The Youth Hero Motorway (Korean청년영웅도로; Hanja青年英雄道路), also known as the Pyongyang–Nampo Motorway, is a 46.3-kilometre-long (28+34 mi) expressway in North Korea that connects the cities of Pyongyang, the capital of the country, and Nampo, a city on the coast of Korea Bay in South Pyongan Province. Construction began in November 1998, and the expressway opened in October 2000.[1] It is classified as a level 1 roadway.[2]

Youth Hero Motorway
청년영웅도로
Pyongyang–Nampo Motorway
Hero Youth Highway in DPRK.jpg
Route information
Length46.3 km[1] (28.8 mi)
ExistedOctober 2000–present
Major junctions
North endKwangbok Street, Mangyongdae-guyok, Pyongyang[1]
South endYouth Bridge, Hanggu-guyok, Nampo, South Pyongan Province[1]
Location
CountryNorth Korea
Highway system

The motorway is one of many Stakhanovite "speed battle" projects commissioned by the Workers' Party and carried out rapidly by youth brigades under difficult working conditions.[3] The project involved carrying 14 million cubic metres of earth and included over 80 irrigation structures, 50 bridges, and over 3 million cubic metres of asphalt.[4] Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il inspected the motorway and complimented the youth brigades on November 13 following its opening.

In the event of an armed conflict, the highway serves a defense purpose, allowing tank divisions of the Korean People's Army to block access to Pyongyang.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Sharpe, M. E. (2003). North Korea Handbook. Yonhap News Agency. pp. 396–397.
  2. ^ Melvin, Curtis (25 June 2009). "North Korea Uncovered - (Google Earth) - KMZ file". North Korean Economy Watch.
  3. ^ Hassig, Ralph; Oh, Kongdan (2009). The Hidden People of North Korea.
  4. ^ "Pyongyang-Nampo Motorway Completed". Korean Central News Agency. 13 October 2000. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  5. ^ Madden, Michael (August 3, 2018). "Much Ado About Kangson". Henry L. Stimson Center. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. The Pyongyang-Nampo Highway is a key southern defense route for the Pyongyang Defense Command and III Army Corps. In the event of a domestic or foreign attack (from the South) on the DPRK, the 107th and 108th Tank Divisions deploy on the highway to cut off access routes into Pyongyang.