Pyongyang Metro

Supposedly the Pyongyang Metro is the world's deepest and intended to serve as a bomb shelter during times of war. The escalators down to the platform were certainly the longest I have seen.

I was curious to see whether or not we would be allowed to rub shoulders with some of the local population in an unrestricted manner. Some of the literature I have read regarding the Pyongyang Metro has suggested that everything is stage managed for the benefit of tourists, from the commuters to the arrival and departure of trains.

My conclusion is that the people we saw, from the elderly to young military personnel, were indeed going about their daily business. It would be unrealistic for the authorities to choreograph such a large number of people and trains just for our benefit.

Ticket to ride

The stations we saw were pretty much as I expected - grandly designed with sumptuous decorations and paintwork. The subway train we rode on (apparently imported from the former East Germany) was spotlessly clean, but had a slightly old-worldly feel about it.

The North Korean passengers tried their best to act nonplussed. However, I got the feeling that their apparent indifference masked fascination for the camera wielding hoard of foreigners. A few smiles were exchanged with the locals who looked smart and well dressed, although there was the unmistakable smell of unwashed bodies.

Apparently, the founder of the DPRK, Kim Il-sung dictated that all his fellow countrymen and women should take great care with their personal hygiene - easier said than done. With intermittent or non-existent water supplies in the hotels I stayed in, it was very difficult even for a privileged Western tourist to keep clean.

Next stop?

As with many of the buildings we visited, the subway stations were dimly lit, apart from areas that had a picture of one of the former leaders.

North Korean commuters

The stations we visited were relatively busy, even though we were travelling at a non-peak time. The efforts of the locals to remain indifferent and avoid eye contact at all costs was notable indeed.

Reading the daily news

I suspect that the two stations were visited were showpiece stations, displaying the best that the Pyongyang Metro has to offer. Although (as with the rest of our visit to the DPRK) the places and people we saw were tightly regulated, we still managed to glean a little more information about what goes on in this country.