MONUMENT TO PARTY FOUNDING

Photographic Series: North Korea, 2017 The Monument to Party Founding in Pyongyang rises as a commanding emblem of North Korea’s political mythology. At fifty meters, it marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, its hammer, sickle, and calligraphy brush evoking workers, farmers, and intellectuals. The surrounding belt, formed of numbered slabs, encodes Kim Jong Il’s birth date, while its inscription declares: “Long live the leader and organizer of the victories of the people of Korea, the Workers’ Party of Korea!” Inside, three bronze reliefs trace the party’s origins, the unity of its people, and a vision for a progressive future. Two red, flag-shaped structures proclaim “100 battles, 100 victories”, amplifying the monument’s rhetoric of triumph. Altogether, the site transforms architecture into a narrative of power, merging monumental form with ideological symbolism in a distinctly North Korean aesthetic.