JOY ELLEN YOON — Pyongyang Reopens for April Holiday

After a brief closure, it appears that Pyongyang’s borders are opening again. Pyongyang hosted its first annual marathon in six years on April 6th. Professional athletes from North Korea, China, Morocco, Ethiopia and a few other countries participated in the full and half marathons, as well as 10 km and 5 km races. Races were open to both men and women, but amateur athletes were sparse compared to years past.

Traditionally, the Pyongyang Marathon has been a major event each year. Hundreds of runners from all around the world come to run in the capital city. Spectators line the local streets, stretching out their hands for high fives as runners pass by.

This year the race was strictly open to professional athletes and tourists going through Koyreo Tours, the exclusive travel partner of the Pyongyang Marathon. The race began and ended inside the Kim Il Sung stadium in front of a large crowd of thousands of people. One unique addition to this year’s race was that it was also officially open to runners with special needs, such as wheelchair users and visually impaired runners.

The Pyongyang Marathon is only a start to a series of celebrations and events for North Korea’s main holiday known as the Day of the Sun. The Day of the Sun, commemorated as the birthday of North Korea’s founding leader, is celebrated on April 15th every year, but mass celebrations take place before and after the official date. These celebrations include mass square dancing in Kim Il Sung Square, Arirang Mass Games, fireworks, military parades, and various musical and artistic performances.

I have had the privilege of personally attending these events as well as running in the Pyongyang Marathon twice, once in 2016 and again in 2017. Although I only ran the 10 km course both times, it was an incredible experience jogging the streets of Pyongyang, slapping the pedestrians’ hands who lined the streets to cheer on competitors. I am an athlete at heart, so I started the race with lofty objectives to qualify among the top three finalists for women, but the spectator’s smiles and outstretched hands enticed me to fully enjoy the experience. Laying down my competitive spirit, I took every opportunity to receive a warm cheer from the residents of Pyongyang. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

As part of the holiday celebrations, the Mass Games displays ultimate unity as a nation. Thousands of people perform in perfect unity for the show. The show begins with the performance of children as part of the background drop. Although North Korea’s technology has advanced, they have refused to use computer screens for the Arirang Mass Games. Traditionally year after year they use thousands of middle school students sitting together in the bleachers on the backside of the arena. Each student holds in their hands a book of colored plates. They memorize on cue which color to turn to for each backdrop of the performance. Just to make sure that the audience knows that these are live people performing and not some computerized technology, right before the performance, the director of these student performers has the students practice on cue. The students shout out in unison as they switch colors on cue. Once the performance begins and the complex backdrop pictures are revealed, it is mind-boggling how these students can produce such beautiful, complicated mosaics.

The Mass Games is about a two-hour long performance, but unlike the other performers, these students have no breaks. They perform from beginning to end, without any breaks, for the entire length of the show. In all the performances I have seen over the years, I have rarely seen a mistake in the background mosaic. But that is only one aspect of the Arirang Mass Games. The real performances occur when tens of thousands of people perform in perfect unison. They put on complicated dances, gymnastic routines, taekwondo (martial arts), and parades. Their lines are perfectly straight, arms, legs, elbows, heads pointed in the exact same direction at the same moment in perfect unity. The Arirang Mass Games is broadcasted over the entire nation to ensure that the whole population of North Korea can see this perfect example of being one.

If you ever get the opportunity to join the April Holiday celebrations, I highly suggest you do! You’ll experience the incredible hospitality, vibrancy, and spirit of North Korea. As the holiday coincides perfectly with the change of seasons, you’ll most likely also be able to witness the blossoming of forsythias, magnolias, and cherry blossoms sprinkled throughout the city.

Pyongyang has finally reopened for international travelers. Hopefully with this recent border opening, North Korea will continue to re-engage frequently and intentionally with the broader international community.