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NORTH KOREA
Location - North East Asia; Capital - Pyongyang; Population - 24 million; Currency - North Korean Won MORE NORTH KOREA
On the second day of the tour we headed to the May Day Stadium for the magnificent Mass Games. In 2009 tickets ranged from 80 to 150 Euros. I plumped for the expensive option, which are very central. The 80 Euro tickets were only a few metres away - Pyongyang
5 North Korean Won
The Mass Games are a synchronised dance & gymnastic performance by 100,000 participants, with an additional 20,000 students comprising the moving mosaic behind - Pyongyang
My YouTube video of the mosaic backdrop
It usually takes place between August and October every year - Pyongyang
My YouTube video here
The Games tell the story of North Korea's struggle against Japanese occupation, the Korean War, the prosperity of North Korea as a nation, and the hope for reunification with South Korea - Pyongyang
Rehearsals take place months before the August opening - Pyongyang
Act 1 is titled Arirang Nation - Pyongyang
Most of the Mass Games consist of locals, coming in from other towns and cities aswell as Pyongyang. I guess they pay a bit less than 80 Euros - Pyongyang
A State of Mind is a documentary film following 2 schoolgirls participating in the Mass Games
This YouTube video shows excerpts from the film
Dancing in the colours of the North Korean flag - Pyongyang
Students in the mosaic backdrop change their coloured books. As Rolf Harris would say 'Can you guess what it is yet?' - Pyongyang
..It's a gun of course - Pyongyang
There's lots of propaganda posters for sale similar to thise mosaic. They make great souvenirs - Pyongyang
A close up - Mass Games, Pyongyang
The Games include dancers, acrobats, gymnasts, jugglers, musicians..Pyongyang
North Korea has a Military First policy known as Songun. This means that the army comes first in the allocation of national resources and affairs of the state - Pyongyang
My YouTube video here
The whole crowd stood to the image of Kim Il Sung and applauded. We followed suit - Pyongyang
Brilliant colours signal the kids' turn to strut their stuff - Pyongyang
My YouTube video here
Mass Games, Pyongyang
Pigs, rabbits etc - a celebration of wildlife or food? Mass Games, Pyongyang
Mass Games, Pyongyang
Live singing at the Mass Games, Pyongyang
Mass Games, Pyongyang
The acrobats and circus acts get their turn - Mass Games, Pyongyang
As mentioned before, 2012 is a very significant date in North Korea (and probably a great time to visit) when they will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth - Pyongyang
A huge North Korean flag is waved during Act 4's Arirang of Reunification - Mass Games, Pyongyang
These women form the shape of a reunified Korea - Pyongyang
Dancers surrounding a reunified Korea - Mass Games, Pyongyang
Motorbike acrobatics here on YouTube
Mass Games, Pyongyang
The epilogue is known as the Arirang of Great Prosperity - Mass Games, Pyongyang
A spotlight is shone over Korea - Mass Games, Pyongyang
My YouTube video here
Mass Games, Pyongyang
Say goodbye and farewell to the Mass Games - Pyongyang
All North Koreans must wear a badge displaying Kim Il Sung and/or Kim Jong Il. I only ever saw the former, plus one badge that combined both, but not the latter only - Pyongyang
Website and content Copyright © 2008-2012 Mark Wilkinson. All rights reserved.
LINKS
www.koreakonsult.com - Korea Konsult is a Swedish based company that I booked my tour with. For me it offered the best itinerary and was flexible enough to cater for travelling by train to Pyongyang. The group size, at 23, was rather large however (but a great bunch of people!)
www.koryogroup.com - Koryo Tours is the market leader
www.nkeconwatch.com - plenty of independent news stories and analysis of North Korea
www.kcckp.net - news portal on behalf of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (ie. North Korea)
www.kcna.co.jp - news from the 'Korean Central News Agency'
www.nk-news.net/extras/insult_generator.php - definitely not an official DPRK site - the Random Insult Generator
Other tour agencies -
www.explorenorthkorea.com - USA/Dandong, China
www.geoex.com - USA
http://koningaap.nl - Netherlands
www.nordkoreareisen.de - Germany
www.northkorea1on1.com - USA
www.north-korea-travel.com - Hong Kong
www.regent-holidays.co.uk - UK
www.universaltravel.com.sg - Singapore
www.vnc.nl - Netherlands
www.youngpioneertours.com - China
I am not responsible for the content of external websites.
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