There are very few maps available of the Pyongyang Metro. In general, tourists are not allowed to move freely through the city, so there is little need for them. This is a 1997 tourist map (Pyongyang, Foreign Languages Publishing House), although the cut-and-paste typography suggests that its origins are much older (elsewhere in the brochure, Kim Jong Il’s title has been changed from “Dear Leader” to “Great Leader” using the same method). Kwangmyong station, between Samhung and Rakwon, is not depicted as it has been closed, because it is connected to Kumsusan Memorial Palace, which is now Kim Il Sung’s mausoleum.

This next map was created by Wesley Chung (based on a Japanese map by Osamu Abe). It lists possible future extensions to the Pyongyang system. Perhaps drawing upon lessons learned from the 1971 tunneling disaster, the plan includes only one (bridge?) crossing of the Taedong, serving May Day Stadium at Rungna Islet, which appears to continue down Chongnyon Street on the south bank. There are further extensions into the northern and eastern suburbs and a joining of the two existing lines at Mangyongdae, near Kim Il Sung’s reputed birthplace. The extension to Mangyongdae from Kwangbok station on the Hyoksin line (the more northerly of the two extensions on the left) was originally scheduled for completion in October 2000.

The stations contain indicator boards, such as the one pictured below at Yonggwang. The lines are reversed: the map is not geographically correct (unless you’re looking at Pyongyang from the center of the earth). Note the metro logo, the not-in-our-lifetimes extensions at lower left and lower right, as well as the list of nearby attractions (in black) for all stations except the closed Kwangmyong. The buttons indicate the location and distance to the chosen destination.

How it works: You press the button corresponding to the name of the station you want to go to, and the path to your chosen destination lights up. For two lines, that might be overkill, but you can’t say the Pyongyang Metro isn’t user-friendly. That’s my head at the bottom.

Exercise: Compare the above maps to the official map of Pyongyang below. Note that the subway station locations are not marked. This is about the most detailed map of the city available to foreigners. Streets in Pyongyang don’t have signs, ostensibly because this would slow down a South Korean invasion.

The source for the map and the following text is the hardcover book Pyongyang (Korea Pictoral, Pyongyang, 1990). Of course, some things have changed or been added since then; for example, the Monument to the Workers’ Party Foundation is a block north of number 33, and Kumsusan Memorial Palace would be just off the map to the north of May Day Stadium. A certain South Korean newspaper copied this map from this site without attribution, so it’s probably as up-to-date as anything else out there. (Since then this map has appeared, unattributed, on lots of websites, but no one has ever asked me for permission.)

Like all North Korean maps, it omits all but the most significant detail and is not to scale. The map may be hard to read, due to both the indistinct lettering on the original map and the effects of JPEG compression. For the most part, though, you should be able to make out the following (which you can compare with Wikimapia):

Revolutionary Sites and Monuments

1. President Kim Il Sung’s birthplace at Mangyongdae
2. Korean Revolution Museum
3. Party Founding Museum
4. Chonsung Revolutionary Museum
5. Monument to Autograph of President Kim Il Sung in Speech on His Triumphal Return
6. Mangyongdae Revolutionary School
7. Chilgol Revolutionary Site
8. Monument to the Fork to Mangyongdae
9. Tower of the Juche Idea
10. Monument to the Potong River Improvement Project
11. Monument to Fallen Soldiers of the People’s Army
12. Liberation Tower
13. Friendship Tower
14. Chollima Statue
15. Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum
16. Kim Il Sung Square
17. Arch of Triumph

Centres of Science and Education

18. Kim Il Sung Higher Party School
19. Kim Il Sung University
20. Kim Chaek University of Technology
21. Kim Hyong Jik University of Education
22. Pyongyang Senior Middle School No. 1
23. University of National Economics
24. Mangyongdae Schoolchildren’s Palace
25. Pyongyang Students’ and Children’s Palace
26. Grand People’s Study House
27. University of International Affairs

Centres of Culture and Art

28. Pyongyang Circus
29. State Theatre
30. Kaeson Cinema House
31. Korean People’s Army Circus
32. Tongdaewon Cinema House
33. East Pyongyang Grand Theatre
34. Taedonggang Club for the Diplomatic Corps
35. Taedongmun Cinema House
36. Ragwon Cinema House
37. Mansudae Art Theatre
38. Mansudae Assembly Hall
39. Moranbong Theatre
40. Puksong Cinema House
41. Central House of League of Socialist Working Youth
42. Songyo Cinema House
43. Chonsung Cinema House
44. Korean Documentary Film Studio
45. Korean Scientific and Educational Film Studio
46. Korean Folklore Museum
47. Korean Art Gallery
48. Korean Central History Museum
49. Central Workers’ Hall
50. Chollima House of Culture
51. Central Youth Hall
52. TV Hall
53. Pyongyang International House of Culture
54. Pyongyang International Cinema House
55. Pyongyang Art Theatre
56. Pyongyang Grand Theatre
57. Open-Air Theatre
58. February 8 House of Culture
59. People’s Palace of Culture
60. Women’s Hall

Centres of Health and Physical Culture and Sports

61. Red Cross General Hospital of Korea
62. Pyongyang Maternity Hospital
63. Hospital of Pyongyang University of Medicine
64. Kim Man Yu Hospital
65. Kim Il Sung Stadium
66. Sosan Football Stadium
67. East Pyongyang Stadium
68. Weight Lifting Gymnasium
69. Basketball Gymnasium
70. Badminton Gymnasium
71. Ice Rink
72. Volleyball Gymnasium
73. Handball Gymnasium
74. Indoor Swimming Pool Complex
75. Combat Sports Gymnasium
76. Table-Tennis Gymnasium
77. Pyongyang Indoor Stadium
78. Rest House
79. Baseball Ground
80. Football Ground
81. Yanggakdo Football Stadium
82. May Day Stadium
83. Athletics Gymnasium

Hotels, Shops and Welfare Service Centres

84. International Communications Centre
85. International Post Office
86. Ryanggang Hotel
87. Kwangbok Department Store
88. Taedonggang Hotel
89. Ragwon Department Store
90. Ryugyong Hotel
91. Moran Noodle Restaurant
92. Moranbong Hotel
93. Raengchon Restaurant
94. Munsu Health Complex
95. Potonggang Hotel
96. West Pyongyang Hotel
97. Songyo Noodle Restaurant
98. Pyongnam Noodle Restaurant
99. Central Post Office
100. Pyongyang Underground Shop
101. Changgwangsan Hotel
102. Changgwang Health Complex
103. Chongryu Restaurant
104. Chilsong Restaurant
105. Pyongchon Noodle Restaurant
106. Pyongyang Koryo Hotel
107. Pyongyang Hotel
108. Pyongyang Station Department Store
109. Taesong Department Store
110. Pyongyang Department Store No. 2
111. Pyongyang Department Store No. 1
112. Pyongyang Children’s Department Store
113. Haebangsan Hotel
114. Sosan Hotel
115. Okryu Restaurant
116. Yanggakdo Hotel
117. Pyongyang Marine Products Department Store

Places of Natural Beauty and Historic Interest

119. Ryongwang Pavilion
120. Potong Gate
121. Pubyok Pavilion
122. Sungryong Hall
123. Chongryu Pavilion
124. Chilsong Gate
125. Choesung Pavilion
126. Hyonmu Gate
127. Ulmil Pavilion
128. Taedong Gate

Stations

129. Potonggang Station
130. West Pyongyang Station
131. Taedonggang Station
132. Pyongyang Station

home | statistics | maps | trains | photos | guidebook | trams | links | music
about this site | comments