North Korea produces not only ballistic missiles - the country of the victorious ideas of Juche has its own auto industry. Quantity automotive brands and the volume of production of cars in the DPRK is very modest. Personal cars are available only to a limited circle of people - they are almost impossible to buy, and for a six-month training in a driving school, you need a recommendation from your boss.

Automotive industry North Korea originates from the auto industry of the USSR. From the 1950s until the late 1990s, all cars that were produced in the DPRK were licensed copies Soviet cars. Due to the closed nature of the country itself, data on automotive industry only limitedly available.

Opened in 1950 and to this day remaining the largest automobile enterprise in the country, the plant in Seungri (Sungri motor plant) at different times produced several types of passenger cars and a whole bunch of trucks. The enterprise is located on an area of ​​600 thousand square meters, in 1980 the plant produced about 20 thousand cars a year, but in 1996 this figure was only 150 cars. All models produced by the plant in one way or another copy cars from other countries, mainly the USSR.

Sungri 58 - copy of "GAZ-51"

So, the company to this day produces the Soviet M-20 "Victory", which in North Korea received the extravagant name "Morning Flower" (Achimkoy) and "GAZ-69", which, after the factory "modernization", began to look somewhat like an American Jeep.

Achimkoy - "Morning flower". North Korean copy of "Victory"

This version of the machine has received the corresponding name - Kaengsaeng, which roughly translates as "rely on yourself."

It is noteworthy that the same name went to a completely copied Mercedes-Benz 190E in the back of the W201, a batch of which was bought by the North Korean authorities in the late 1980s for subsequent reproduction by the country's engineers. The North Korean 190E was named Kaengsaeng 88, the main visual difference from the original was the new grille. According to some reports, North Korean experts chose not to copy the engine and equipped the model with a GAZ-69 engine. Others interesting details are the absence of a "stove" in the car and the inability to lower the windows, even manually. Despite this circumstance, road dust constantly gets into the car on the go. Based on the few images of this car available, the rear view mirror was only installed on the driver's door.

In addition, the plant produced the Jaju sedan, presumably repeating old volkswagen Jetta or Passat [^], and a whole string of two- and three-axle trucks copied from the Soviet KrAZ-256 and GAZ-51 and GAZ-63.

It is noteworthy that the GAZ engines were copied so badly that the car consumed much more gasoline than the original.

In the late 1960s, some models were moved to another enterprise - Pyongsang Auto Works. This plant later began to produce copies of KamAZ trucks.

According to bloggers, various variations are widely used in the country. Soviet trucks working on gas generators, or, in other words, on wood.

In this case, a barrel for burning logs is located in the back of the car, and the car can move at speeds up to 30 km / h. However, it is not known whether trucks are equipped with such power plants at the factory or is it a subsequent modification of "craftsmen".

The production capacity of Pyeonghwa Motors allows the production of about 10 thousand cars a year, but for most of the history of the plant's existence, the number assembled machines was 300-400 copies per year.

Changes were outlined only in 2009 - the plant produced 1.4 thousand cars. In 2010, the figure slightly decreased - to 1.3 thousand, but in 2011 it rose again (1.8 thousand cars). According to the Irkutsk autoportal 38a.ru, the company expects to export its products: the cost of the company's cars is about $7-8 thousand. So far, the plant exports part of its products only to Vietnam.

Russian auto giant AvtoVAZ has been systematically exporting cars to North Korea, and the volume of these exports looks quite weighty against the background of Pyeonghwa Motors, which is most likely the largest production in the country. Thus, AvtoVAZ delivered 350 vehicles to North Korea in 2011. Earlier, in 2008, North Korean authorities ordered 850 cars Lada. In 2009, this figure was lower - 530 cars, and in 2010 there were no orders from North Korea.

Among the imported models in North Korea, the most popular Chinese BYD F3 and Russian Lada Priora, writes the editors of bestsellingcarsblog.com. At the same time, it would seem that the logical choice of Japanese cars in the DPRK is prohibited - in connection with the personal dissatisfaction of Kim Jong Il, they decided to withdraw Japanese cars from the population. As writes " Russian newspaper", the reason for this was a broken japanese car, which blocked the path of the late leader.

"So that these Japanese cars will no longer be in our country!' said Kim Jong Il.

The small scale of the passenger car industry in North Korea is quite understandable: Personal car it is almost impossible to buy in the country if there are no certain connections with the authorities. As the Seoul Gazette writes, the formal opportunity to buy a personal car appeared in North Korea in the mid-1980s, but the price of cars significantly exceeded world prices. If this circumstance is understandable, then another requirement of the authorities is not entirely clear - to buy, maintain and refuel a personal car only for foreign currency.

The vast majority of cars in the DPRK are trucks. To drive any car here, as elsewhere, you need rights, and it is very difficult to get them, writes the Seoul Gazette. To do this, you either need to spend six months in a driving school, for admission to which you need a recommendation from your superiors and where classes last all day, and training includes a full-fledged car repair course - since the country's fleet is hopelessly outdated and constantly requires the attention of auto mechanics. All the time of study, students live in hostels. It is assumed that any owner driving license can service your car in any situation and conditions. In addition, the opportunity to pass the exam for the rights can be obtained after two years of work as an auto mechanic or driver's assistant.

In the DPRK, there are four types of rights for different categories of transport: trucks, buses, SUVs and cars. According to the classification of the DPRK authorities, driving a passenger car requires the most skills; to improve the category of rights, you need to work as a driver and pass the necessary exams.

Despite the lack of cars among the population, the leaders of the DPRK have always been provided with cars.

According to media reports, the founder of the North Korean regime, Kim Il Sung, had a fleet of 1,000 foreign cars, mostly premium and luxury. In the late 1990s, Kim Jong Il was at the center of a car scandal: the leader of the DPRK ordered 200 sedans in Germany Mercedes-Benz S-Class with money received as UN humanitarian aid. However, at present, the isolation of North Korea from the rest of the world makes it much more difficult for the country's leadership to buy expensive cars abroad.

Minibus "Samchonri". 4 doors, 11 seats, 2.4 liter Gas engine, length - 5.1 meters. Produced since 2006.

As promised earlier, I will tell you about the automotive industry of the DPRK. The mass distribution of cars in cities is an evil that is now being fought in Finland, North Korea, Sweden and other developed countries. By far the soundest course has been taken in Korea, where the President Kim Il Sung(long before they woke up from such evil in Europe!) wisely pointed out some year ago: "We limit the use of private cars. When there are a lot of cars in the city, they traffic fumes heavily pollute the atmosphere. Therefore, people in our country use the trolleybus, bus and metro more.

However, avoiding harm environment and the so-called "traffic jams" does not mean the elimination of the car, as such. This transport is technically necessary for individual needs, hence the production of civilian cars, pickups, small buses and semi-trucks should be produced.

In many large countries, billions of US dollars are spent on solving such simple problems. This big money, taken from the pockets of the masses, is thrown into the abyss by the capitalist governments into the insatiable wombs of the "bankruptcy" automobile corporations.

Great Head Comrade Kim Jong Il did not follow such a stupid path, reaching the goal relying on own forces and attracting a minimum of resources. The review presents the main part model range People's Korea recent years. In addition, advanced domestic tractor construction, the production of trucks and motorcycles are successfully operating in the DPRK.

Before the Difficult Campaign, the DPRK issued various models cars that could be used in civilian life. They require a separate review in text, so I will only point out this jeep of the Independence brand. Such a machine has been produced since 1985, having 4 driving wheels.

Passenger civilian car "Hviparam", the production of a car plant in the city of Nampo. Length 4.1 meters, 4-cylinder engine provides economical consumption gasoline. The Napo plant started operating in April 2002. The total area of ​​the territory of the enterprise was initially 104 thousand square meters, and the construction area - more than 24 thousand square meters. Four main workshops and a number of auxiliary workshops were formed in the plant.

Passenger 4-door civilian car "Khviparam-2", model 2007. Produced in the same plant in Nampo. Joint project with Chinese corporation. Length 4.8 meters, 1.8-liter petrol engine. The model is popular.

Executive car "Chunma". Auto plant in Napo, special production since 2006. 5 doors, 5 seats, sedan.

Jeep "Cuckoo-pronto", production started five years ago. 4x4, 5 doors, 5 seats, 4.8 meters, petrol engine. Nampo Automotive Plant.

Jeep "Kukushka-2", in the line of the plant in Napo since 2004. 4 x2, length 5.1 meters, 2.2 liter petrol engine. good remedy for country trips and escort in the countryside.

"Kukushka-1", together with "Fiat". Nampo factory, 5 doors, 5 seats, 4.2 meters, 1.6 liter petrol engine. When this car entered the series in 2003, it was very popular.

"Cuckoo Premium". Relatively new model 2008, Korean-Chinese project, released in Napo. 4x2, 5-door, 5-seater, length is 4.6 meters, 2.4-liter petrol engine.

Pickup "Cuckoo" - donated to workers since 2008 for out-of-town visits in the province. Sino-Korean project, also produced for export. 4x2, 4-door, 5-seater, length 5.1 meters, 2.8 petrol engine.

Another "Cuckoo-Max" pickup, launched into the line at the same time. 4x2, 4-door, 5 seats, length 5.1 meters, 2.2-liter petrol engine.

Almost all models are made not only for the needs of the DPRK, but are also exported abroad. Order real korean car you can too. All conditions and details should be found here by phone +85023814356, fax +85023814746. North Korea, Pyongyang, Pyeongchon region.

North Korea is one of the most closed mysterious countries on the planet. For many in the world, this country is of interest only from the political side. For us, at first glance, North Korea is also not particularly interesting. But, nevertheless, after seeing some of the pictures taken on the roads of this country, many of us will see familiar pictures. Which? Read on.

This country supports the Communist regime, which has been in our country for more than half a century. Once in North Korea, those who remember the USSR may think that they have returned to their past. Despite Communism in our country, during the Soviet Union, as now, everyone loved cars. The only thing that upset me was that in order to buy a car, it was necessary not only to accumulate a considerable amount, but also to wait in line for a quota of cars for ownership, which was introduced by the Soviet authorities. The same thing is happening in North Korea today.

Therefore, there is very little traffic on the roads of the country. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of this country, like us, despite prohibitions and a small salary, love cars. But unlike the USSR, on the roads of North Korea there are often expensive foreign cars, such as the Cayenne.

The largest number of various brands is traditionally located at airport parking lots. Unfortunately, not one photographer and journalist can take pictures near the airport.

It is worth noting that the country has a huge number of bicycles, which make up the bulk Vehicle Korea. There are also a lot of old cars on the roads. But, for example, in Pyongyang luxury sedans on the road is a common thing.

But despite the strict Communist regime, North Korea's capital is changing. If four years ago the roads of the city were empty, as in 60 years in St. Petersburg, today Pyongyang can be compared with the traffic of some average city in Russia.

True, it is worth paying attention that only recently traffic lights began to appear in the city. Before road traffic run by female traffic controllers.

But their presence in the city is declining due to the modernization that began in early 2014.

What cars drive on the roads of Pyongyang? 30 percent are various jeeps. 20 percent of vehicles are either new or manufactured after 2008, which are luxury sedans or SUVs.

30 percent of vehicles belong to the old fleet (Russian or Soviet cars, Swedish cars, German cars) produced from the 50s to the end of the 80s. The remaining 20 percent of cars are cheap, questionable quality, bad looking cars made in North Korea or imported from China.

The most surprising thing is that officially a car cannot be bought in this country. The machine is provided by the Party if a person is a member of it. This explains why there are so many domestic cars UAZ-469, which began to be used in Soviet years at the beginning of 1970.

For example, in Pyongyang there are a huge number of these SUVs.

Why do you think Koreans need a car? In this country, he is needed to go to special outlets for products that are issued on cards distributed by the Communist Party of the country. All shops in the country are subdivided into the type of certain goods. Therefore, in order to get a large assortment of products, Koreans have to travel to different places. Our UAZs come to their aid.

In Pyongyang, you will see these SUVs near amusement parks, in the parking lots of schools and libraries. UAZ is also common in North Korea, as well as in the USA. Why is this our domestic old SUV became so popular in the most amazing country in the world, namely in Pyongyang? The thing is that the city is located in a mountainous area. The roads in and around the city are in a terrible state. Some gas stations in the city are located in places where a passenger car cannot pass. The patency of our car is beyond doubt. Plus a small cost. That's the reason for the popularity of our SUV.

It is very difficult with fuel in the country. For many months, most cities may be out of fuel. The country's supreme leader has patented a technology for obtaining fuel while the car is moving. Most of the trucks in the provinces use this technology. For example, a special tank is installed in the back of the car, in which, like in a stove, wood is burned, which turns into coal, as a result of which carbon monoxide and hydrogen are released. These substances are then fed into the combustion chamber. diesel engine truck.

These trucks serve two purposes. First task trucks powered by strange fuels, this is the transfer of goods between two ports or numerous developing cities. Another function is to transport people through the mountains.

The main disadvantage of all these trucks is the terrible smell from the combustion of biomass.

Due to the lack of fuel and restrictions on the growth of cars in the country, there is very little road traffic. On the one hand, this is very good for the environment. But when burning strange automotive fuels, pollution is naturally several times greater than from any car that runs on modern fuels.

But that's not all that surprises about North Korea. It would be this country if there were not so many absurdities in it. So North Korea has its own car company Pyeonghwa, which is joint venture Northern and South Korea. Cars under this brand are produced in the DPRK. But surprisingly, if you drive all day in Pyongyang, you may not see a single Pyeonghwa brand car all day long. But you will find a huge number of BYD brand cars. Country that limits growth car mass, does not allow ordinary citizens to directly buy cars, but does not restrict the import of Chinese cars in order to support their domestic brand seems to be completely absurd. It seems that the import of cars into the country still remains a priority for the country.

North Korea is a great place on earth to look at cars from the 70s that have been preserved in their original form. Apart from Russian UAZ, it is common to see our old Volga on the road, which was produced by the GAZ automobile plant. This car gained the greatest popularity in the USSR as a taxi. But in North Korea this car is a luxury status. But there are also taxis in the city, although they are not particularly needed in the country, since most citizens cannot afford to ride a taxi, since most citizens live on a meager salary. Greens and yellow taxis, which travel empty in the city, are mainly needed for visiting foreigners.

North Korea is said to be a country with zero car "culture". Despite the undeveloped automotive industry and various restrictions, cars are still loved in the country. The most surprising thing is that even in the almost complete absence of Money among the population, we see that people buy very old cars, invest their whole soul in them and monitor its condition, like a road luxury foreign car. Therefore, there are a lot of old cars in the country normal condition, who drive on the roads of Korea, and do not while away their the last days at the landfill.

Yes, a totalitarian regime is the greatest evil that can be in a state. But there are also advantages. People, in connection with the desire to own a car, within the limits of their minimum family budget, do not seek to show their ambitions on the road with a luxury car. Everyone on the road is equal and respectful of each other, regardless of who drives what car.

Here are some more photos of North Korea:

Here everyone is now writing about North Korea, the most fashionable topic in recent days. This is due to the next conflict between the DPRK and the civilized world; most likely Comrade Kim Jong-un once again wants to get money) I also decided to write a short post about the realities of this country.

In general, the DPRK is a very unique place, probably there are no more states in the world with the same degree of closeness. Personally, I was going to visit North Korea a couple of years ago, but then I read the reviews of travelers and decided that in this moment there is nothing to do there, all the photo reports from there look like twin brothers. It happens because each tourist group is assigned two guards - "guides" from the local special services, who lead tourists around the country by the hand, showing regular attractions.

You will not find on the Internet high-quality pictures of any residential area on the outskirts of Pyongyang, ordinary shops, entrances and apartments, the guides simply will not let you take a picture of it all. Nevertheless, some tourists still manage to take a few photographs of the life and realities of this country on the way to the monuments of the "outstanding ideas of Juche".

In this post, I have collected a few photographs of North Korean transport. So, under the cut is a story about what people drive in the DPRK.

02. Let's start with how tourists get to North Korea. In the DPRK, there is only one airline - "Air Korea", which is engaged in all air transportation in different directions. There is regular air communication with Russia - flights fly from Vladivostok to Pyongyang and back. A few tourists and all sorts of Russian statesmen, military song and dance ensembles, as well as journalists fly on planes. Pyongyang also regularly sends Korean workers to other countries to earn hard currency to support the regime.

The Air Koryo fleet is represented mainly by old TU-204s:

03. Inside, the planes look pretty decent, although according to travelers, it’s still scary to fly, the planes are old, and besides, Air Korea traditionally tops the lists of the most unreliable airlines in the world.

04. Food on board the Air Korea liner - burger with cutlet and salad:

05. The DPRK has a fairly extensive river network and there is cargo transportation along the rivers. Barges and other ships are usually very old and look something like this:

06. In order for the sides not to be heavily upholstered during mooring, old car tires are attached to the sides of the vessel with the help of chains.

07. And another boat, also with tires. Here I really liked the deck structure with a wooden paneled door))

08. Automobile transport in North Korea is represented by a few models of cars, most of them are very old and often break down. Pictured is a Volvo 144 under repair. By the way, the DPRK has not paid off with Sweden for these "Volvos" so far.

09. You can also find old Romanian Dacias, donated or sold in the DPRK, probably even when. But these are not the oldest cars in North Korea either - on the roads there you can still see working Soviet gas-generating trucks (on firewood), which probably came to this country under Stalin.

10. Newer cars around the airport. You can have private cars in the DPRK, for example, a wealthy relative from China or Japan can give them to you. True, according to North Korean laws, in this case, he will have to donate another exactly the same car "for the state's income," in other words, to Kim Chenyn's officials.

12. In the capital of the DPRK, Pyongyang, trams and buses run. Trams tend to be very old; tourists write that these are models of some local production, but personally it seems doubtful to me, in my opinion, these are some old GDR cars:

13. Cars, as a rule, in bad condition, with peeling paint, rusty. There is no glass in the car in the back photo. It is also likely that such cars rumble a lot when moving, I think wheels are rarely turned in the DPRK.

14. The driver looks like this. It is a pity, of course, that there is not a single photo of the tram from the inside - tourists are simply not allowed there. I also liked the asterisks on board - on the sides of World War II aircraft, such asterisks denoted downed enemy aircraft; I'm even afraid to imagine what they can mean on a Pyongyang tram))

15. There are also buses in North Korea. Pyongyang specimens look something like this. In the same way as trams, they are repainted many times (with brushes by hand).

16. The interior of the bus is newer. Pay attention to the clothes of passengers - the style is stuck somewhere in the 50-60s:

17. Street traffic controllers. Traffic lights in the DPRK rarely work, and there are live traffic controllers on all roads. In other cities of the country, this work is done by men, and in the capital Pyongyang, as a rule, girls.

18. There is also a subway in Pyongyang, which consists of two lines and 17 stations. The metro was opened in 1973 and copied the Stalinist style, but through the prism of "faster, higher, stronger" - almost all Pyongyang stations are longer and taller than Moscow ones.

Metro map on the wall of one of the stations:

19. Subway trains are as old as they are ground transport, once North Korea bought them in the GDR. The train consists of 4 cars each, all trains are painted in the same red-olive livery:

20. Interesting feature wagons - the doors are opened manually and closed automatically. To open the doors from the outside, these handles are attached:

21. Boarding the car:

22. Subway passengers:

23. One of the stations. Until 2014, only 2 out of 17 stations were shown to tourists, now all are available for viewing.

Photo: Zhang Peng/LightRocket | Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket | Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us | Anthony Asael/Art in All of Us | Irina Kalashnikova | Mark / Contributor.

Here is a transport

In general, as I wrote at the beginning of the post, it is completely pointless to go to the DPRK now - you will not be allowed to see practically anything outside the tourist program, so you have to wait until either the donkey dies or the sultan dies.

Would you like to visit North Korea?

Tell me, it's interesting.

As you know, buying a personal car in North Korea is not so easy: it requires connections with the authorities. It also prevents widespread personal cars North Korean families have a strange rule: you can buy, maintain and refuel a car only for foreign currency. You can even learn to drive only on the recommendation of your superiors.

Getting a driver's license in North Korea is a particularly interesting issue: once enrolled in a driving school, students live in dormitories because classes last all day. Training includes a full course of car repair. It is believed that every driver should be able to service his car under any conditions and any situation. The main reason for this is that the car fleet in the country has long been outdated. Moreover, the opportunity to pass the exam and obtain a license is provided only to those who have worked for two years as an auto mechanic or driver's assistant.

Nevertheless, despite all the difficulties of citizens' access to cars, the country has its own auto industry: cars under the Pyeonghwa brand are produced in the DPRK, but they can rarely be found on the roads of the country. Though production capacity Pyeonghwa Motors allows to produce about 10 thousand cars a year, most often the number of cars produced per year does not exceed 300-400 copies.

However, this is not the only automobile enterprise in the country: the plant in Seungri (Sungri motor plant), opened in 1950, remains the largest in the country to this day. At different times, the plant produced both cars and trucks, but they all copy in one way or another soviet models and models from other countries. It is worth noting that the North Korean auto industry originates from the production of licensed copies Soviet cars. So, for example, the M-20 Pobeda, which in North Korea is called the Morning Flower (Achimkoy) and the GAZ-69, which after the “modernization” became similar to the American Jeep, is still being produced.

Restrictions on buying cars, having your own automotive production and curbing the growth of the car mass suggests the goal of the authorities to support their auto industry. However, the import of cars from China is not properly restricted, there are a huge number of cars on the roads. Chinese brand BYD.

Except Chinese cars Among the inhabitants of North Korea, Soviet-made cars are very popular. So, for example, the Volga is considered a symbol of luxury, and they have a special love for UAZs, since they are not afraid of the highlands and bad roads, which are especially numerous in the vicinity of the city. Modern Russian cars are also very popular with North Koreans, in particular Lada Priora.

And here Japanese cars, whose choice seems logical, are prohibited in the country. This is due to Kim Jong Il's personal dislike for them: once a Japanese car blocked the way for the now deceased leader. Since then, all Japanese automotive creations have been confiscated from the population and are no longer allowed into the country.

What strikes foreigners the most is North Korea's use of firewood for fuel. This is due to the constant shortage of fuel in the country: it is not uncommon for most cities to have no fuel for many months. The Supreme Leader has patented a technology in which fuel is obtained directly while the car is moving: a tank is installed in the back of the car, in which wood is burned, then it turns into coal, as a result of which carbon monoxide and hydrogen are released as a result of combustion. These substances enter the combustion chamber of a diesel engine. This is how most trucks move.

Trucks play an important role in the life of North Korea: firstly, they are used to transport goods between ports and cities, and secondly, to transport people through the highlands.

Despite the difficulties in buying personal vehicles, there are taxis in the country. However, it is mainly intended for foreign tourists; ordinary residents cannot afford it.

As for high-ranking officials, they most likely drive a car that is produced by the Pyeonghwa Motors plant: a variation of the SsangYong Chairman limousine with stylistic elements borrowed from Mercedes-Benz sedans late 1990s and early 2000s. Whether cars are now being bought abroad is unknown due to the closed state. It is said that Kim Il Sung, the founder of the North Korean regime, had a thousand foreign cars, mostly premium and luxury cars, in his fleet. And Kim Jong Il was at the center of a scandal in the late 1990s when he ordered 200 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans from Germany with money provided by the UN as humanitarian aid.

North Korea remains a mystery to other countries, and any details of the daily life of its inhabitants are of genuine interest. Something may seem strange and surprising, but everything has its pluses. So, for example, all the difficulties that North Koreans face when buying a car create a situation in which everyone is equal on the road, treat each other with respect, and it doesn’t matter who drives which car.