If we make a rating of the most closed countries, then North Korea will certainly take one of the leading positions in it. For several decades, a military communist regime has reigned here, limiting the possibility of free movement within the country. Much of the local infrastructure, including roads in North Korea, is long out of date and in need of repair and restoration.
North Korea's Roads - A Glorious Legacy of Bygone Times
Back in the 40s of the last century, a developed road network was built in this country, connecting many settlements. However, a lot of time has passed since then, and the roads have remained practically unchanged. If there are changes, then only for the worse. There are several reasons for this.
- Most of the country is indented by various highlands and depressions. There are a lot of mountains, hills and ravines here. As a result, paved or concrete roads can only be found in major cities. Most of the driveways are of medium quality, broken-down primers.
- There are practically no vehicles in rural areas, so the construction of new roads is simply impractical.
- In the 90s, a number of natural disasters hit North Korea, which partially destroyed the existing transport infrastructure.
A small number of paved roads are located in the capital of the DPRK, Pyongyang, as well as other large cities. Also, the country has several highways that connect the capital with other significant points.
Quite good roads in the absence of cars
Although many paved and concrete roads were built 70 years ago, most of them are still in good condition. And the reason for this is the almost complete lack of transport. The warm climate and the absence of strong temperature changes, as well as low wear and tear of roads from transport, lead to the fact that the coating on many passages is in good condition.
Any traveler who comes to this country will be amazed at the inconsistency of the wide roads, reminiscent of an airplane runway, and the almost complete absence of any transport. The only exception is the capital - there are more cars here, although the local traffic can hardly be called busy.
Visitors are also surprised by the total absence of traffic lights. The traffic controllers control the traffic. The exception is, again, Pyongyang - here in recent years there have been many active traffic lights.
Features of the road traffic of the DPRK
It should be noted right away that it is almost impossible for a visitor to get behind the wheel of a car in North Korea. You cannot rent a car here without a driver, and you may not be allowed to use your own vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate local road customs only from the passenger seat. And they are of certain interest:
- Since there are very few cars in the country, you rarely see another car here. Therefore, local drivers never look in their rear-view mirrors. Hence the habit of those overtaking to inform about their maneuver with the help of a horn.
- If automobile transport is rare here, then pedestrians and cyclists can be found everywhere. At the same time, they, apparently, accustomed to the absence of cars as such, rarely look at the roadway. It is not customary to let pedestrians here even at pedestrian crossings, and drivers inform about their approach again with the help of sound signals.
- There is no freedom to move around the country, so there are checkpoints at all entrances to the cities. However, they allow foreign tourists to pass without any checks.
- Fuel shortages are among the many problems in North Korea. Therefore, here you will not find the usual gas stations on the roads. If they are, they are in an inconspicuous place, and it is very difficult for a visitor to find them.
Although North Korea is quite friendly to visitors, it can hardly be called a hospitable country, and for most tourists it is hardly of any interest.
