Shadowing Practice: See ‘Pyonghattan’: North Korea’s modern new skyscraper district - Learn English Speaking with Video

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A new subway station, a new beach resort, and a new downtown with so many skyscrapers, it's being called Pyeonghatton.
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North Korea is spending big despite international sanctions on the authoritarian country.
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Pyongyang has been the site of multiple redevelopment projects in recent years, chaining portions of this once gritty landscape into a modern city.
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The latest sign of this building boom are these 80-story skyscrapers.
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The flats are part of a plan laid out in 2021
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by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to construct 50,000 new housing units in Pyongyang.
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The five-year project promised to improve the living conditions of residents in Pyongyang.
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We are living in the first-year-old village, but we will be able to live in the future of the country.
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We will be able to live in very happy and happy life for the new people.
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North Korean state media announced in late 2025 that the five-year plan had reached its final stage,
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the construction of 10,000 new housing units in the city's Hwasong district.
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Below the streets is another sign of Pyongyang's redevelopment plans.
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The city's underground metro first opened in 1972 with trains imported from China.
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For decades, the metro stations had a distinctly Cold War era vibe,
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including muted colors, wood-paneled train interiors and station walls adorned with propaganda murals.
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Now several stations have undergone a facelift.
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At Yongguang Station, Long escalators descend to a revamped platform.
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Brighter colors and modern electronic displays present riders with a more modern station.
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and the people of the people who are living in the country, and the people of the people who are living in the country
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and the people of the country are living in the country.
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Pyongyang's subway system consists of just two lines that stop at a total of 16 stations.
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The metro does not reach the city's newest suburbs, which are home to the newly built high-rises.
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more than 200 kilometers north a new beach resort hugs five
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kilometers of coastline in the city of wonsan the wonsan calma
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beach resort was open during the summer of 2025 state media
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reports said it can accommodate nearly 20 000 people with more than 50 hotels
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and attractions like water parks and restaurants available for visitors but
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while the beach resort was initially open to russian tourists it
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has since been closed to all foreign visitors tourism once brought in some 175 million u.s dollars in funds annually
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but since the pandemic few countries have been allowed to return
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and most of those who were able to visit the reclusive country could only go to select locations on package tours.
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Chinese tours once represented the largest contingent of foreign visitors,
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representing an estimated 90 percent of foreign visitors.
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But flights between the two countries remain limited.
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So how is the country affording these construction projects?
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North Korea's economy is heavily constrained by international sanctions over its nuclear and weapons programs.
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To generate much-needed funds, Pyongyang has sold some $9.8 billion U.S dollars in weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine.
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However, studies show the compensation received from Moscow is significantly less than the weapon's actual worth.
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The autocratic nation has also reportedly used illicit activities,
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including cybercrime, to generate funds in excess of US$2 billion in 2025 alone, according to crypto industry analysts.

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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Practicing with this video is a great way to improve your English speaking in real-world contexts. It covers topics like urban development, economics, and global relations—perfect for conversations about current events. The dialogue mixes formal terms (e.g., "international sanctions") with everyday phrases ("hugs five kilometers of coastline"), helping you sound natural in both casual and serious talks. Plus, shadowing the speaker (repeating their words aloud) builds fluency and confidence, making it easier to keep up in fast-paced discussions.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Let’s break down key phrases from the video to boost your everyday English:

  • "hugs five kilometers of coastline": The verb "hugs" here means "follows closely," adding vividness to descriptions. Use it to talk about places: "Our town hugs the river."
  • "heavily constrained by international sanctions": The passive voice ("constrained by") is common in formal writing. Practice it for explaining limitations: "The project was constrained by budget cuts."
  • "generate much-needed funds": "Much-needed" emphasizes urgency. Pair it with nouns: "She brought much-needed coffee to the meeting."
  • "reportedly used illicit activities": "Reportedly" shows information is unconfirmed. Use it to share news: "The team reportedly finished the project early."

Common Pronunciation Traps

Some words in the video are tricky to pronounce—let’s master them for clearer speech:

  • "Pyonghattan": Pronounce it "pyong-HAT-tan" (not "pyong-HAH-tan"). The "tt" sound is short, like "hat."
  • "Wonsan": Say "WON-sahn" (not "WON-san"). The final "n" is soft, similar to "sun."
  • "illicit": Stress the second syllable: "i-LIS-it" (not "IL-i-cit"). This word means "illegal," so getting the pronunciation right avoids confusion.
  • "contingent": Pronounce it "kun-TIN-jent" (not "kun-TIN-gent"). The "j" sound is like "jump."

Shadowing the video (repeating each sentence right after the speaker) is the best way to fix these traps. Use this shadowing site to practice—you’ll notice a difference in your pronunciation and fluency in no time!

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

StructureIn the video
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters nowhas been · have undergone · have been allowed
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does itbeing called · been closed · have been allowed
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thingpeople who are · suburbs, which are · those who were

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →