During the 1950s, the North Koreans rebuilt their capital—Pyongyang—as a modern city under the principle of Soviet urban design. One North Korean architect, Kim Jung-hee, has been widely credited since the late 1980s as the master architect of the General Plan of the city’s reconstruction. While Kim Jung-hee played a crucial role in its reconstruction, his heroic image as the founding architect of Pyongyang is considerably attributed to North Korea’s mythical narratives rather than his historical activities. This paper argues that Pyongyang’s postwar urban design was not a work made by a single actor, Kim Jung-hee; rather, it was a long-term collaborative project in which a team of North Korean architects and Soviet technical advisors took their respective roles. Beginning in the late 1980s, North Korea, which had been struggling with economic decline and an increasing sense of lagging behind in its rivalry with its Southern counterpart, used heroic narratives during the 1950s’ postwar reconstruction period as an important propaganda tool for their regime. In this mythical narrative of Pyongyang’s reconstruction, massive economic and technical aid from other communist countries has often disappeared, and the memory of the architects who contributed greatly to the reconstruction but later purged in North Korea have also completely vanished. Kim Jung-hee, meanwhile, remained in this epic as the founding architect who rebuilt the city in faithful accordance with the leadership of Kim Il Sung.

The main purpose of this study is to define the educational philosophy of Wandang, Kim Jung Hee through his writings and arts. Wandang has been receiving much recognition as a metaphysicist, practical-scientist, writer and artist. But most of the studies on him have placed too much stress on a specific field of his work to prove his real worth on the whole. Moreover not a single research work on his educational philosophy has been found yet. If it is true that a man’s life and his ideology is the same, Wandang’s ideology could be learned through studying his life. It could be also said that his writings and works of art display his thoughts. In Chapter II, Wandang’s educational philosophy is more carefully examined. It is based on Wandang’s doctrine, ‘You can’t be a man of ability without education,’ which talks about the importance of education. And it is also based on his doctrine, ‘Education is to realize the morality of sages,’ which tells us about the purpose of education. His educational philosophy is examined through his writings about traditional Confucianism and practical-science, and his literature of poetry that he had wanted to show his feeling. It is also examined through his works of art and the theories of the art works. At this point, the ultimate purpose of education is to realize the morality of sages. To accomplish it. first of all it is needed to succeed in the literature of poetry based on the spirit of practical-science which is ‘You need to seek truth based on facts’ and also to be followed by studying constantly. It shows again that all studies and arts need to have some aroma, which comes from beautiful phrases and magical power to lead a person. Finally this study shows the thought of Wandang that good teachers and fine educational environment is necessary to bring up a man of ability. The outcome of this study is to define Wandang, Kim Jung Hee as an educator that has not been studied yet. His educational philosophy should be discussed later on. Since this is the first study of it, there might be a lot of unsatisfied things in many respects. I will make up for those unfinished ones in the further studies afterwards. The aspects of the education of Chosun are different from those of the modern education. But it should give us a chance to examine the education of the present through the education of the past. that is the usefulness of this study, and these kinds of studies should be in progress with other figures. It would help the traditional education contribute to the present education, which could become the basis of our future education.