P'YONGYANG

capital of North Korea, on the Taedong River about 30 miles (48 km) inland from the Korea Bay of the Yellow Sea. It is reputed to be the oldest city in Korea. The ancient capital of the legendary Tangun dynasty (2333 BC) was located on the site where, according to legend, the modern city of P'yongyang was founded in 1122 BC. The city's recorded history began in 108 BC with the founding of a Chinese trading colony near P'yongyang, and the city was subsequently fortified. In 427 P'yongyang became the capital of the Koguryo kingdom, but in 668 it was captured by Chinese invaders. Later, the kings of the Koryo dynasty (9181392) made P'yongyang their secondary capital. The city fell to the Japanese in 1592 and was devastated by the Manchus in the early 17th century. The successive invasions left their mark on the Koreans, who became suspicious of all foreigners. When Korea finally opened its doors to foreigners, P'yongyang became the base of an intensive campaign to bring Christianity to Korea. More than 100 churches were built in the city, which in the 1880s was reputed to have more Protestant missionaries than any other city in Asia. During the Sino-Japanese War (189495), much of P'yongyang was destroyed. Plague followed war, and in 1895 P'yongyang was left a virtually deserted and ruined city. During the Japanese occupation of Korea (191045), P'yongyang was built up as an industrial centre. During the Korean War (195053) numerous air raids devastated P'yongyang. It was captured by United Nations forces in 1950 but subsequently was lost when Chinese communist forces entered the war. After 1953 the city was rebuilt with Soviet and Chinese assistance. A huge bronze statue of Ch'ollima, a winged horse of Korean legend, atop a high pedestal dominates the skyline of P'yongyang and symbolizes to the residents the economic progress made after the end of the Korean War. Sections of the Inner and Northern walls and Hyunmoo Gate are still standing, and several temples and pavilions that date from the Koguryo kingdom have been reconstructed in the original architectural style. Modern landmarks include the Grand Theatre; the Okryoo Hall, which contains a large banquet hall for official functions and recreation facilities for the workers; and the Moran-bong Stadium. Beneath Moran Hill, the city's main recreational centre, is a huge underground theatre. The reputed grave of the Chinese sage Kija (1122 BC), legendary founder of the city, is north of the city. P'yongyang is a major textile and food-processing centre. Coal deposits near the city provide fuel for its factories. Although silkworms are raised in North Korea, ginned cotton, raw wool, and rayon yarn used by the mills must be imported. The city also contains sugar refineries, rubber factories, ceramics factories, railroad workshops, and an arsenal. The major commercial and financial institutions are operated by the government. P'yongyang is the seat of Kim Il-sung University (1946), a medical school, and a communist university for training party leaders. Adult education is encouraged through classes taught at the factories. There are numerous institutions for opera, theatre, dance, and acrobatics, and many well-tended parks dot the city's landscape. The country's principal museums and libraries are also located in P'yongyang. Pop. (1981) 1,283,000.