North Korea Travel Guide | Pyongyang Attractions

Pyongyang Metro

평양지하철（平壤地下鐵）

Location: Pyongyang

Puhung Station

Summary

Containing 16 stops and two lines, the Pyongyang Metro is one of the deepest subway systems in the world. First constructed in the 1960s, it displays a similar grand style to its predecessor in Moscow, with stops featuring elaborate murals, mosaics and sculptures alongside ornate pillars and chandeliers. Visitors can descend into the subway down an escalator with a vertical depth of over 50 metres, and tour from stop to stop while riding in the subway trains alongside local passengers.

Map

Travel Information

Tips

A standard tour of the metro goes between Puhung and Kaeson Stations, stopping at Yonggwang Station (and sometimes Tongil and Ponghwa Stations too) along the way. These are the three most grandly decorated stops.

Fees

An extended tour of the Metro costs 25 euros (also payable in Chinese yuan or USD). With such a tour it is possible to get off and see every stop on the Metro.

Best times to visit

Rush hour is a good time to visit to experience a bit of hustle and bustle.

Yonggwang Station

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History

Construction began in 1965, with stations opening from 1969 until 1972. Most of the stations were built during the 70s, but the two most grand—Puhung and Yonggwang—were opened in 1987.

Fact File

New, modern train carriages with in-built television screens and electronic stop notifications were added in 2016.

Station names and what they mean:

Hyoksin Line

Romanised Name	Chosongul Name	Hanja	Meaning
Ragwŏn	락원	樂園	Paradise
Kwangmyŏng	광명	光明	Light
Samhŭng	삼흥	三興	Three Flourishings*
Chŏnsŭng	전승	戰勝	War Victory
Hyŏksin	혁신	革新	Innovation
Kŏnsŏl	건설	建設	Construction
Hwanggŭmbŏl	황금벌	黃金벌	Golden Fields
Kŏn’guk	건국	建國	Nation Building
Kwangbok	광복	光復	Restoration

*”Three Flourishings” refers to the cultivation of the three virtues Korean education aspires to. These are the moral, intellectual, and physical (지(智)·덕(德)·체(體)). This choice of name is likely related to this station’s position next to Kim Il Sung University.

Chollima Line

Romanised Name	Chosongul Name	Hanja	Meaning
Pulgŭnbyŏl	붉은별	N/A	Red Star
Chŏnu	전우	戰友	Comrades in Arms
Kaesŏn	개선	凱旋	Triumph
T’ongil	통일	統一	Unification
Sŭngni	승리	勝利	Victory
Ponghwa	봉화	烽火	Beacon Fire
Yŏnggwang	영광	榮光	Glory
Puhŭng	부흥	復興	Revival

Kaeson Station features a bronze statue of Kim Il Sung giving his 1945 speech upon returning to Korea from Manchuria. The mural opposite the Arch of Triumph upstairs depicts the same event.

Yonggwang Station features elaborate mosaics on each side of the platform depicting Pyongyang. Standing on the platform, it is as if the viewer is positioned in the Taedong River, and looking at the East and West and sides of the river. The chandeliers are supposed to resemble fireworks above.

The mural of Kim Il Sung with factory workers at Puhung Station features a light that permanently shines onto Kim Il Sung’s face.

The logo features the Korean syllabic block “ji” (지; 地), meaning “ground”. It is the first of three blocks in “ji-ha-chol” (지하철; 地下鐵), the Korean word for “subway” or “metro”. “Ji” = ground, “ha” = under, “chol” = literally iron, but here means rail.