The Juche Tower stands on the east bank of the Taedong River in Pyongyang, directly opposite Kim Il Sung Square. It was completed on April 15, 1982, to mark Kim Il Sung's 70th birthday. Officially it is credited to Kim Jong Il, though interviews with former North Korean officials contradict this.
The tower is a four-sided, tapering form inspired by the stone pagodas of premodern Korea. It is 560 feet (170 meters) tall, with a 490-foot (150-meter) spire. It is built of granite and white stone, in 25,550 blocks, one for each day of Kim Il Sung's first 70 years, excluding leap days.
A 66-foot (20-meter) metal torch weighing 45 tons crowns the tower and is kept lit at all times. An elevator climbs to a viewing platform just below the torch, with wide views over Pyongyang.
Comments