It became known that at the initiative of the leader of North Korea Kim Jong Un, an unusual city was built in the country, where the so-called “nuclear elite” will permanently reside. And this city is impressive.
How to obtain residency?
The population will consist exclusively of two categories:
- Scientists working directly on the state nuclear program;
- Military personnel, who outnumber scientists here to control every meter of territory and ensure that state secrets do not leak beyond the city’s borders.
Exceptions are the immediate relatives of these two categories: spouses, husbands, and children.
And if most secret facilities require a special pass for entry inside, here everything is the opposite: a special permit is needed to exit the closed zone into the “outside world.” This will be necessary, for example, to provide qualified medical treatment. However, how quickly such a permit can be obtained when needed, and whether it will be possible at all, is not yet known. Therefore, it is understandable that not every mother will risk taking her children to live in such a city.
American Idea
The idea of such a zone, by the way, is not new. Something similar happened during World War II in the USA. In 1942, one city was built – Oak Ridge (243 km²) in Tennessee, and another – Hanford in Washington state – was completely demolished to build on its territory what was needed for the “Manhattan Project,” which aimed at nuclear research and testing. The territory of this closed city expanded to 2600 km². The construction was so secretive that even the governors of the states did not suspect what was happening on the lands entrusted to them by the states.
The existence of these secret cities was unknown to society until the nuclear explosion in Hiroshima, where a bomb was dropped – a product of the “Manhattan Project.” But now this is well known, and the story was even illustrated in last year’s Oscar-winning film “Oppenheimer.”
Minimum secrecy, maximum propaganda
Unlike the American project, information about the South Korean project became known almost immediately, and the government itself disseminated the information, even involving journalists.
Of course, building such a city requires fantastic investments, and Kim Jong-un did not spare in this regard. Of course, the calculation is that the work carried out here will bring much more benefits in the future than the finances invested at this stage.
The location of this satellite city is even known – it is located in the north of Pyongyang.
North Korea’s propagandists tell that this is a real happy city for scientists. Here they can fully enjoy the model of socialist civilization in its ideal form. The territory contains modern sports grounds, pools, cultural centers, etc. But to leave this “paradise,” permission must be obtained from the government, as the paradise is very carefully guarded from both the outside world and its residents.
Outpace everyone single-handedly
According to the latest data, North Korea’s nuclear arsenal as of 2020 consisted of approximately 30-40 units with the potential to produce another 6-7 units per year. In addition, it also had chemical and biological mass destruction weapons.
Exactly 20 years ago, the country withdrew from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Just three years after that, it carried out 6 nuclear tests.
Overall, North Korea has confidently held the title of a “nuclear state” since the early 1970s. In 1963, it sought help with nuclear developments from the Soviet Union, but was rejected. Later, China also refused.
Therefore, it is evident that North Korea not only relies on its own resources now but also intends to invent something newer and more powerful than the nuclear weapons currently possessed by nuclear states around the world.
