Pyongyang, October 13, 2008, Monday
Trip Start
Sep 26, 2008
1
24
31
Trip End
Oct 18, 2008
Pyongyang,
Korea Dem Peoples Rep
Saturday, August 8, 2009
01 Kaesong - Pyongyang motorway
.The real change in respect with the day before came at the outskirts of town. Just outside of Pyongyang, over the Tongil Expressway, as they seem to officially call the Pyongyang – Keasong motorway, there’s this huge arched Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification in the shape of two women dressed in traditional Korean fashion, holding a map of unified Korea. Just below the map there was an engraved inscription reading „3 daeheonjang" whose meaning I don’t know, but my guess would be it means „three charters“.
The Monument was inaugurated on August 15, 2001 to mark the 56th anniversary of the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.
The three chapters in question are the North Korean reunification programme, as laid out by Kim Jung Il, on the principles of independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity. Then there’s a ten-point programme for the achievement of the great unity of the entire nation and the proposal for founding of the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo. That would be the name for this newly-created unified state as the North suggests it
02 Pyongyang
.Right by the Monument, on either side of the motorway, there was a bus bay, or some kind of a lay-by. Most certainly, they were not there by chance. So our driver pulled over on the one on our side and we were given an opportunity to take a few pictures in this glorious sunny afternoon.
No matter what one may think about the old Kim and his immortal exploits, the Three Charters Monument is outright spectacular. As it was meant to be, I am sure. Two women, with outstretched arms are more than 30 metres high and the symbolism they convey is unmistakeable. At the foot of the monument, on either side of the motorway, there is a pair of large bronze relief slabs, each one depicting citizenry carrying torches and flags and looking forward to the unified future. If it ever comes down to it – which I am sure must one day – maybe the people in the south will dispute the ways and means of reunification as laid out by Kim, and I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if the South didn’t see eye to eye with the North every step of the way towards the final goal. Maybe they won’t even accept to live in the „Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo“ to begin with. But I can attest to it that majority of people from both sides of the border eventually would like to see their country reunified
03 Pyongyang
. They are one people, after all. Maybe there’ll be a tussle as to which shape this future country will one day adopt. But whenever they get together, and whatever common ground they find, majority on both sides wants it.And contrary to whatever the West may imply – or perhaps the regime in Pyongyang may have it believe – I realised that people of the North wanted a war with the South no more than anyone elsewhere in the world did. Which means, they don’t want it at all.
Of course, people of the North gave credit to this reunification idea to the old Kim, just as they credit him for just about everything else in the world. Maybe even a steady supply of air and sunshine. I suppose that in a country like this you are simply afraid to voice such a revolutionary idea unless you’re sitting right up on the high wire. That’s why it had to come from someone like him. But even if it had not, somebody would have had to be born sooner or later who’d be powerful enough to bring it up with impunity. It’s just the only natural thing to happen one day. That’s all.
The traffic on this particular spot was Pyongyang-like
04 Pyongyang
. Which meant no cars whatsoever and only occasionally a shabby public bus or a knackered military lorry. We practically had all the motorway for ourselves and all the usual antics we practiced on North Korean streets and roads.After that it was on the bus again and off the downtown way. Now was the moment to finally visit the Kim Il Sung Square, in all likelihood the largest open urban space in Pyongyang. We arrived there at four, into a fine, sunny Pyongyang afternoon. Whoever has seen pictures or footage from mass rallies, military parades or other political gatherings in Pyongyang, they would immediately recognise the place. This immense, paved clearing was the spot where immaculately choreographed masses marched as one, in step with a perfect rhythm and pace instilled in them during months of rigorous training and drill. This was the place where North Korea looked to appear intimidating both in its own eyes and the eyes of the rest of the world.
Today, though, there were nowhere near hundred thousand people as the square is cracked up to be capable of accommodating. Today, in this lazy afternoon, the number was closer to just one hundred. Which according to Pyongyang standards is still a crowd. There was a bunch of school kids, but also quite a few adults, as well, most of them loitering in front of the huge building to our right, the Korean Central History Museum
05 Pyongyang
. The edifice came complete with the North Korean flag, a Kim Il Sung portrait from his youngish days, a large number of floodlights arrayed in three long rows along the edge of the roof and a huge torso of a trumpeter on the roof, who presumably set the tune for the march into the bright future. The people in front of the Museum didn’t appear to be doing much. Some were just tardily milling around, and others did even less than that, either sitting on the entrance stairway or sitting on their heels on one of low surrounding walls. None of them looked a paradigm of efficiency chasing a collective norm.The square itself, apart from that relatively crowded part to our right was nearly deserted. Literally just a few cars, most of them parked anyway, and as many, or as few, passers-by. Across from where our bus was now parked, on the opposite side of the square, we could see the Grand People’s Study House, a grand looking building indeed. It was difficult to tell which one of the two mentioned dominated the setting, but if I had to make my pick, I’d go for this one. The square was inaugurated in 1954 and the Grand People’s Study House was a relatively late addition to it, coming to life in 1982. Its main function is being a library with literally millions of books in its vaults. But it also has a handy balcony where all the local bigwigs and an occasional overseas guest – though not ourselves – can clamber up to have a view over parades, rallies, dances and what have you
06 Pyongyang
.That was not all, though. To our left, there was another important building, this one being the Korean Art Gallery. By its looks, it was the least imposing one of the three, but it did sport portraits of a few comrades, the old Marx and Lenin. Its roof was rimmed with its own set of floodlights and on the roof was a huge, red party hammer-pen-and-sickle flag. All in proper style.
Just a bit behind, for the good measure, there was the North Korean Workers’ Party headquarters building. So basically this should be the place regularly frequented by the likes of the Dear Leader and his pals.
As if this was not enough, this huge square had another trump up its sleeve to add to its monumental appearance. The square sprawled along the west bank of the Daedong river and from anywhere on it you had a clear view of the Juchae Tower across the water. It was clear why the locals considered it one of the most representative landmarks of their capital. So our guides let us roam around a bit for pictures.
Having said that, we were not actually allowed to get all the way to the water
07 Pyongyang
. In order to reach the river you had to climb down a wide staircase leading to some riverside promenade. Which amounted to some hundred metres from our group, but more significantly, falling off the sight of our guides. Taught by one or two examples as of yet when I had been denied my requests, I just decided to play at fool this time and go to the river. I would face the possible consequences later. I will probably never find out whether our guides really didn’t see me disappear or they just turned a blind eye. It can really be both. Either way, I got down, all by myself, and then saw one of the most bizarre scenes in North Korea so far. From up there where our bus was parked and majority of our group lingered, one couldn’t see the riverbank. But I could see it from where I now was. And what I saw was a series of shabby looking characters angling for fish in the river. The promenade ran in all its length along another stairway, this one of exactly eight stairs, and the lowest one of them was the one washed by the river. And on it those anglers were sitting. Maybe they were just leisure anglers. But I would bet they were looking to add fish to whatever diet they had at home.For all the local odes and hymns to the river I had already mentioned, the river was in fact dirty. Even if I were no vegetarian, I can’t think of a back-hander enticing enough to persuade me to try the fish caught in the Daedong
08 Pyongyang
. However, those local guys didn’t appear to be that squeamish about it. This scene was a top prize in my camera, no doubt about it.Few minutes later, I headed back up to the square. There I saw Pim relatively close to the point of diving below sight of our guides, but apparently not sure whether to go any further. In fact, he was probably inclined to exercise self-restraint. It was my impression at least.
„Do you want to go down there?“ I asked him.
„Well, I don’t know,“ was his answer.
„I’ve just been there. There are some interesting guys trying to catch fish.“
He was unsure as to what to do.
„Want to go?“ I asked him again.
09 Pyongyang
„I don’t know if we are allowed to go,“ he said.
„I didn’t even ask. If I’d asked, they would’ve probably said no anyway,“ I said.
„You are right,“ he agreed.
„Let’s go,“ I said. „I can go again.“
And so we went.
Pim was as fascinated with the scene as I had been. Or still was. So we were taking more pictures of the anglers, then of some kind of a nearby tourist ship which nevertheless seemed infinitely moored, like „Pueblo“, for example, and also a number of boats that looked like pleasure boats with crews ranging from only one to five people, depending on their length. That was the scene right below the Kim Il Sung square, hidden from the eyes of everyone unless you got down to the river.
10 Pyongyang (photo by Pim Seuren)
When we returned a few minutes later, none seemed to notice. Or care. Our guides hardly popped an eyebrow. Back up by the bus, it didn’t look as difficult as all that. Maybe it was just that I’d been around the block a few times by now, so I was smarter than in the beginning. Either way, it worked fine. Both happy with our photographing spoils, Pim and I were now ready for wherever they would take us to next.
And next was the Party Foundation Museum.
This particular museum is officially said to be located on the southern slope of Haebang Hill. As mountains here get the honourable title of a mountain at altitudes hardly reaching hundred metres, then this particular hill probably wouldn’t qualify for more than a speed bump in some other parts of the world. Well, anyway, hill it is in Pyongyang. What is today a museum, it once used to be a building where Kim Il Sung used to work in the first period after they had thrown off the Japanese yoke and where the communists founded their party in 1945, using it all as Central Committee headquarters for a while. Then the party guys moved over to their new seat just off the Kim Il Sung Square, and this building was converted into a museum in 1970.
When we got there, we were immediately joined by a museum guide, another lady dressed in traditional Korean way. Honestly, this visit was quite boring. If I had had my say as to which museum to visit, I would’ve picked one of those at the Kim Il Sung Square. After some time, I guess, you realise you can absorb only so much of the same stuff
11 Pyongyang
. Because wherever we went, whatever we were seeing, it was always about Kim, one way or another. Blue or red wrapping, it ultimately always revealed the same package – Kim and revolution. And when you come to that point, you stop wondering altogether how much of what they tell you is true in terms of percentage. You just don’t care any more. Because you can’t listen any more.Our guide - she was nice, I can’t deny that - did her best to tell us all she must have been instructed to tell us. I am sure she did her job splendidly. But I just followed our group like a sheep and could hardly wait for this thing to come to its end.
Only occasionally there was a spark of life in the lecture we were given, and usually it had nothing to do with Kim. The thing is, the lady openly showed she liked James. OK, that in itself wouldn’t be a wonder. And James was a handsome guy, so why not? Besides, all over the world men like women and women like men. Well, usually, at least. That’s what makes this species called humankind going. But this was North Korea. Of course, I know that people here get attracted to each other every bit as much as in any other country in the world. I don’t know how they go about it in everyday life, but I would suspect roughly the same way as elsewhere
12 Pyongyang
. However, we were foreigners. Hence they were most of the time going out of their way to keep us from getting in closer touch with locals. And locals were getting out of their way to show everyone they don’t even want to get in touch with us. Yet suddenly, we had this lady – a guide in a Pyongyang museum – who in defiance of the common local wisdom openly flaunted official guidelines and clearly let on that she liked James.James was a bit embarrassed. The rest of us found it mildly amusing. At least as much as the ridiculous claim by the museum guide, which our tour guides evidently believed, or at least didn’t dare question openly, that immediately after Kim Il Sung had given up the ghost the night sky had glowed for five seconds, a branch of a willow tree had snapped broken and ten thousand magpies had crowed. And thus it was announced to the population of North Korea that their Great Leader had bitten the dust. I wonder if there are any first-hand witnesses to any of those signs in North Korea. I am sure if I had asked, they would have told me that there were witnesses all over the country. But something tells me no one would be able to jab their finger to one witness personally. Well, whatever.
And then, the visit mercifully came to an end. Our museum guide, still very nice and friendly, bid us good bye and wished us a pleasant rest of the stay in North Korea. And said to James in English:
„Good bye, pretty man!“
„Oh, stop it, please!“ James smiled, embarrassed again.
And that was it. The only thing left to go was our dinner, in yet another Pyongyang restaurant. On our way there, I noticed my first traffic lights in the city. Maybe I had seen some before, but just didn’t pay attention. They were understandably much less attractive than any of the traffic girls. So these were now the first ones I consciously registered. Of course, the lights were off. And entirely unnecessary, by the way.
At the very end of the day, back in the „Yanggakdo Gugje“ hotel, I certainly didn’t mind being again in this four-star accommodation. Or deluxe, according to North Korean standards. After rather sparing quarters the night before in Kaesong, a bit of luxury would do me no harm. I am used to sleeping in all sorts of places and travels to some parts of the world I have both visited already and will visit in the future are not a four-star affair every step of the way. They don’t routinely boast luxury left and right, and I never mind. However, I had missed electricity the night before. The most basic of basics where I come from. But evidently an amenity not everyone in North Korea has a ready access to. And some hot water would come in handy, as well. So on the whole, I was looking forward to checking in „Yanggakdo Gugje“ again.
And the country itself? Now after five days here? Well, they had this ridiculous regime. Some of the xenophobia – at least towards us foreigners - was clearly preposterous. It had to be self-serving. How else to explain it? And people clearly didn’t swim in wealth. No matter how they tried to present their country to us, it was obvious they were way behind any of the country people of our group came from. Yes, it’s true the material wealth doesn’t even begin to make you happy. I am the first one to hold with that. But some basics are just the norm of the day. Norm of the twenty first century, if you will. Some of the things we take for granted, they don’t have them here yet.
And yet, there is something else to North Korea. This Korean issue. I came to realise here in the North that things were not entirely the way they looked from the outside. The way – as Gul had put it – the western media presented them. It was clear to me that the North is much more relaxed about the whole conflict and you don’t feel the tension that you feel in the South. That certainly deflates a lot of fear from the air. Here in the North they never even mention the lack formal cease-fire. They just want the US to go home. And that’s about it.
On the whole, it was my growing impression that the West and the western media had been blowing quite a few aspects of this country out of proportion. And that it served specific interests. In fact, it is with increasing certainty that - if the Americans really left the South - I would now bet that the North would never attack. For all the claims from the West, I am increasingly certain of it. If for no other reason, then for the lack of power. What would they attack with? An ox-cart division? A steam truck battalion? But that aside, I got to be under a strong impression that no one in the North really wanted any wars against their brethren over there. Of course, it was difficult to tell what was brewing in the head of Kim jr. The guy might be slightly potty, but even if he really is, and decided to really give it a whirl, I doubt he’d ever be able to pull it off. Stronger regimes than his had fallen for lesser reasons.
If anyone asked me in this country for an advice, I’d tell them to simply open up and show visitors their side of the story. Then by the sheer virtue of openness, even if their version was just a fantasy, the nonsense about axis of evil would evaporate from people’s minds. I’d bet my bottom dollar on it.
