Cycling in North Korea

Cycling has become a common mode of transport in North Korea since its economic transition in the early 1990s.[1][2][3] For economic and political reasons, fuel is scarce and private automobile ownership is nearly unheard of, so ordinary citizens must rely on human-powered vehicles and public transport.

A man riding a bicycle along the Taedong River in Pyongyang, 2008

A ban on bicycles in the country's capitol & largest city, Pyongyang, in existence for decades, was suddenly lifted in 1992, and according to Andrei Lankov, bicycles have since "proliferated" and their use has "visibly increased" in other urban areas. However, their price, meager by international standards, still puts them out of reach of a significant portion of the populace.[1] A modest infrastructure, including bicycle lanes and bicycle parking, has likewise developed.[3] Foreign and domestic bicycles are available, with used Japanese models particularly coveted.[1] The most favored domestic model, the Kalmaegi (갈매기, "Seagull"), produced with prison labor at a concentration camp in Chongjin, cost "almost ten times the average annual salary" in the 1990s.[1] Electric bicycles are also popular.[4]

Cyclists must reportedly obtain a license by passing a road safety test, and must register bicycles and display a corresponding tag as proof, though the law is often flouted outside the capitol.[1] Conflicting reports exist that women are, or have been, banned from riding bicycles, with some claiming the ban to be a personal edict of Kim Jong-il;[5][6] however, female cyclists are a common sight in North Korea's large cities, indicating this law, too, if it still exists, is widely ignored.