Abstract
This study aims to identify the rural spatial structure and to establish the planning characteristics based on urban-rural connections strategy of North Korea. For this purpose, they were collected such as documents and drawings including primary data related to rural planning in North Korea, and the rural space were classified into three elements in order to analyze them by the rural planning's point of the view. Unlike generalized capitalist cities, socialist North Korean cities are characterized by the coexistence of urban and rural areas. This distinct feature of the city is also reflected in creating rural space in North Korea. Thus, The urban-rural integration in spatial planning is a key factor in understanding the spatial structure of North Korea. This study firstly examines the characteristics of the county(gun), the administrative and economic unit established in the post-war period, secondly, examines the planning method of town(eup) which can be called the urban center in rural areas, and lastly grasps the planning method of rural village focusing on collectivization and identifies how they are connected to the town for the shake of urban-rural integration. As a result, the characteristics of rural planning in North Korea has revealed that it has a comprehensive rural planning established with the goal of strengthening the self-sufficiency of the rural area by the means of the create of rural spatial hierarchy in the whole country.