The always informative 38 North blog and it’s affiliate, North Korea Economic Watch, have posted an English version of a RFA [Radio Free Asia] post about the new South Hamgyong Sci-Tech Library Science Complex in Pyongyang, North Korea.
From the Blog Post:
It is one of the most iconic buildings of the Kim Jong-un era. On the inside, it is an educational facility for science and technology, the development of which is a cornerstone of economic policy under Kim Jong-un. On the outside, the building (designed to look like a beryllium atom [four electrons]) is a showcase piece for the new style of design and architecture characteristic of the Kim Jong-un era.
In true North Korean style, which aims to establish equality across each province, it is possible that new “Sci-Tech Libraries” (과학기술도서관), based on the model complex in Pyongyang, are being constructed in each of North Korea’s provinces. I have to say “probably” because I am only aware of one new Sci-Tech Library in Hamhung, and I cannot say the plan is to build them across the country until I see them in other provinces.
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North Korea was already in the process of updating local libraries (도서관) into “Miraewon” (미래원–roughly translated as “Future Complexes”). I am unsure if this will continue, or if new libraries will be re-branded as “Sci-Tech Libraries”…
The complete blog post includes satellite and ground-level imagery.
38 North is published by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
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