The Pyongyang Science and Technology Center, with its iconic atom-shaped building stands as the symbol of North Korea’s pursuit of scientific advancement.

I have not been able to explore the entire complex as there was never enough time scheduled for me. I will revise and update this article with more information when I visit it in the future

Tour

Upon arrival, visitors will see a giant fountain pen, which symbolizes the intellectual part of their Juche ideology.

As you enter the lobby, you will be greeted by a large mural of their leaders. All locals take a bow to them as they enter.

North Korean school teachers enjoy conducting class-trips to the Sci-Tech Center because there are instructors who will take over the role of guiding and teaching their students, so it becomes very relaxing for the teachers.    

Next to the entrance gantry, there is a scale model of the main building.

Upon passing through the gantry, you will see a circular waiting area with a 360-degree ball-shaped LED screen.

Students usually congregate near the ball LED screen, waiting for their turn to enter one of the lecture halls or movie theaters.

On the ground floor, you’ll find the Children’s Dream Hall. It’s a playground for very young children (and their grandparents).

There’s also a green-screen virtual studio where children and anyone young at heart, can play with virtual backgrounds or pretend to be a newscaster.

Taking the escalator up to the 2nd level, you’ll be greeted by a Diplodocus as you enter the Hall of Fundamental Science. This is where students learn foundational scientific principals through hands-on interaction.

My favorite exhibit in the Hall of Fundamental Science is the planetarium with its rotating planets and projected Zodiac constellations on the dome.

Moving on to other halls, you can find more advanced subjects and exhibits for senior students. I did not have time to cover everything but here are some photos of the other halls.

In the center of the building lies the library with its collection of foreign books on physics, biology, electronics, chemistry and mathematics. They are printed in English, Chinese and Russian. There are no foreign Korean or Japanese textbooks. There’s plenty of areas provided for locals to read these books or access their local intranet. (Note: they do not access to the world wide web but only to a sealed-off, local intranet which is their own version of the web).

Of course, who could possible miss the rocket in the center atrium. This is a scale replica of the Unha-3 (은하-3) rocket that was launched on 12th December 2012 and sent the Kwangmyongsong-3 version 2 (광명성-3-2) weather forecast satellite into orbit.

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Comprehensive Guide Map

The main building consists of 4 levels and a basement. The directory map has been translated to English for your reference.

Google Map