminder of the great famine of the 90s. So sorry for everyone who has to live there.

[@caiofernando]

That thing is horrific.

[@bishplis7226]

its a cell phone tower not a hotel

[@sethrawlings6237]

They really got the short end of the nationality stick at birth. Of course, there's no way to leave so we get very few stories of defectors.

[@AymanKhan]

7:28 is actually quite elegant looking. It felt like an south East Asian capital for a second 7:34 also quite pretty

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thanks

[@RealCaptainVN]

Tight sanctions really making them adapt really well with so small budget. Like really, with that much pressure, i cant even think to be able to strive that much.

[@anneeq008]

Lol if you want to see a country that does insanely well with crippling sanctions you only need to look at Iran. Their streets are IMMACULATE and they've diversified their economy really well. To say North Korea have done well is a joke....

[@RealCaptainVN]

@@anneeq008 you know that NK doesn't have much petrol, which is essential for the economy. Well, you notice that they can produce many kind of machinery, but ironically they don't have fuel for them to work. Also, pretty sure that their energy generators are very limited. Remember about that they got to cut off electricity in some place to keep the industry works? Yep, i cant list all the differences between 2 countries, but the most essential is mentioned above.

[@anneeq008]

@@RealCaptainVN that's ridiculously simplistic... With the sanctions they can't sell that oil. At least not enough to make a lucrative profit from it that would make any major difference. The sales they make is to the Chinese practically only. Even then because the Chinese hold all the cards they buy it significantly below market price. Even to their own citizens, they have to ration their oil as it's not economical for them to refine and sell it. And Iran's economy is extremely diverse. They make cars and carpets. They even sell their cars to Russia. North Korea have rockets, and that's pretty much it

[@RealCaptainVN]

@@anneeq008 it is simple. Let me make a comparision for you. Iran, has gained a lot of improvement from selling oil profit, before sanction in 2015 NK, not much valuable resources, has been embargo for about 2 decades. So, the point is iran has better advantage compare to NK. Also, as i mentioned, no power = no productivity, no fuel = no running machinery. Those are real problems to NK. And you can agree that no economy run without them. The fuel shortage in NK is terribly severe due to sanction. You compare iran with their fuel ration, but at least they still have oil and ability to refine it, thus the fuel problem is not too severe. But in NK, with a very little fuel, they cant make the economy run well obviously. Same goes with power. I know you mean a diversity in economy makes different, but from the bottom, both iran and nk, as well as every economy cant sustain or improve without power. Just, story goes different between 2 countries when one has advantage.

[@vivelarevolution2835]

@@RealCaptainVN NK do have alot of resources, most are unreachable due outdated machinary

[@danklegsjay]

It would be really handy if there always just a link to the video on Nebula in the description. Maybe set to start at the timestamp that the ad begins in KZbin? I'm a subscriber already and it's super annoying to have to go search for the video on Nebula if I want to watch the end of it when I've started watching on KZbin.

[@riventv4927]

Most dangerous capital Caracas, Bogota, Mexico city: yes, the most, the most in the world

[@isidoreaerys8745]

This was so fascinating

[@mikemikeetoo9094]

Wow I really want to go there! The metro is so beautiful!

[@vinfacts11]

Can you do a video on what happened to East Asian architecture and traditional architecture in general?

[@sch4891]

war happened

[@salvadorhenriquez4091]

Gone, reduced to atoms

[@bishplis7226]

earthquakes, fire, plaques, coupes and new building materials happened

[@LeoMkII]

They became westernized and lame :(

[@raymondjiang1399]

I hope that you can make a video about Beijing, where historical Chinese building, Soviet-style monuments and complexes, and modern skyscrapers all come together.

[@nate7645]

Please say you have an extended version on nebula at the start of the video!! i will immediately go watch it there

[@thanghauzel]

So, does this mean no one is homeless in Pyongyang??

[@SJallday13]

facts!

[@who_is_Yabets]

Yeah, even defectors admitted as such. A planned economy comes with its drawbacks, though.

[@luke.4317]

@@who_is_Yabets sanctions from all over the world , and propaganda ckmes with their drawbacks*

[@kl142000]

I'd love to see a video about underground space and how to properly utilize it. Keep up the good work!

[@shintopriestesskikyou5674]

"Kim Jong Un rules over a nation that may have the worst human rights record in the world" Britain, Mongolia, Germany, and Turkey: phew that was a close one

[@prathameshpatil6888]

You missed USA.

[@KouNagai]

While there is France russia belgium holland japan and other colonial nations which killed 10s of milions of people , i wonder why you picked mongolia a medival nation and turkey which killed 1,5 milion.

[@shintopriestesskikyou5674]

@@KouNagai Mongolia killed so many persians it took them hundereds of years to recover their population. Turkey literally ran the north atlantic slave trade for like 200 years.

[@heidirabenau511]

@@prathameshpatil6888 And China

[@StepBaum]

Awesome video cant wait to see more on nebula

[@MrEdHasibuan1996]

It's more like the economy is sanctioned, with most countries restricted to trade with North Korea.

[@diffidentiary]

Not something state department stooges are willing to ever acknowledge tbh

[@kimilsung2608]

During the famine they wanted to open their economy to the rest of the world but America said no because they wanted to use the famine in North Korea to destabilaze the country.

[@joeyknight8272]

@@kimilsung2608 proof?

[@kimilsung2608]

@@joeyknight8272 Loyal citiziens of Pyongyang in Seoul, search that up on YT

[@geomidia8998]

@@kimilsung2608 I'm going to tell daddy USA where you're hiding!!11!

[@Wuss2ns]

Fascinating! An even handed and thoughtful look. I find "new cities" that were rebuilt following the destruction of war very interesting.

[@davidgordon702]

Hell, you would love Berlin, than. That city was not finished rebuilding from the destruction of World War Two, until 1986. It is a large modern city, that puts Pyonyang to shame...

[@duckface81]

rotterdam is unique in the netherlands as a dense city that was initially designed for the car

[@PapaSeanX5]

I'm happy you mentioned the US bombed most of their population out of existence. I'm not pro NK but I love when accurate history is told objectively. This country is one of the major reasons NK is the way it is today and history should reflect such. War wasn't born in the west but it was perfected and capitalized

[@marklittle8805]

A war they started....and it is no excuse for what they did to their people in the next 70 years. This nation only exists through brute force. The South suffered the same issues and Seoul was rubble after the war. Look at modern Seoul and how they live in the South ...

[@Ivanmaradonaaa]

@@marklittle8805 hahahahahaha a gringo bitting his own tongue, hypocrite!

[@katiekawaii]

The US absolutely played a major role in the division of Korea and in the Korean War, but for the sake of historical accuracy, it's important to understand that North Korea invaded South Korea (after Kim Il Sung repeatedly petitioned the Soviet Union to support an attempt to forcibly reclaim the South). On a larger scale, of course, Korea had unfairly become a battleground for the global struggle between the US and the Soviet Union, between capitalism and communism. But once that point of invasion happened, I think the US arguably had little choice but to step up in support of their ally.

[@katiekawaii]

@@marklittle8805 Yes, that's a very important point: After the Korean War, the North was actually *more* prosperous than the South. The two countries deviated drastically over time, with the South becoming a wealthy developed country and the North becoming a poverty-stricken totalitarian one, and these wildly different trajectories are the result of what the two respective countries did _after_ the war.

[@aaaaaaaard9586]

Tell me one country in 1950 that won't do what the US did to NK when trying to win the war to defend its ally. The US was actually the most gentle belligrants in the war. SK and NK hate each other even more than the US and the Soviet Union did, and there were numerous massacres on civillians committed by both. Let me put it in this way: if there were no bombing, the entire korean peninsula could have been worshiping Kims. If the SK president Rhee had the same military arsenal as the US did, he would've nuked every single NK cities.

[@tenmiltenmil1770]

January 25th Monday 2021 Thank you for sharing this vital and valuable information ❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍♥️♥️♥️🥰🥰🥰😊😊😊🤗🤗🤗

[@josephsuh9174]

The origin myth of Dangun extends to all of Korea. His mother, the female bear, wished to become human. The sky God granted her the wish after she ate garlic (lol) for a whole month.. after which they made a baby who is the first King of Korea

[@hiraya5296]

imagine procreating with someone who smells like they ate garlic regularly for a whole month

[@kezwane9555]

@@hiraya5296 sounds hot

[@bishplis7226]

@@hiraya5296 how do you know my wife?

[@lalibelalumumba7623]

this isnt an analysis about the architecture of a city but a history briefing with some sightseeing highlights around the city everyone can see on wikipedia. the only interesting information out of 13 minutes about the architecture was that the housing quarters are heavily influenced by the soviet city-style..

[@kristoffer3000]

It's not even a history lesson, it's just straight up propaganda.

[@xBlueWolf]

Really interesting!

[@levitationstation6135]

wow great informative video.

[@user-xo9ig8kc3u]

Honestly, NK's recent 'monumental architecture' isn't bad, I'd even take it over a lot of contemporary western designs, or lack thereof.

[@luis_zuniga]

A video on Ashgabat would be interesting.

[@WillsRailfanning]

Yes yes yes please do this video immediately

[@koantao8321]

I signed up and after an initial glitch, I can watch both Curiosity Stream and Nebula channels and they are super duper! Yeah, I'm a boomer... 😄

[@AmmarRaadAly]

is it possible to get a hold of the book "On the art of Architecture" ? i can't seem to find it anyway

[@elirifai9224]

4:59 girl North Korea is far from South East Asia

[@williamrasasane364]

I was looking for this comment lmao. As a Laotian, North Korea is NOTHING like southeast Asia

[@Iamwatchinit]

Pyongyang - the only city in the world with 24/7 traffic flow of 100%

[@pongop]

I love these history heavy ones!

[@mau1353]

Your link to Curiosity Stream doesn't mention the access to Nebula you discuss in the video.

[@latenightthinker4737]

4:59 slipped a little there😂

[@Sanginius23]

funny fact: the Pyongyang Metro uses old Subway cars from Berlin. The same cars were also still in use in Berlin a few years ago.

[@kpopgrrl]

Apparently they got at least one new train in 2015

[@aaron4680]

I like those glasses alot! Where'd you get them

[@trip.8827]

Urbanisation of Rio on Brazil and the reconstruction of Lisbon after the great earthquake would be a awesome

[@rcm926]

8:26 clearly taking inspiration from Paddy's Wigwam in Liverpool

[@princessnamine100]

its weird how quick people are at describing monument squares for peoples enjoyment in the DPRK as meant for indoctrination when westerners would describe monuments like Mt. Rushmore or the numerous statues and parks dedicated to their old statesmen as simply "celebrating history/heritage."

[@joechisten7176]

3:45 It was the US who proposed trusteeship as a prerequisite to independence, not the Soviet Union. After the surrender of Japan, Korea was already in the process of forming a government. The US Military Government refused to recognize this government, and declared it to be an illegal organization.

[@kimilsung2608]

Agreed

[@thefrogbert6295]

Would love to see a video about Detroit it has so many contrasts modern buildings and bridges with historical sites falling apart. As someone from Michigan it’s amazing how much the city has changed in the last ten years. Also Detroit’s green space Belle Isle is actually bigger then Central Park in NYC until it became a State Park a few years ago it was largest city park in the US

[@TheMono313]

10:11 Nice !

[@rhysanthony]

It's so fascinating to see how the competing ideologies of the twentieth century produced such incredibly different urban environments. The obvious comparison being Single Family Housing (Sprawl) vs. Multi-Family Social Housing Blocks. Now, all around the world, we push to undo the mistakes of the last century and build New Urbanism!

[@JMiskovsky]

There was 3rd regime with mixused buildings and affordable housing which was owned by occupant. But you will be thrown in jail for propagation of said regime.

[@theholydm2040]

Commie blocks are pretty amazing though and ideal city should mostly have something similar to that

[@apestogetherstrong341]

@@theholydm2040 based commie block appreciator

[@andrewfox368]

Of course done well, the social housing blocks are far more sustainable than single-family units. And it’s a lot easier to take commie block spaces and incorporate them into new urbanism than it is to do the same with single-family.

[@mattluck2826]

I love that American cognitive dissidence when he says “ppl go to the park to get a break from the surveillance”, when not only do we barely have any public spaces but the unconscious requirement of those public spaces are that you’d spend money which advertisers use to track you. Americans are great.

[@aghomidaniel1937]

-probably an American

[@Arthur76180]

The Ice ring looks like the Metropolitan Cathedral in Brasilia

[@nickhowell3780]

My first thought too! I was sure if I read a few comments somebody would've pointed that out already

[@geomidia8998]

tão lixo quanto

[@michaellyga4726]

Oh my god he actually did it

[@awsomemodels]

3:40 wow I've never seen kim Il sung when he was younger ! He looks a lot more fit than kim jong un .

[@helenroberts1019]

Thoughts on the book A Pattern Language especially on the chapters regarding urban planning.

[@noodletribunal9793]

9:53 i just gotta say i hate the dress coat with nothing underneath fashion in north korea. that shit is grody and i am so glad i never have to see that here outside some drunk dude at 3 am at walmart here in the normal world

[@mokuu3313]

4:05 Wow! That is something they don’t tell us about the Korean War in the U.S. We know of this war, however, not to this extent

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

What the video didn’t say is that North Korea attacked first and also destroyed so much of South Korea before the south and US and UN pushed back up to North Korea

[@kimilsung2608]

@@Homer-OJ-Simpson what he also doesnt say that Syngman rhee ordered to kill anyone who was a suspected communist in South Korea and as a result like 200.000 people were killed in the South, also Americans were bombing farms, dams to starve the population, also killed a few civilians

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

@@kimilsung2608 I understand your not educated, but that happened after. But I guess it’s okay for North Korea to invade South Korea and kill thousands and thousands of civilians?!?

[@kimilsung2608]

@@Homer-OJ-Simpson Is it okay for America to bomb farms, dams to starve the peopulation and destroy cities that they come across?

[@kimilsung2608]

@@Homer-OJ-Simpson Americans also killed thousands of civlians

[@abundantchemical6335]

What is so weird about pictures of the Kim's? Have you seen Mount Rushmore? On a sacred native mountain no less. Plus public parks with statues of George Washington or paintings of him would be, while less prevalent, still not out of place. When you consider the immense trauma of having 20% of your population wiped out a bit of a cult of personality around the man defending it is pretty logical even if not ideal imo.

[@igorrovinion3782]

You got to hand it to the Kims, they were determined to not let North Korea become another generic satellite, soviet, american or whatever, so they spared no expense preserving traditional Korean culture while cultivating their Juche society.

[@ianeons9278]

"Rapidly growing city" Population in 2008: 3.2 Million Population in 2021: 2.9 Million

[@vievitelair]

Lmao they really made 300,000 people disappear

[@vievitelair]

Go on a happy summer camp**

[@justanormalguyonyoutube1098]

Decentralization. It isn't always good to focus your population in only one city.

[@kaliyuga1476]

Cringe comment

[@Wilson911]

@10:00 Fun Fact: These metro trains used to run in Berlin (called U-Bahn there, U for underground), painted bright yellow. North Korea bought them for cheap money by the late 1990s and sold their old ones to China. I can tell you, as a Berliner this sight is quite a bizarre one to me!

[@kpopgrrl]

Apparently they got at least one new train in 2015

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

most older model I saw in videos, are the blue-aquamarine old Soviet subway trains of two or three classes back from the 90s era. I am just old enough to have seen the last few of the type (albeit post-renovation)... the originals had manual doors, wooden paneling, and traditional 50w lightbulb powered lantern lights...

[@yoshimansxl]

Pyongyang is actually pretty safe xD.

[@wheresmyeyebrow1608]

Yes if you don't oust yourself as a 'traitor'

[@slackjaw2643]

Are you on drugs

[@charlesjakesamadan4008]

@@slackjaw2643 Нет, так что имейте в виду свой бизнес

[@jeffreychou3918]

@@slackjaw2643 it’s safe. The only person who makes North Korea dangerous is the government, which won’t harm you unless you commit a crime.

[@ProvenScroll]

HES BACK! YEEEAAAAHHHH

[@college54114]

1:22 that river isn’t the only thing running wide and deep