North Korea is located on the northern part of the Korean peninsula whose neighboring countries are China and South Korea. It is often cited as the most militarized and most heavily guarded nation in the world. However, traveling to North Korea is not impossible if you follow a strict protocol. North Korea’s largest cities are home to more than half of the population. Urbanization has been extreme, especially in the 1950s. The people of this country are about 25 million people spread over an area of 123,138 square kilometers. Today, population movements are controlled to avoid rural exodus.

1. Pyongyang, the capital of the North

The capital of North Korea, Pyongyang is the largest city in the country and has a population of approximately 2.87 million. The number of people of the accumulation is estimated to be 3.47 million.

The traces of settlement would go back as far as two thousand years BC. Throughout its history, the capital of North Korea has been the center of many battles. During the 20th century, Pyongyang was, unfortunately, one of the peninsula’s cities most damaged by the Korean War.

The capital is today a North Korean economic, political and cultural center.

But Pyongyang is also an industrial city. On its agglomeration, the capital gathers different types of industries: light industries and heavy industries.

Things to see in Pyongyang
Besides, Pyongyang has several must-see sights such as May Day Stadium, the Tower of Juche, and Mansueto Hill. There is also the Tomb of King Tongmyong, Kim-II-Sung Triumphal Arch, or Yanggak Island Hotel Complex.

The meaning of the name Pyongyang is “quiet place”. A misleading term since the country is experiencing tensions with some of its neighboring countries, such as Japan and South Korea.

2. Hamhung, one of the largest cities in North Korea

With an estimated population of approximately 874,000 people and stretching over nearly 330 square kilometers. Hamhung is, therefore, the second-largest city in North Korea.

This city is the provincial capital of South Hamgyong. It was almost completely rebuilt after the war of 1950 – 1953. This university city is also an important industrial center. Hamgyong is specialized in the textile and chemical industries. At the university level, the main disciplines taught are Medicine and Chemistry.

What to see in Hamhung?

Visitors who own the necessary permits can visit the city’s fertilizer factory (industrial tourism). But also the Hamhung theatre where the revolutionary opera troupe performs very regularly. Other places of interest in the town are the stadium, the history museum, the discovery of the Songchon River, and why not an excursion to Mount Tonhung.

3. Chongjin

Chongjin is the third-largest city in North Korea. According to the latest census, it has a population of about 668,000. Located in North Hamgyong Province, Chongjin has initially been a former fishing town. It is currently one of the leading industrial centers and a major commercial port of North Korea.

The Chongjin region is one of North Korea’s “nature destinations”. Situated on the Sea of Japan, the Chilbo Mountains are one of the region’s tourist attractions. This mountain range offers a panoramic view worthy of a postcard. It seduces the visitors by its beautiful waterfalls or by its atypically shaped rocks. Be careful, however, with the strange laws and crazy regulations of North Korea even if the rules are problematic, you must respect them to the letter.

4. Nampo

This port city is located on the shores of Korea Bay. This former fishing village is said to have about 367,000 inhabitants today. Many industries are installed there, including shipyards specialized in shipbuilding.

Located less than an hour’s drive from the capital, there are several points of interest. For example, the dam of the West Sea. A dam whose construction took five years. This building, five kilometers wide, protects the city from floods and ensures the irrigation of the region’s fields.

It would also be possible to visit the Chongsan cooperative farm, which is located at the entrance of the city. This vast farm brings together several farming families who work on large state farms.

Tourism in Nampo
Close to the city is the Kangso hot springs. A walk along the river may be possible at some places (see with the guide in charge of the visit). Finally, Nampo is a city where the tombs of Goguryeo (Tokhung district) are located.

5. Wonsan

Located in the southeast of North Korea, Wonsan is a port city and the provincial capital of Kangwon. It is a large city with a population of about 363,000 people.

This city was founded around the 10th century during the Koguryu dynasty and is today the resting place of the party cadres and some hand-picked workers.

Economically, in addition to the port activities, the city of Wonsan is home to industrial facilities dedicated to textile production and food processing.

In terms of tourism, Wonsan is one of the leading destinations for sportsmen and women. A few kilometers from the city, you may be able to do some skiing on Mount Masik.

6. Sinuiju

Sinuiju is a border city with China. It is the provincial capital of North Pyongan Province, located in the northwest of North Korea.

The city has about 360,000 inhabitants. It is specialized in textile, wood, and metal industries.

Sinuiju in Korean means “new” Uiju. Simply because the new city has been rebuilt a few kilometers from the historic city center.

7. Tanchon

The city of Tanchon is located in South Hamgyong Province in the central-eastern part of North Korea. Three hundred forty-five thousand people inhabit it.

Due to its rich mineral resources, Tanchon has many industrial facilities.

Lead and Zinc reserves are estimated at nearly three hundred million tons. There are also magnesite and cobalt mines. Almost half of all the lead extracted in North Korea comes from the Tanchon mines. It should be noted that Tanchon is a large port city that directly overlooks the China Sea.

8. Kaechon

The city of Kaechon is located in the South Pyongan province in the northwest of the country, not far from the Chinese border. It is estimated that about 319,500 people reside in Kaechon.

The main activity of the town is metallurgy and machine tool manufacturing. This city is also known to house two prisons with rather strict detention conditions.

There are several monuments in Kaechon such as Changhamsong fortress and Songam cave.

9. Kaesong

The city of Kaesong is located only seven kilometers from the borderline with South Korea. It is located in North Hwanghae Province.

It has a population of approximately 308,400 people for a city with an area of 180 square kilometers.

The ups and downs of the North Korean economy
Note the existence of a special economic zone created in 2002 which welcomed foreign companies. These companies were, in fact, exclusively South Korean. Following the resumption of nuclear tests and the emergence of tensions between the two Koreans, Pyongyang ordered South Korean companies to leave the zone. In 2016 the hundred or so companies were finally “nationalized”, which would mark the end of the particular economic area.

North Korea is one of the countries that possess nuclear weapons. However, the development of this technology takes place in adversity and a climate of high tension.

Kaesong an essential Korean cultural center
Kaesong developed during the Koryo kingdom a little more than a thousand years ago. Today it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The traditional Korean-style houses give the city a unique charm. Kaesong was the historical capital of Korea. A town famous throughout the country for its monuments and historical places.

10. Sariwon

This North Korean city is located in the southeast of the country. It is the provincial capital of North Hwanghae Province and has a population of about 307,000.

Sariwon was historically a railway junction on the Korean peninsula. After having experienced a significant development at the very beginning of the 20th century, the city was almost completely razed to the ground by the US armed forces during the Korean War.

Today Sariwon is a city specialized in the food industry. Indeed the city is located in a large basin of agricultural land.