Grand People's Study House

Grand People's Study House
Grand People's Study House, as seen from across the Taedong River.
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	인민대학습당
Hancha	人民大學習堂
Revised Romanization	Inmin Daehak Seupdang
McCune–Reischauer	Inmin Taehak Sǔpdang

The Grand People's Study House is the central library located in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. The building is situated on Kim Il-sung Square by the banks of the Taedong River.

The Study House was constructed in a traditional Korean style in April 1982 over a period of 21 months to celebrate leader Kim Il-sung's 70th birthday. The library was opened as the "centre for the project of intellectualising the whole of society and a sanctuary of learning for the entire people." The library is located in the center of the capital - the Central District of Pyongyang - "which is one of the most important neighbourhoods in the country because it is the national governmental district. Beside the library is the Supreme People's Assembly and other governmental office blocks. Directly in front of the library...is the Kim Il Sung Square - the third largest public square in the world - where the country's national events take place." For major media coverage, "the library serves as a grand backdrop to...speeches, military and nuclear parades, and carefully choreographed spectacles celebrating national holidays."

It has a total floor space of 100,000m² and 600 rooms. The building can house up to 30 million books, of which it contains around 10,800 documents, books and "on the spot guidance" Kim Il-sung wrote. Foreign publications are available only with special permission. Writings of Kim Jong-il are also included. Almost all materials "are kept within closed stacks accessible only to librarians and library staff. A person can search the online or print catalogues to discover what is in the collection...If a borrowed item is late, an official library notification is sent to the offender's employer, who must encourage his or her employee to immediately return it."

The library is the national centre of Juche studies, with one North Korean guide reporting to study the "Great Leader" Kim Il-sung and "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il for a total of 90 minutes a day. Lectures on a variety of subjects also take place. Also, the Juche Tower - the physical manifestation of North Korea's Communist brand - is directly across from the library on the other side of the Taedong River. Kim Il Sung's "educational philosophy of 'study while working' is regarded as a guiding principle for the library system, as well as for those people who use the library. The library figures as a central component of 'study while working' - an educational place that North Koreans can visit and use to further their socialist training, increase their personal self-reliance through lifelong learning, and develop a greater love and respect for the Kim family...The placement of the Grand People's Study House and the Juche Tower across from each other is meant to cement the relationship between the people and Juche communism. The Grand People’s Study House is therefore more than a prominent feature of the capital. It is also an icon of the nation, Juche communism, and the Eternal President himself."