A traffic accident in Pyongyang and a multistory parking lot next to the Juche Tower in June-July 2026 | Image: Korea Konsult via Facebook, Cecepjunaria via Instagram, edited by NK Pro
But the changes haven’t just altered how Pyongyangites commute. Vehicles have helped reshape the city itself and now leave a visible footprint from orbit in the form of gas — roughly a third more intense than prior to the pandemic.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the pollutants emitted by vehicles and often serves as a proxy to gauge activity like traffic and urban development.
POLLUTION ON THE RISE
Average yearly NO2 levels over the North Korean capital have risen steadily since 2019, and even during the country’s pandemic border closure, according to data from Google Earth Engine Sentinel-5P satellite.
These pollution levels dipped only briefly in 2022 before climbing to their highest recorded levels in 2024 and 2025.
Average levels of NO2 above Pyongyang in 2019-2026 | Image: NK Pro
Monthly average NO2 levels above Pyongyang in 2019-2026 | Image: NK Pro
Monthly NO2 readings trace the same arc with sharp seasonal swings: winter peaks reaching two to three times the summer lows.
One noticeable spike came in Dec. 2020, one of the two highest monthly averages in the dataset (the other ion Nov. 2025).
This increase may have been driven by the intense demand for heat during a severe cold wave, and/or the possible surge of industrial activity during the “80-day battle” productivity campaign the DPRK waged ahead of its Jan. 2021 party congress.
Nitrogen dioxide levels tend to rise in the winter months due to increased power plant emissions. To limit variables from other NO2 sources, NK Pro analyzed the average levels during the warmer months of May through September, when vehicular traffic accounts for a larger share of the pollution.
Yearly average NO2 levels above Pyongyang in 2019-2026, focusing on May-Sept. periods | Image: NK Pro
Monthly average NO2 levels above Pyongyang, with a focus on warm May-Sept. periods of 2019-2026 | Image: NK Pro
The May-Sept. data shows the same pattern: sluggish levels during the pandemic-era border closures followed by increased emissions in the following years.
Average monthly emission readings corroborate this upward trend, with a rapid spike in Sept. 2022, just before Pyongyang resumed cross-border trade by rail with Beijing.
The monthly average so far this year is comparable to that of 2025, with June ticking up to the second highest level in the dataset since Sept. 2022.
High-resolution satellite imagery from Pyongyang’s major roads, bridges and intersections also points to growing traffic.
For instance, satellite imagery revealed that vehicular traffic noticeably increased at a major roundabout by Pyongyang Station last month compared to the same period in previous years.
A similar increase can be observed at Rangrang Street, formerly known as Tongil Street, in the southern part of the city; major bridges, like the Okryu Bridge and Taedong Bridge; and a roundabout near the Kim Il Sung Stadium.
URBAN GROWTH
As North Korea’s capital city, Pyongyang’s full administrative boundary includes vast farmlands and forested sections, areas that can influence pollution readings.
NK Pro carved out a 30-by-28 kilometer rectangle covering the capital’s primarily urban area and found the intensity of pollution growing.
Pollution levels generally rose across the city between 2019 and 2025, climbing about 37% over the historically most-polluted central districts and about 34% over adjacent areas.
This growth suggests city-wide proliferation of emissions rather than a concentration from a single industrial source, such as a power plant.
Satellite data additionally revealed a consistent positive correlation between NO2 levels and built-up density (measured by the Normalized Difference Built-up Index), meaning pollution over Pyongyang sits above buildings, streets with cars and commercial or industrial activity.
This chart shows a positive Pearson correlation between yearly NO2 levels and built-up density across Pyongyang. Higher values mean pollution more closely followed the city’s urban footprint (from 2019 through early July 2026) | Image: NK Pro
The correlation chart dating back to 2019 shows how the relationship weakened during the border closure, when urban activity was suppressed, and then rebounded to its highest level in 2025.
This relationship coincided with the expansion of Pyongyang’s urban footprint, as large-scale housing campaigns added new districts like Songhwa, Hwasong, Taephyong and others to the city’s edge — districts with a pollution footprint measurably more intense than before the pandemic.
Built-up density from the Normalized Difference Built-up Index in 2026 vs 2019: red indicates dense built surfaces such as buildings and pavement, green vegetated land. New districts are visible emerging between the two panels | Image: NK Pro using Copernicus Sentinel-2 data processed Google Earth Engine
Built-up density from the Normalized Difference Built-up Index in 2026 vs 2019: red indicates dense built surfaces such as buildings and pavement, green vegetated land. New districts are visible emerging between the two panels | Image: NK Pro using Copernicus Sentinel-2 data processed Google Earth Engine
While it is difficult to estimate the number of automobiles in Pyongyang, the addition of more vehicles and rising pollution levels are indicative of the DPRK’s testament to develop and modernize its capital city.
Edited by David Choi