OH NO! round 2 - TRAFFICGIRLS DISAPPEARING FROM PYONGYANG STREETS

Back in 2010, NK News broke the story about the Pyongyang Traffic Ladies being retired due to new LED traffic lights being installed throughout Pyongyang, which I posted about here:
https://www.pyongyangtrafficgirls.com/t228-oh-no-pyongyang-traffic-ladies-being-retired

Well, it turned out that the Traffic Ladies were never really retired. But what did happen was that the much heralded traffic podiums were removed, and on intersections that had traffic lights the Traffic Ladies(and sometimes men) stood by the curb and controlled the lights either by buttons on a curbside control box or with a traffic light remote control they held in their hand, stepping off the curb occasionally to manually direct traffic if needed.

Now for round 2 - there are again reports are that the Traffic Ladies are disappearing from Pyongyang streets and are being replaced by men and traffic lights. Apparently the leadership in its infinite wisdom has decided that their Traffic Ladies are too delicate to withstand the weather extremes in Pyongyang.

From NK news:

North Korea’s iconic traffic ladies mostly disappear from Pyongyang streetsLeadership concerned over the wellbeing of traffic officers in winter cold and summer heat, some sources sayChad O'Carroll October 21, 2019Pyongyang’s famous traffic ladies have mostly disappeared from intersections throughout the city, multiple informed sources have indicated to NK News.The female traffic officers appear to have been replaced at the vast majority of Pyongyang intersections by male traffic officials or, in some places, new sets of traffic lights, NK News understands.“At several prominent crossroads through Pyongyang last week it was notable that the usual traffic ladies were not present and that male officers were there instead, not stood in the road but at the corners of the street,” Simon Cockerell, the General Manager of Koryo Tours, said. “Nobody seemed to know if this was a permanent or temporary policy though.”However, at least two informed sources indicated that the replacement of the traffic ladies would likely be permanent, and had been ordered due to senior leadership concerns about their wellbeing during the heat of summer and frigid cold of winter.It’s possible the edict to replace the traffic ladies with men could date back as far back as spring, with the late AP journalist Eric Talmadge tweeting at the time that he had noticed they were conspicuously absent during his trip.He noted that at least one was still standing near Pyongyang airport, however, an observation that was echoed by sources speaking to NK News this week.In 2009, Pyongyang authorities begun introducing traffic lights at major intersections throughout the city, which led some sources to indicate that the women officers could soon be gone for good.However, as time went on it emerged that many of the female traffic controllers continued working regardless, in some cases actually manually operating nearby electronic traffic light systems.Pyongyang “Traffic Girls” have long been something of a cult attraction for frequent visitors to North Korea, thanks to their bright uniforms and the state’s unusual reliance on human–rather than electronic–signals to control traffic.While one such officer rose to fame in 2013 for mysteriously protecting the “leader” in a “death defying… unexpected situation,” Pyongyang’s traffic wardens have largely been ignored by North Korean state media ever since.However, Japan’s Chosun Sinbo, a pro-North Korea newspaper which largely reflects the Pyongyang propaganda line, in 2015 capitalized on its local access to conduct an interview with one of the cities’ traffic wardens, Ryu Jong Hye.Despite being filmed in Pyongyang and including the type of respects to leader Kim Jong Un so typical of official conversations with North Korean citizens, the interview mentioned – surprisingly – that even in North Korea, some drivers consistently ignore what the traffic wardens order.

source: https://www.nknews.org/2019/10/north-koreas-iconic-traffic-ladies-mostly-disappear-from-pyongyang-streets/


(The NK news story mentions the late Eric Talmadge tweeting about the absent Traffic Ladies when he was visiting Pyongyang last spring. Here is what he tweeted):

Mar 9 So I’ve been back in Pyongyang for three days now and haven’t seen a female traffic cop yet. Only men. This is seriously creeping me out.Mar 10Missing lady traffic cops: Day 4.Any sightings out there?Mar 11Missing lady traffic cops: Day 5. But, in the meantime, spotted “sky chicken” _ 하늘닭, bullfrog _ on the menu at the Myohyangguan, a popular fast food place.Mar 12Missing lady traffic cops: Day 6Went to the Changgwang Health Complex for their $4 haircuts this morning. Mar 13They’re back. Sort of. This traffic controller was at her post by the airport, but she’s still the only female traffic controller I’ve seen in #Pyongyang all week. And the men have been pulling more cars over for minor violations than usual.Eric Talmadge https://twitter.com/EricTalmadge

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UPDATE:
From Koryo Tours - more reporting on the absence of the Traffic Women from Pyongyang streets:

December 4 2019
North Korea Women Traffic Officers - Where did they go?

North Korean Women Traffic Officers: Background

North Korean women traffic officers have previously given image to Pyongyang.

Notoriously famed for their beauty, it is said that Kim Jong Un hand picks these themselves.

They are known to be situated in high traffic areas and crossings throughout Pyongyang and direct and control the city’s traffic. The North Korean women traffic officers can also be found throughout the country, not just Pyongyang.

Because of their difficult jobs that require immense concentration and a high amount of training, they hold a high social status in Pyongyang and throughout North Korea.

Have a look at our video on North Korean women traffic officers( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEvrFg4dnkM ) to see them in action!

However, in recent months, we have noticed a significant decline in the North Korean women traffic officers. This is especially so in central Pyongyang.

The North Korean traffic officers haven’t disappeared.
However, the North Korean women traffic officers – arguably the face of North Korean traffic officers – are noticeably less present.

So, what happened to the North Korean women traffic officers?

North Korean Women Traffic Officers: Now

On a tour to North Korea, you will still see the North Korean traffic officers’ carefully choreographed traffic dances – but unfortunately, you will be lucky to see the North Korean women traffic officers.

Last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that for the benefit of the women, the North Korean women traffic officers would be taken off such hard duties and instead replaced by men.

The job of a North Korean traffic officer is indeed no easy feat. Standing out in all kinds of weather conditions for long periods of time, but maintaining a good level of concentration and keeping the traffic order can be very strenuous work requiring lots of training and practice.

Women in North Korea are often seen as those that should be celebrated and protected.
Because of this, Kim Jong Un ordered that the North Korean women traffic officers should work less, have less tough shifts in less condensed and difficult areas, and not work throughout the toughest months of the year (i.e. in the depths of summer and winter).

So, if you are lucky, you may still get the odd chance of seeing North Korean women traffic officers around Pyongyang and other areas in North Korea.

However, the days of the constant presence of the North Korean traffic lady standing at the corner to Kim Il Sung Square and the foreign language bookshop in central Pyongyang are unfortunately long gone.

source
https://koryogroup.com/blog/what-s-happened-to-the-north-korean-traffic-officers

I will need to cancel my trip to North Korea now. There is no reason to go if there are no traffic girls to entertain me.

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From 38north.org here is an excerpt with an update on the expanding use of traffic lights and elimination of the traffic ladies.

FEBRUARY 26 2021

North Korea’s Ever-Expanding Red-Light Camera and Traffic Light Network

Commercial satellite imagery indicates that a network of traffic cameras that first appeared in 2014 has continued to expand and now covers most major intersections in central Pyongyang and some in other cities.

The cameras can be observed at intersections that are controlled by traffic lights, and their purpose appears to be catching drivers who ignore red lights. They are mounted on gantries above the road approximately 25 meters before the stop line at each intersection and face the direction of travel, imaging the rear of vehicles.
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Their appearance at intersections has gone hand-in-hand with a steady expansion of traffic lights in Pyongyang and the gradual removal of the so-called traffic ladies that directed traffic from a raised platform in the center of the intersection.

At most intersections with cameras, new-style traffic lights are being used that are mounted horizontally over the road rather than vertically at the side of the road.

SOURCE and full article:
https://www.38north.org/2021/02/north-koreas-ever-expanding-red-light-camera-and-traffic-light-network/