Kim Il-sung Square

Kim Il-sung Square is the principal public square in central Pyongyang, located along the north bank of the Taedong River. It functions as the site for official ceremonies, mass gatherings and military parades and is one of the city’s most important civic spaces.

The square is an open paved plaza framed by government buildings and grandstand seating used during state events; its scale and axial layout are intended for large, coordinated public displays. Pedestrian areas and access roads run along the riverfront and the square is often photographed with the Juche Tower across the water.

Named after North Korea’s founding leader, the square has been the venue for national celebrations and parades through the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Its current form reflects post-war reconstruction and later urban design projects that concentrated ceremonial space along the Taedong River.

Kim Il-sung Square sits in the P’yŏnghwa-dong district of central Pyongyang on the Taedong River’s north bank, immediately opposite the Juche Tower and close to other central government buildings.

• Access and use: Large state-organized events and military parades are staged on the square; public access for international visitors is normally only possible as part of organized tours in Pyongyang.
• Notable viewpoint: Photographic views across the Taedong River to the Juche Tower on the opposite bank provide a common composed view of the city and the square.