At the Sci-Tech Complex


This building has it all, a copy of a long range missile, hundreds of work stations, a library for disabled and study rooms. The heart of the exposition are dioramas about local culture and wildlife as well as a shootable table of elements. The government demonstrates access to modern media and research. Sitting largely empty and many of the touch operated terminals without power this scenery leaves you disturbed as so often in the DPRK.

The center of research

The children who study here are playing propaganda games that are loaded with ideologic hints. The whole experience is biased towards the single momentum of the Juche ideology of self improvement and dedication. Remarkable nonetheless.

Hoverboards from China and coal power

In front of the huge glass palace that was recently finished under the direction of Kim Jong-Un you can try your skills riding a hoverboard. These gyroscopic little critters that are so much fun to ride were obviously imported from china. Kids are zipping around and the request to do it ourselves or even allow our guides to try it was denied with a reference to the already closed ticket counter.

You got to play by the rules. Even if no one is watching.

In the picture below you can see something that I found strange from the first day of my visit. The power for the city of Pyongyang is generated by two large coal power plants pushing out huge wades of grey smoke on either side of the city. Additionally to this external generation almost every household would stock a solar panel on the facade of the building to power the individual demand for electricity and distribute the load of power consumption more evenly. The city has suffered from blackouts at least partially during my visit. One of them being very prominent during my stay at the war museum. Even Myanmar had a safer electric grid and almost every house had a diesel powered generator on the curb of the street to provide electricity in case of emergency.