Pyongyang - Administrative Status and Divisions

Administrative Status and Divisions

For the first few decades of North Korea’s history, Pyongyang was not officially considered the capital of the country. The regime in the North positioned itself as the sole legitimate government of the entire Korean peninsula, so until 1972, the North Korean Constitution designated Seoul as the country's capital. According to the official discourse of the time, Seoul was considered to be under the occupation of the American forces and their South Korean client. Pyongyang, in this scheme of things, was merely the provisional headquarters of the peninsula’s sole government, to be used only until the eventual liberation of Seoul. In 1972, Pyongyang was officially promoted to the status of national capital.

P'yŏngyang is divided into 18 wards (ku- or guyŏk) (the city proper) and 1 county (kun or gun).

  • Chung-guyok (중구역; 中區域)
  • Pyongchon-guyok (평천구역; 平川區域)
  • Potonggang-guyok (보통강구역; 普通江區域)
  • Moranbong-guyok (모란봉구역; 牡丹峰區域)
  • Sŏsŏng-guyŏk (서성구역; 西城區域)
  • Songyo-guyok (선교구역; 船橋區域)
  • Tongdaewŏn-guyŏk (동대원구역; 東大院區域)
  • Taedonggang-guyŏk (대동강구역; 大同江區域)
  • Sadong-guyŏk (사동구역; 寺洞區域)
  • Taesong-guyok (대성구역; 大城區域)
  • Mangyongdae-guyok (만경대구역; 萬景台區域)
  • Hyongjesan-guyok (형제산구역; 兄弟山區域)
  • Ryongsong-guyok (룡성구역; 龍城區域)
  • Samsok-guyok (삼석구역; 三石區域)
  • Ryokpo-guyok (력포구역; 力浦區域)
  • Nakrang-guyok (락랑구역; 樂浪區域)
  • Sunan-guyŏk (순안구역; 順安區域)
  • Unjong-guyok (은정구역; 恩情區域)
  • Kangdong-gun (강동군; 江東郡)

Foreign media reports in 2010 stated that Kangnam-gun, Chunghwa-gun, Sangwŏn-gun, and Sŭngho-guyŏk had been transferred to the administration of neighboring North Hwanghae province.

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