Soiree for Kim Il Sung’s Birthday

Visiting Kim Il Sung’s embalmed body was not the only ‘special’ event of the North Korean national holiday of 15 April (Kim Il Sung’s birthday). There was a soiree dance that night in Kim Il Sung Square (the third largest square in the world). The soiree was another unbelievable experience, something that you are unlikely to see elsewhere in the world. The soiree is like a mini-Mass Games involving over 20 000 performers moving in perfect unison. The performers perform a mass traditional dance, dressed in traditional Korean costumes and uniforms. The entire square – along with some of the surrounding streets – is packed with the performers moving as one. There are building-size balloons with designs of the North Korean flag and Communist symbols – notably the hammer, sickle, paint brush symbol – flying over the square. A massive fireworks display explodes overheard, set off from the Taedong River behind the square. The Juche Tower, also seen from behind the square, is lit up with its flame glowing a deep red-orange, as though it were really lit by fire.


Photo from my friend and fellow traveller, G.C.

The audience was also impressive. We sat in the special concrete façade where we see Kim Jong Il sitting whilst watching military parades. The audience is segregated, with Pyongyang’s elite sitting stiffly in one corner, and the foreigners and people sitting below. The left side of the façade was reserved entirely for the military. The top military brass attended the soiree, in full uniform, sitting silently and seriously in their special section. The sight of the military section was really intimidating. It resembled some audience from Nazi Germany. The North Korean state television was also in attendance, again filming live the night’s festivities. And, again, the cameramen were dressed in military-style uniform, using personal cameras and studio cameras from the 1940s and 1950s.

At one point during the soiree, the foreigners were allowed to enter the mass of performers and actually join in on the dancing. Chrys, Emily, Guillaume, Giuseppe, Raul, and I lost ourselves in the crowd and got right in on the dancing. Chrys and Emily were immediately singled out and given willing North Korean dancers. Guillaume and Giuseppe also quickly found partners; I’m surprised Giuseppe didn’t ask one of the ladies to marry him by the end of the night. It was Chrys, though, who actually got asked out on a date in North Korea! By a North Korean man! Asked out on a blind date in North Korea, of all places! It was unreal, like something from a crazy movie! Her dancing partner asked her to go for a drink after the soiree. She had to unfortunately decline as we are foreigners, are not allowed to deviate from our itinerary, and even if we could deviate, our guides and entire group would have had to chaperon.

I was so awed by the up-close performance that I wandered around the performers, taking it all in. I also spent a lot of time near the centre of the square where there was serious dancing with acrobats taking place. It was there I saw the most gorgeous North Korean man, tall, dark, and built, wearing a cool traditional costume. He noticed me too, obviously liking a foreigner paying attention. At any rate, I joined in on one dance. My dancing partner must have thought I was such a dumb foreigner, I could barely follow the moves she was trying to show me. Our cameraman caught it all on film; I look ridiculous.

The following pictures are from Kim Il Sung Square - the 3rd largest in the world - the afternoon of the soiree performance. The dancers are practicing and preparing for the event.