TheRamblingWombat Pyongyang

The Tower of the Juche Idea

111
Tower of Juche Idea from Kim Il-sung Square

By the end of the Korean War (1953) Kim Il-sung had had enough of foreign imperialist intervention in the affairs of Korea. He had, with more than a little help from the Soviet Union, something, which now seems to have been forgotten about, managed to stem Japanese Imperialism and remove them from Korea in 1945. In 1953 he had defeated the United States in the Fatherland Liberation War (to outsiders the Korean War) though the US continued to occupy the southern part of the country as it does to this day. Continue reading “The Tower of the Juche Idea” →

TheRamblingWombat Pyongyang

International Kimilsungia Festival – Flower Show

 

106

A flower show!

I hear my reader breath a sigh of relief thinking that this will be my first North Korean review not to mention Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, the Fatherland, US imperialists or many other things routinely trotted out in every other review from my North Korean trip. This time we will get to see pretty flowers and hear of things horticultural, you say. Continue reading “International Kimilsungia Festival – Flower Show” →

TheRamblingWombat Pyongyang

Monument to the Foundation of the Workers’ Party

100

Having been entertained at the Mass Dance held in honour of 102nd anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s birthday it was time to move across the square and visit what was the backdrop to the dancing – the Monument to the Foundation of the Workers’ Party. I had attempted to walk the hundred metres or so to the monument earlier, unaccompanied by a guide, and was asked to return to the group as the open monument was ‘not open’.

When we arrived as a group, a few minutes later, it was ‘open’. Continue reading “Monument to the Foundation of the Workers’ Party” →

TheRamblingWombat Pyongyang

Let’s Dance – Mass Dance

97

Having had lunch and then joined locals in the Moranbong Youth Park for a walk and a picnic we were all feeling a little lethargic. What better way to work it of than have a dance.

Not known for doing things in small measure, when North Koreans dance they like to do it on a grand scale and on national holidays they regularly engage in organised Mass Dances. Continue reading “Let’s Dance – Mass Dance” →

TheRamblingWombat Pyongyang

Picnic in the Park – Don’t Get Lost!

90
Picnic in the Park

If you havn’t read my general review, ‘Moranbong Park Walk – S**t happens’, may I suggest you do so before reading this review.

Having walked through the Moranbong Park to the top of the hill (an easy walk) we were invited into a smaller grassy area where seven or eight groups of people were sitting in circles bbq’ing, eating, chatting, singing folk songs and drinking beer and sojo (a local drink). There were about seven or eight people in each group with additional kids running around. Basically a picnic scene you would find in any popular park on a nice Sunday or holiday afternoon. Continue reading “Picnic in the Park – Don’t Get Lost!” →

TheRamblingWombat Pyongyang

Moranbong Youth Park Walk – S**t Happens

85
Moranbong Youth Park

While having lunch we were advised that our first post lunch activity would be a walk in the park – a ‘star attraction’ of our trip. We would be able to see ordinary people having a picnic and generally enjoying their day off. As it was Kim Il-sungs 102nd birthday bash there would be more people than normal in the park so we needed to ensure we didn’t get lost – read veer away from our guides. Continue reading “Moranbong Youth Park Walk – S**t Happens” →

TheRamblingWombat Pyongyang

“Let them eat pizza”

77
Pizza in Pyongyang

My reader may be familiar with the retort “let them eat cake’ attributed (probably wrongly) to Queen Marie Antoinette. This retort was made on hearing that French peasants had no bread and showed the speaker’s obliviousness to the condition of the people, especially given that cake (or brioche) was actually more expensive than bread.

Many will know that the Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il had a taste for the good things of life and lapped it up Continue reading ““Let them eat pizza”” →

TheRamblingWombat Pyongyang

Pyongyang’s White Elephant

72
Ryugyong Hotel

For a country that can build buildings in a day or two (for example, the Armistise Signing Hall in Panmunjom) the 330 metre high, 105 story Ryugyong Hotel ( Ryugyong – ‘capital of willows’– a former name for Pyongyang) is a major embarrassment to North Korea. In fact the unfinished hotel is, without doubt, North Korea’s number one embarrassment as, given its size and downtown Pyongyang location, it cannot be hidden or ignored (not even by our guides who could otherwise happily tell you, straight faced and without the blink of an eyelid that black was white). Continue reading “Pyongyang’s White Elephant” →

TheRamblingWombat Pyongyang

Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum

67
Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum

This is the final of a series of five reviews on the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum Complex. If you have not already done so, please read my introductory Complex review before continuing.

This impressive museum displays the history of the Victorious Fatherland Liberation (Korean) War through the eyes of the DPRK and pulls no punches in doing so. Continue reading “Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum” →