Rumors earlier this year suggested that the North Korean Mass Games (“Arirang“) were being pushed back to 2012. The magic in that number is that it’s the 100th anniversary of the birth of the deceased but still-serving president, Kim Il Sung. Koryo Tours’ recent newsletter, though, suggests that Arirang my run in 2009 after all. Likely months are August and October-though the specialists in taking westerners to North Korea drive the point home that there has been no confirmation.
Arirang is a 90-minute performance featuring 100,000 coordinated participants in an amazing display of “synchronized gymnastics, dancing and propaganda.” This event, which is held only in North Korea, is the only time when U.S. citizens are allowed to enter the country as tourists.