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Pyongyang

Capital and largest city of North Korea, lying in the west of the country on the Taedong River, 50 km/30 mi inland from the Yellow Sea; population (2002 est) 2,724,700, conurbation 3,171,800. It is the leading commercial, transport, and manufacturing centre of North Korea, and industries include aircraft, tractors and electrical vehicles, iron and steel, armaments, textiles, chemicals, machinery, ceramics, and rubber products.

History

According to legend, Pyongyang was founded in 1122 BC, making it the oldest city in Korea. As early as the 3rd century BC, it was the capital of the Choson kingdom. Its history has been marked by a series of invasions from China and Japan, and the Japanese occupation of the country 1910-45 gave a strong stimulus to industrial development. Following World War II, in 1948 Kim Il Sung founded the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a communist state which he ruled until his death in 1994. He was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Il.

Features Historical remains include parts of the old city walls, tombs dating from the 1st century BC, and Buddhist temples. During the Korean War of 1950-53, Pyongyang suffered massive destruction, and the re-built city is noted for its wide avenues, parks, gardens, and stadiums, as well as its large blocks of flats and offices and its underground railway system. Pyongyang is the country's leading cultural and educational centre, and prominent buildings include Kim Il Sung University (1946), Kim Hyong-chik Normal University, Pyongyang Medical Institute, the Academy of Sciences, the Korean Central Historical Museum, and a museum of fine arts.

Korea: history to 1637

North Korea

South Korea