Juche Tower
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The Juche Tower (officially the Tower of Juche Idea) is a monument in Pyongyang, North Korea. Completed in 1982, it is sited on the eastern bank of the River Taedong, directly opposite Kim Il Sung Square which is situated on the other side of the river. It was made to commemorate Kim Il Sung's 70th birthday. Kim Jong-il is officially credited as the tower's designer;[1] however, interviews with former North Korean officials contradict this assertion.[2]
The 170 metres (558 ft) structure is a four sided tapering 150 metre spire (the tallest one in granite) containing 25,550 blocks (365 × 70, one for each day of Kim Il Sung's life, excluding supplementary days), dressed in white stone with seventy dividers and capped with a 20 metre high, 45 ton, illuminated metal torch. It is possible to ascend the tower. It is presumed to be modeled on the Washington Monument, which it surpasses in height by less than a metre.[3]
Associated with the tower is a 30 metre (100 ft) high statue consisting of three figures—one with a hammer, one with a sickle and one with a writing brush (an idealised worker, a peasant and a "working intellectual", inspired by Worker and Kolkhoz Woman; the combination of symbols recalls the flag of the Workers' Party of Korea). There are six smaller groups, each 10 metres (30 ft) high, symbolizing other aspects of Kim Il Sung's ideology. Also close to the tower is a wall of 82 friendship plaques, apparently from foreign supporters. Around the tower there are also pavilions and water features. It is claimed that the tower has become a popular site for North Koreans.
The tower is named after the principle of Juche, developed by Kim Il Sung as a blend of autarky, self-reliance, isolationism, Korean traditionalism, and Marxism-Leninism.
Pyongyang, the capital, often experiences power shortages; however, the Juche Tower is always brightly lit to preserve symbolic strength.
[edit] Gallery
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 View from tower |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Coonan, Clifford (October 21, 2006). "Kim Jong Il, the tyrant with a passion for wine, women and the bomb". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/kim-jong-il-the-tyrant-with-a-passion-for-wine-women-and-the-bomb-421016.html. Retrieved on October 11, 2008.
- ^ Martin, Bradly K. (2004). Under The Loving Care of The Fatherly Leader. Macmillan. pp. 626. ISBN 0312322216.
- ^ McCormack, Gavan, Target North Korea: Pushing North Korea to the Brink of Nuclear Catastrophe, p. 59. Nation Books, 2004, ISBN 1560255579.
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 39°1′3.52″N 125°45′48.05″E / 39.0176444°N 125.7633472°E
