A Guide to Changes in North Korea Moving Beyond Reunification
In December 2023, the DPRK announced the decision to abandon the idea of Korean Reunification.
According to this fundamental turnabout, many everyday aspects have changed in the DPRK.
Let‘s see what we can expect to see and, sadly, what we will not be able to see again as tourists once DPRK opens its border.
Korea, an ethnically homogenous nation with a splendid and intriguing culture that has thrived for 5,000 years, split into North and South almost 80 years ago. However, throughout this time, both sides have continually sought various ways to achieve the ultimate goal of a unified Korea.
Although this shocks many, the DPRK and its citizens were very happy to reunify. Previously, if you asked any guides their greatest wish; it would have been to have a unified Korea once again.
However, in December 2023, during a plenum of the Workers' Party of Korea, the DPRK leader Kim Jong Un announced that the DPRK would abandon the goal of reunification with the South, declaring that the North and South no longer constituted the same nation.
This announcement not only impacted the DPRK’s policies regarding inter-Korean relations but also led to drastic changes in the DPRK's language, culture, and society.
For example, they have changed their constitution, lyrics of the national anthem, maps and, what’s more, names of places that are quite famous as tourist sites.
Previously, when travelling North Korea, you would only ever come across the map of a unified Korea (pictured left). Now, however, you will see the Peninsula split between North and South. Something you only ever would've come across in South Korea previously.
The KCTV weather forecast's map changes before and after the abandonment of reunification.
In a classical and comprehensive DPRK tour, the Kaesong region and the Demilitarized Zone are definitely must-visits.
Heading down south from Pyongyang along the Pyongyang-Kaesong Highway - formerly also referred to as Reunification Highway - we’ll pass by several iconic structures.
These structures once represented the DPRK's pursuit and longing for reunification.
The first complex we would pass is Tongil Street. "Tongil" means "reunification" in Korean. Planned in the late 1980s, this street was initially set to be named Rangnang Street, as it lies in Rangnang District.
Entering the 1990s, with the Revolutions of 1989 in Europe and the reunification of Germany, North and South Korea enjoyed a brief honeymoon period. To welcome the “fellow patriots from the south” after the reunification, Rangnang Street was renamed Tongil Street.
However, following the DPRK’s abandonment of reunification, the name reverted back to its original—Rangnang Street.
Note: As we await more information from our partners in Pyongyang, it is currently understood that visiting the DMZ on a North Korea tour will currently not be possible.
There are a few places that are named after “Tongil Street”.
Friends inside the DPRK suggested that they have got their new names as well.
The Tongil Marketplace is the first marketplace officially recognised and promoted by the government in the DPRK. It took its name from its proximity to Tongil Street. Hence, now its new name is “The Market Place of Rangnang Street.”
Additionally, Tongil Street 1 and 2 Dong (neighbourhood) have been restructured to the once-abandoned Tosong 1, 2, and 3 Dong.
“Tosong” means “the fortress made of dirt” in Korean, commemorating the Rangnang Tosong, a representative archaeological excavation of the ancient Rangnang Kingdom.
In 2022, the DPRK built a museum in Pyongyang to better educate people about the history of the Rangnang Kingdom and its unique culture.
Perhaps in a future tour with Koryo Tours, we can explore the mysterious Rangnang culture together.
After passing the “Rangnang Street”, we used to be welcomed by two giant Korean women in traditional garb.
That was the famous Arch of Reunification, officially known as the Monument to the 3 Charters of National Reunification.
The Arch of Reunification
The DPRK leader himself directly claimed that, as the southern gate of Pyongyang, the Arch of Reunification is an eye-sore.
Unfortunately, after late January 2024, we are no longer be able to see this symbol of the memorable era of peace and reconciliation again.
Nearly all of Koryo Tours’ DRRK tours contain the itinerary of the Pyongyang Metro, which always stands out as a highlight.
One of the stations of the Hyoksin line was named “Tongil-yok” (The reunification station). After the abandonment of reunification, there were many speculations about the renaming of this station.
When it reappeared in public view again, it surprised people with its temporary name—"Yok".
Simply "The Station"!
“The Station” (Copyright: the Russian embassy in Pyongyang)
It was not until August 2024 that the station received a new name—“Moranbong Station”—likely because it is one of the two metro stations that has access to the Moran Park.
This led to an exception for Pyongyang metro stations, as all other stations got their name under a specific revolutionary theme rather than local geographic names, making the Pyongyang Metro feel like a unique history museum.
So, maybe you can ask your local Korean guides about these changes and the public's thoughts on this exception.
Speaking of our skilled and experienced local DPRK guides, let’s discover what words we might hear from them that tourists previously wouldn’t have heard.
When visiting places like the DMZ or Mt. Kumgang, our guides were always introducing the history and current status of Korean reunification.
What we used to hear a lot is the phrase “The South Side of Korea”. It appears to be quite strange compared to the more commonly used “South Korea”.
The reason for this is that, while the English names sound the same, the two sides of Korea actually call themselves differently in the Korean language.
To put it simply, in the North, “Korean” is pronounced as “Choson”, while in the South, it is ”Hanguk”. We have introduced differences in this before, so, in previous years, it was nearly impossible to hear the term “South Korea” or other names that the south call themselves.
In the near future, what we can expect to hear are terms like “Republic of Korea” or “Puppet ROK.” These are the phrases the DPRK currently uses most often when referring to the South.
Don’t be astonished when you hear these words, for the DPRK has purged all of the phrases related to reunification in the standard Pyongyang Cultural Language.
There are also other phrases that are no longer used.
Phrases like "3,000-ri tapestry-like land" and "80 million compatriots" were banned too as a means to eliminate concepts such as "reunification", "reconciliation" and "fellow countrymen" from DPRK’s history.
This has led to a similar issue just like the exception with the names of the metro stations.
In DPRK’s national anthem, there was a line - The country of three thousand ri, so rich in silver and in gold you are, Five thousand years of your history.
Like other lyrics in the anthem, this line once featured perfect parallelism.
However, since “The country of three thousand ri” has become an outdated expression in the DPRK, it was replaced with “This world, my beautiful homeland, so rich in silver and in gold you are, Five thousand years of your history.”
When visiting DPRK’s kindergartens, schools and the Children’s Palaces with Koryo Tours, students welcome us with enthusiastic and exquisitely-prepared performances.
The first song was often “Pangapsumnida”, “Nice to Meet You” in English.
This is one of the most famous DPRK songs, featuring a lively melody and simple lyrics that quickly bring people closer together. If you want to learn some DPRK songs with less political significance, this used to be the best choice.
Although this song was initially composed for the Zainichi Koreans in Japan, it later appeared in performances during inter-Korean exchanges and the Reunions for Separated Families. This song contains some lines featuring reunification, unsurprisingly, it now faces a ban in the DPRK.
In the near future, what song will replace it when welcoming foreign tourists? Will a new version of “Pangapsumnida” emerge?
Who knows? Come travel and find out the answers for yourself!
The DPRK has announced the reopening of the Samjiyon Area in December 2024. On the first anniversary of reunification abandonment, it will be a great choice to visit the country with only "1,500-ri tapestry-like land" and explore all the changes with DPRK travel expert Koryo Tours.
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