earticle

영어

To understand the divergent trajectories of urban development in South and North Korea, it is essential to analyze urban models of North Korea. With the assistance of neighboring socialist states, North Korean cities in the early years of the regime were developed around railway stations, incorporating assembly plazas, symbolic axes, and monumental buildings. Sinuiju serves as a representative example of this urban form, exhibiting distinct spatial transformations before and after the establishment of the North Korean regime. Today, it seeks to evolve into a major trade hub of North Korea. Against this backdrop, this study identifies the spatial characteristics of North Korean cities across different historical periods and explores potential directions for mutual urban development within the context of national unification. Sinuiju, modernized during the Japanese colonial period with the construction of its railway station, largely retained its preexisting urban structure after the regime’s establishment, developing into a model city under the socialist system. This enables an in-depth analysis of the city’s spatial evolution in comparison with its earlier urban form. Ultimately, this study identifies the characteristics of urban spaces before and after the establishment of the North Korean regime, suggests directions for future urban development, and provides insights into the public nature of socialist urban spaces.