On our third day in Pyongyang we hooked up with the other 9 members of our tour group who arrived by airplane from Beijing. All 9 are Europeans. And so we made a motley group of 1 German; 1 Austrian; 2 Portuguese; 2 Swedes; 3 Norwegians; and 1 Canadian and 1 Japanese (that’s us, Dan and Esshie, for those not following too closely). As luck would have it, we were all about the same age, and, being as were all were a bunch of people hell bent on getting to the only “Axis of Evil” with nuclear weapons, a group of hardcore characters. And since we were all from normal as opposed to “people’s” democracies and were together in however-hard-you-might-try-you-just-can’t-understand North Korea, we all immediately got on very well. And owing not a little to these guys, we had a terrific time, notwithstanding being Imperialist Aggressors and all.
平壌3日目から、飛行機で到着した他のツアー客9名と合流。9名は全員ヨーロッパ人。ドイツ人が1人、オーストリア人が1人、ポルトガル人が2人、スゥエーデン人が2人、ノルゥエー人が3人。そして、カナダ人のダン、日本人の私、という構成だった。偶然、年齢も近く、それに北朝鮮に来るだけあってキャラの濃い人間ばかり。その上、北朝鮮という理解不能な世界に身を置く、民主主義国の人間、という共通の環境も手伝って、みんなすぐ仲良くなった。この仲間がいたおかげで、今回のツアーは本当に楽しかった。
Pyongyang Metro/平壌の地下鉄
Then, with our English guide, Mr Chan, and our German guide, Mr Kim, to guide (watch?) us we were off. As an aside, these were the same guides who picked us up at Pyongyang station on the first day. Itinerary for today was the DMZ village of Panmunjom. Bｙ the way, the road to Panmunjom, despite being a major thoroughfare, was almost completely empty the whole way-no “global warming” (or whatever the kids are calling it these days) fears here. After about 2 and a half hours we finally made it to Panmunjom. No sooner had be alighted from the bus than were we given a short explanation of the place from a young soldier. Then, for reasons known only to the North Koreans, we were made to make two separate lines and filed into the bus, together with the soldier/tourist guide.
この日からは、英語ガイドのチャンさんと、ドイツ語ガイドのキムさんが私たちの案内役（監視役）となった。ちなみに、彼らは、平壌駅まで私たちを迎えに来てくれたガイドさん。この日はまず、韓国との軍事境界線がある板門店へ。ちなみに、板門店までの道は、幹線道路にもかかわらず、車がほとんど走っていない。2時間半くらい走ると、板門店に到着。バスをいったんおりて、案内役の軍人から簡単な説明をうけた。その後、なぜか2列に並ばされてバスに乗り込む。案内役の軍人もバスに乗り込んできた。
Being “environmentally friendly” in NK couldn’t be easier: no one has a car
板門店への幹線道路。北朝鮮ほどエコな国はないなあ
NK soldier/touritst guide who guided us in Panmunjom/板門店の案内をしてくれた軍人さん
The first place we saw was the spot where the armistice of the Korean War was concluded. Here they still have the actual desks used by the North Korean and UN representatives at the signing. The North Korean soldier/tourist guide’s take on it was interesting, too: “This building, built in only a few days by the magnanimous People’s Army, is where the cowardly, Imperialist Americans, hiding behind the UN flag, signed the armistice.” By the by, the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, and from then on every July 27 is “Victory Day”, a national holiday. Anyway, after returning to the bus, we were taken to the meeting place of military truce committee, housed in a building that sits astride the military demarcation line. This is a blue, one-storey meeting place with a concrete border line running out both sides of its midsection. A main meeting table is placed precisely in the middle of the building, and placed in the middle of the table are microphones, supposedly to demarcate the border for those who sit at the table. In this building you can freely cross over the border line, meaning it is the one place in North Korea where you can enter South Korea. We were also allowed here to take any pictures we desired. Unfortunately, on that day there were no South Korean soldiers on the other side of the military demarcation line, meaning that we couldn’t witness the famous “face-off” between the North and South soldiers. Sucks. Then, as we were taking pictures from a place affording a good view of the “truce building”, Esshie, being the only Japanese in the group, caught the attention of the soldier/tourist guide, and the following exchange took place:
Soldier/tourist guide: “As relations have recently worsened between the DPRK and Japan due to the nuclear issue, weren’t you scared in coming here?”
Japanese Imperialist Aggressor Esshie: “I came as a tourist, and so, no, I’m not scared.”
Soldier/tourist guide: “What do you think about the DPRK’s development of nuclear weapons?”
Japanese Imperialist Aggressor Esshie: “That does worry me. A few years ago North Korea sent a missile right over Japan. In this way, a neighbor country that is aiming for our country and developing nuclear weapons-this naturally worries everyone.”
Talk about nervous. While Esshie had a lot more she wanted to say about NK’s development of nuclear weapons, what a foreign citizen in NK can say to an armed NK soldier is, well, limited; a little too much frank criticism and this could have turned into a one-way trip. Diplomatic: that was the way to go.
最初に案内されたのが、朝鮮戦争の休戦協定の調印場。北朝鮮代表が調印した机と、国連軍代表が調印した机が並んでいる。案内役の軍人の説明によると、「北朝鮮がわずか数日間で建設したこの建物で、いくじなしの帝国主義的侵略者アメリカが、国連の旗に隠れて調印した場所」だという。ちなみに、休戦協定調印が行われたのが1953年7月27日であり、北朝鮮は以後7月27日を「勝利の日」とし、国民の休日にしている。バスに戻り、次に向かったのが、軍事境界線をまたいで建っている、軍事停戦委員会の本会議場。青い平屋建ての会議場があり、外には建物の中心あたりでコンクリートの境界線が走っている。本会議場の真ん中にはテーブルがあり、そのまた真ん中にマイクが置かれていて、それが境界線を示すんだとか。建物の中なら、境界線をまたいで韓国側に行くことができる。そして、ここでは意外にも、写真撮影の制約があまりなかった。残念ながら、この日は韓国側の兵士がおらず、北朝鮮と韓国の兵士が、境界線をはさんで睨みあっているところを見ることができなかった。本会議場を見渡せる場所で写真を撮っていると、団体客の中で唯一の日本人である私が気になったと見えて、案内役の軍人さんに質問された。
軍人：「日本と北朝鮮の関係は、最近の核問題で悪化しているのに、北朝鮮に来るのは怖くなかったのですか」
帝国主義的侵略者の私：「観光客としてなので、怖くはありませんでした」
軍人：「北朝鮮の核開発について、どう思いますか」
帝国主義的侵略者の私：「心配しています。北朝鮮は、数年前にミサイルを日本上空に飛ばしました。こんなふうに、隣国が自国を狙っていて、今度は核兵器を作ろうとしていると聞いたら、誰でも心配してしまいます。」
・・・あー緊張した。核開発については色々言いたいことがあるけれど、一国民が一軍人に何を言っても仕方ないし、北朝鮮を批判しすぎて日本に帰れなくなったらシャレにならないんで、穏便に、穏便に・・・。
Building where armistice was signed/停戦調印場
UN flag displayed when the armistice agreement was signed
休戦協定調印式で使われた国連の旗
Military truce committee’s meeting place/軍事停戦委員会の本会議場
Lonely NK soldiers/南側の軍人がいなくて、さみしそう？
Microphones representing the border/真ん中のマイクが軍事境界線
This simple concrete divider separates the countries/こんな簡単なコンクリートの線が、半島を分断している
After taking in a huge meal laden with countless side dishes at a restaurant that screamed foreigners only, we were off to see part of a large barrier/wall that separates the North and the South. With lots of greenery about the location of the wall, for an area known as having the highest tensions in the world, it’s really quite peaceful. With the aid of telescopes we were able to have a pretty good look at the South Korean side of the wall. With all the cars and the nice, modern gas stations and whatnot on the South Korean side, it was hard not to feel the sense of retarded development on the North side. We couldn’t have been the only ones to think so, either.
観光客用レストランで宮廷料理っぽいランチをとった後、北と南を分断するコンクリートの壁を見に行く。世界一緊張状態にある場所なのに、コンクリートの壁周辺は緑が多くてのどかな感じ。望遠鏡から、壁の向こう側にある韓国が見えた。韓国側は、車がいっぱい走っているし、立派なガソリンスタンドもあり、北朝鮮の発展の遅れを感じた。後で他のメンバーに聞くと、皆も全く同じ感想だったみたい。
Lunch/この日のお昼ごはん
A soldier/tourist guide on “the wall”/コンクリートの壁について説明する軍人さん
Binoculars at the ready for a looksee/双眼鏡で見えたのは・・・
“One of the most dangerous places on Earth”/物々しいコンクリートの壁
I want him on that wall!/案内役の軍人さんと記念撮影
Afterward, it was back into the bus and off to the nearby city of Kaesong. Kaesong is famous for being the cradle of Korean ginseng; it also has an old town and many historical sites from the Goryeo dynasty (first to unite the peninsula, and the etymological root of the modern “Korea”). In Kaesong we visited a Goryeo-era school and an emperor’s tomb, and then put down for the night at a historical building cum hotel in the old city. But here too the gate to the hotel was firmly shut after our arrival, making it clear that going out for a stroll was not an option. Supper that night was a Kaesong chicken for each stuffed with ginseng and glutinous rice (or, by its official name, sticky rice). For the rest of that night and the morning hot water and electricity was time limited. By this it was easy to realize that Pyongyang was a special place unlike the rest of the country-one reserved for the elite (read high-ranking party members).
その後、またバスに乗り込み、板門店の隣にある開城（ケソン）市へ。開城市は高麗人参の原産地で、また高麗時代には首都として栄えていたため、古い町並みや史跡が残る、歴史的な街でもある。開城市では、儒学の学院だった建物を復元した「高麗博物館」、そして高麗時代の皇帝のお墓を見学した後、旧市街にある歴史的建築物を使ったホテル「民俗旅館」で一泊。ここでも、入口の門は閉められ、外に出ることは許されなかった。ホテル内にあるレストランでとった夕食には、鶏丸ごと一匹に高麗人参ともち米が詰まった料理が登場した。ちなみに、この日の夜と、翌日の朝は、温水シャワーと電気が使える時間が限られて不便だった。
Goryeo museum/高麗博物館
Yawn/つまんない
Some emperor’s tomb/高麗時代の皇帝のお墓
Ginseng chiken/高麗人参入り、丸ごとチキン
NK CIA trying to look like locals/ホテルの宿泊客のふりをした、北朝鮮の諜報員？
Day 4. In the morning we left Kaesong and headed back to Pyongyang. And on that day for the first time we got to visit the Pyongyang Metro. The Metro is to be used as a shelter in times of emergency, and is thus extremely deep underground. The interior of the stations, very much like those other Soviet-era metros we’ve seen in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Uzbekistan’s Tashkent, built as they are with huge, arching ceilings and adorned with grand murals and mosaics, together with gorgeous lighting, are absolutely magnificent. The gargantuan mosaics of Kim Il Sung, however, make clear where you stand (in more ways than one). That such a luxurious, “for the people” Metro is supported by such an impoverished people, is just so North Korea. It’s a must see.
さて、4日目。朝、開城市を出発し、平壌に戻る。この日、最初に見学したのが、平壌地下鉄。有事の時はシェルターとして使われるため、かなり深い。地下鉄駅の構内は、ロシアのモスクワやサンクトペテルブルグ、またはウズベキスタンの首都タシュケントで見た、ソ連時代の地下鉄ととてもよく似ていて、ここでも、アーチ型の天井、壮大な壁面とモザイク、ゴージャスな照明がすばらしかった。壁に金日成のモザイク画が施されているところが北朝鮮らしい。どうみても一般市民は貧乏なのに、地下鉄は無駄に立派なところは、さすが北朝鮮。平壌地下鉄は、北朝鮮に来たら絶対に見逃せない、必見観光スポットだ。
Ticket gate at metro station: no automation here/地下鉄の改札口。自動改札はまだないらしい
Pyongyang’s Metro: all two lines of it/平壌地下鉄の路線は2つ
Are we there yet?/深っ！
Next stop: Workers’ Paradise Station/地下鉄構内
Just in case you forgot who’s “Da Boss”/駅構内には金日成主席のモザイク画。でかい！
Inside metro train/地下鉄車両の内部
Actual (we think) kids at the station/駅で出会った子供たち。この子たちが子供らしくてちょっと安心
Next stop Man’gyŏngdae, alleged birth place of none other than Kim Il Sung himself. The explanation we got was that this place was preserved as it was at the time of Kim Il Sung’s birth, but with everything looking very brand new, this “fact” too was very hard to square with reality. That didn’t stop hordes of locals in group tours from all taking the opportunity of immortalizing the moment on film from an on-site pro, though. There being not many chances like this, we too asked our guide if he could get the pro to take our group pic, even though this service is really for locals only. Not a bad, pic, either, if we do say so ourselves: see for yourself below.
次に訪れたのが、故･金日成主席の生家がある万景台。生家は主席が生まれた当時のまま保存されているという説明だったけれど、どうみても真新しくて、なんだかウソ臭い。ここには、朝鮮人の団体観光客もいっぱいいて、それぞれの団体が生家の前で記念写真をしていた。地元人向けの撮影サービスだけど、ツアー仲間がガイドに頼みこんで、私達も団体記念写真を撮影してもらった。出来上がった写真はこちら↓。
Local tourists--don’t they look happy!?/地元人の記念撮影風景
Not sure, but I think these guys were here twice/地元人がたくさん見学に来る
After that it was to the “Pueblo” “Spy Ship”, that the North Koreans caught whilst in its “territorial waters” in 1968 (North Korea of course claiming a 50 nautical mile territorial sea; whilst most of the rest of world agrees on 12). Although this event, the “Pueblo Incident”, occurred more than 40 years ago, the capture of the Imperialist Aggressor’s spy ship is heralded as if it happened yesterday. By this time, the guide’s blustering of American malice, etc. was just getting tedious.
次は、1968年に、北朝鮮に捕えられたアメリカのスパイ船「プエブロ号」の見学。40年も前のことなのに、帝国主義的侵略者アメリカのスパイ船を捕らえたことが、今だに誇らしいらしい。アメリカへの悪意がこもったガイドの説明に、少しうんざり。
American spy ship “Pueblo”/アメリカのスパイ船「プエブロ号」
Bullet holes/船内に残された銃撃戦の跡
Imperialist Aggressor spy stuff/帝国主義的侵略者アメリカのスパイ船は、40年前でもハイテク
It just so happened, too, that it was July 27, NK’s Korean War Memorial Day; or, as it’s known in NK, “Victory Day”, a public holiday. And so the park we were taken to was filled with picnicking locals taking in the holiday with singing and dancing. Well, those who can do the picnicking, etc. are probably not just your average Kims, but high up the Party ladder.
All were nicely decked out and seemed to be having a hell of a time, laughing away. Was thanks to this being the day that NK “beat” the Imperialist Aggressor of Imperialist Aggressors, America? What to think?
この日は7月27日、朝鮮戦争休戦記念日。北朝鮮では「勝利の日」として国民の休日となっている。次に連れて行かれた大きな公園では、ピクニックに訪れた市民が楽しそうに歌って踊っていた。この公園でピクニックできる人たちは、おそらく北朝鮮では恵まれた部類の人達なんだろうか。みんな小奇麗な服を着て、幸せそうに笑っている。アメリカに勝った記念日だから、うれしいんだろうか。ちょっと複雑な気分になる。
“Victory Day” at the park/「勝利の日」を公園で祝う人々
Next, the famed Juche Tower, or, awkwardly, the Tower of Juche Idea. At over 170 meters tall and vaguely in the shape of a giant candle, this is an attempt to embody Kim Il Sung’s very own political ideal, “Juche”, or self-reliance. For 5 Euro (what was the theme of this tower, again?) you can enter and take an elevator to the top observation platform 150 meters up, and be rewarded with a commanding view of Pyongyang. Here we were taken care of by a rather haughty, local female guide. Upon seeing Esshie, the following exchange took place:
Guide: “Well, it looks as it you are the only Asian”
Esshie: “Guilty as charged: Asian”
Guide: “Oh, is that so. And from where did you come?”
Esshie: “Japan”
Guide: (After a visible double take and false start) “…ah, really?”
After that, the guide did not fail to do her best to avoid eye contact with Esshie.
It seems that the English guides, unlike the Japanese guides who are quite familiar with Japanese, are prone to having their hatred for Japanese come directly to the fore upon suddenly coming eye to eye with these Imperialist Aggressors.
次は、主体（チュチェ）思想塔。高さが170メートルもあり、大きなろうそくのような形をしているこの塔は、金日成が創り上げた北朝鮮の政治思想、「チュチェ思想」を体現するものだとか。入場料5ユーロを支払い、中のエレベーターに乗れば、150メートルまで登り、ここから平壌市内が一望できる。ここで私達を担当したのが、高飛車な現地ガイド（女性）。彼女は私を見て一言。
ガイド：「あら、あなただけアジア人に見えるわね」
私：「私、アジア人ですよ」
ガイド：「あらそう。どこから来たの？」
私：「日本です」
ガイド：（頬がぴくっと動き）「・・・あ、あらそう」
その後、このガイドは私と一度も目を合わせようとしなかった。
日本人に慣れている日本語ガイドとは違い、英語ガイドは、突然日本人に合うと、日本人への憎しみが直に出るらしい。
Juche Tower/チュチェ思想塔
Kim Il Sung Square viewed from the Tower/塔からみた金日成広場
Better-dead-than-Imperialist-Aggressor guide/私と目を合わせなかったガイドさん
From there it was to the monument to the Korean Workers’ Party. Comprised of three towers of the hammer, the sickle, and the brush, it is intended to represent the worker, the farmer, and the intelligentsia. Being gigantic and somewhat coercive in design, it was no exceptional. Upon asking at how the design was arrived at, the guide didn’t miss a beat, proclaiming that “since the DPRK is a democracy, the design was put to the public and voted upon by the people.” Funny, then, that the design is exactly like that of the Korean Workers’ Party flag-this is democracy in one-party, one-thought NK. Inconsistent to the end, and proud of it, but did our guide really believe what he was saying?
次に、労働党の創建記念塔へ。金槌、鎌、筆のモニュメントは、それぞれ労働者、農民、インテリを表しているんだとか。そして例にもれず、こちらも巨大で威圧的なデザイン。このデザインはどうやって決めたのかと聞くと、ガイドは「北朝鮮は民主主義の国ですから、デザインは公募し、市民が投票して決めるんですよ」という答え。一党独裁、唯一思想の国なのに、こんなところで民主主義をアピールされてもねえ。矛盾だらけの答えを自信満々に述べるガイドさん。本当にそう信じているんだろうか。
Worker’s Party monument: inviting, ain’t it?/党創建記念塔
To the side of the Juche Tower and the Workers’ Party monument was a huge group of expressionless women in chimageogori (traditional) dress and men in shirt ties were doing their best imitation of folk-dancing robots. This was the annual (and, we were told, “completely voluntary”) celebratory dance held on “Victory Day”. Still, here where military and folk ballads pass for music and propaganda drama for TV, this ain’t that bad. Indeed, where there’s no internet and all reading materials are censored, what’s a girl or guy to do for entertainment?
チュチェ思想塔と労働党創建記念塔の横では、ものすごい数のチマチョゴリ姿の女性と、ネクタイを締めた男性が、無表情でもくもくとフォークダンスにいそしんでいた（しかも、説明では、全員が自主的に参加しているとか）。勝利の日には毎年行うお祝いの踊りらしい。ちなみに、北朝鮮ではエンターテイメントらしきものが一切ない。音楽と言えば、軍歌や演歌っぽい歌しかないし、テレビ番組もプロパガンダばっかり。一般市民がインターネットを使えるはずもないし、書籍類も内容は統制されているはず。まったく娯楽のない国で、一般市民は何を楽しみに生きているんだろうか。
The “all volunteer” dancers/人生、楽しいかい？
With that a full and hard day 4 came to and end. Again for supper we had what seemed like half the food in NK on our table. Who says there’s a food shortage in NK? All those rake-like people walking around-just normal, heath conscience, good socialists. How silly of us.
ハードスケジュールだった4日目が終了。この日の夕食も、食べきれないほどの皿が出てきた。北朝鮮＝食糧難というイメージを何としても払拭したいらしい。
“Lots of food in NK and don’t you forget it” dinner/毎食こんな感じ。食べきれないよ
Seems someone forgot to tell them about the whole Workers’ Paradise thingy
そして、サーブするのは必ず若くて美人のウェイトレス