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DPRK Cities Research Group

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In 2021, the Soongsil Institute for Peace and Unification was selected to be supported by the Humanities & Social Sciences Institute of the National Research Foundation of Korea, and subsequently established the DPRK Cities Research Group. The project carried out by this Research Group is entitled “A Study on Market-led Changes in the DPRK's Cities and the Lives of its Citizens”. The research goals and research activities are as follows.

Research Goals

A comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the market-led urban change and the lives of city dwellers in the DPRK

  • Exploration of politics, governance, economy, space, society, culture, education, women and human rights in DPRK cities

Expansion of research methods on DPRK cities

  • Application of various urban theories and use of GIS, survey, and qualitative research methods

Proposal of a plan to realign the roles of the market and the government to build a sustainable DPRK city

  • Proposals for the roles of the market and government in future DPRK cities, the roles of the South and North Korean governments, and institutional reform, through comparison with post-socialist cities in Eastern Europe, Asia and Russia.

Research Activities

Stage 1: 1st ~ 3rd year (Sep 2021 ~ May 2024)

Building a research foundation for understanding changes in DPRK cities and the lives of residents

  • Selected cities for research: Pyongyang, Chongjin, Rason, Sinuiju, Nampo, Sunchon
  • Improvement of the theoretical basis and research methodologies for the study of residents’ everyday life in each field, including urban change, politics (power and governance), economy (market), social culture, and human rights
  • Analysis of the impact of coronavirus on DPRK cities and the lives of residents

Gathering of data on the spatial characteristics and the daily life of residents for each city to be studied

  • Commencing research on urban space and citizens’ daily life in Pyongyang

In-depth analysis of changes in Pyongyang's urban space and description of the daily life of Pyongyang residents

  • Intensive observation and narrative description of the everyday life of Pyongyang residents
Stage 2: 4th ~ 6th year (June 2024 ~ May 2027)

Research on urban change and the lives of residents in the second group of research cities (Nampo, Sunchon)

  • Research on spatial changes and the daily life of residents in Nampo, as a gateway port city to the eastern and western parts of the DPRK, and Sunchon, an inland city

Research on urban change and the lives of residents in the third group of research cities (Rason, Chongjin)

  • Collection of oral data on urban residents’ lives using prior research and basic data analysis, GIS data, and in-depth interviews of people with residency experience

Comparative study between DPRK cities and cities in transition countries / Policy recommendations

  • Comparative study with cities in China, Vietnam, and Eastern Europe transition countries

Preparation for policy proposals, research results, and publication of series and data release

  • Evaluate the impact on the DPRK system of changes in DPRK cities and the daily life of city dwellers, and develop an urban governance model that reshapes the lives of North Korean city dwellers

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