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Inha Jung (ed.) Constructing the Socialist Way of Life Mass Housing and Urbanism in North Korea With contributions by Inha Jung, Kim Young-cheol, Kim Jong-yeon, Shin Gun-soo, and Kim Mina 210 x 230 mm, 240 pages 200 images, softcover ISBN 978-3-86922-686-6 (English) EUR 28.00 May 2023. DOM publishers, Berlin

New from DOM publishers:

Inha Jung (ed.)  

Constructing the Socialist Way of Life

Mass Housing and Urbanism in North Korea

In order to pursue its policy, North Korea puts up with severe international economic sanctions, poverty, and food shortages. One wonders, how the system is still able to function. But the idea that the political for­ces of the isolated country are brainwashing their people is superficial – as testimonies from many defectors and refugees have revealed. In this new title from the Basics series, Constructing the Socialist Way of Life. Mass Housing and Urbanism in North Korea, the South Korean architectural historian Inha Jung maintains that a wide spectrum of aspects have to be taken into account, if life in North Korea is to be understood.

In contrast to other publications which focus on political and economic sciences, this title concentrates on mass housing and urban planning as a key element in North ­Korea’s material policies. Since the Korean War (1950 – 1953), state ideology has been shaping all aspects on how the population should live – from rural houses to urban settings. The publication presents the home culture in the country and tries to comprehend how North Koreans, who have largely supported the Kim family’s dictatorial political system despite the severe economic hardships, everyday life is orgainised. To this end, it uses drawings, maps, and diagrams obtained from various archives. While these are neutral forms of communication, they also convey the actual intentions of North Korean architects and planners – in contrast to what is issued in the many detailed claims that can be found in official historic literature.

Inha Jung teaches architectural history and theory at the Hanyang University (ERICA Campus, Ansan, South Korea). He completed his studies at the Seoul National University in 1987 and obtained a doctorate from the Université Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, France) in 1993. His research is focussed on modern Korean architecture and the role that architecture plays in the modernisation of Korean society.

 

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© Philipp Meuser

© Philipp Meuser