DPRK sports and tourism19

Sports and Tourism
2019
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DECEMBER 2019

Pyongyang Marathon 2020
The Pyongyang Marathon 2020 is open for registration - and places are filling up fast! This year's Pyongyang Marathon is extra special since you can combine running in the Pyongyang marathon with celebrations of the Day of the Sun - arguably some of the biggest celebrations in the DPRK in the year. This is the birthday of President Kim Il Sung. Head over to our YouTube to see scenes of the Pyongyang Marathon last year, and get a feel for what you could be doing this April! [Pyongyang Marathon]

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OCTOBER 2019

2 Koreas Drawn in Same Group for Women's Olympic Football Qualifiers
By Yun Dong-been October 21, 2019 12:10 South Korea has been grouped together with North Korea in the final-round draw for the women's Asian football qualifiers for next year's Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. The draw was held at the Asian Football Confederation's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday. Eight teams were drawn into two groups of four and will compete from Feb. 3 to 9 next year. The two Koreas are in the same group as Myanmar and Vietnam, while the other group consists of Australia, China, Taiwan and Thailand. With two Olympic berths assigned to Asian teams, the top two teams in each group will advance to play in two-legged, home-and-away playoffs on March 6 and 11, and the two winners from the playoffs will qualify for Tokyo. South Korean footballers will not travel to Pyongyang to play a match in any case, since the final qualifiers will be held in each group's host countries of South Korea and China, and the two Koreas will not meet in the playoffs. [Football] [Olympics20]
S. Korean unification minister expresses disappointment in no-fan football match with N. Korea
Posted on : Oct.18,2019 17:41 KST Modified on : Oct.18,2019 17:41 KST Kim Yeon-chul attends Ntl. Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee audit South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul speaks during an audit by the National Assembly?s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Oct. 17. South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said it was ?too bad? and ?disappointing? that a football match between the South and North Korean teams in Pyongyang on Oct. 15 wasn?t broadcast and that no fans or cheerleaders were even allowed into the stands. That was how Kim responded to remarks by Democratic Party lawmaker Park Byeong-seok while attending an audit by the National Assembly?s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Oct. 17. ?The broadcasting rights for regional qualifiers are held by the host country [in this case, North Korea], while the rights for the main qualifiers are held by the Asian Football Confederation and the rights for the World Cup are held by FIFA,? Kim said when asked about the game. [Inter-Korean] [Football] [Stalemate]
Gov't Is Complicit in N.Korean Thuggery Against Football Team
October 18, 2019 13:52 South Korea's national football team returned to Seoul on Thursday from what one official called a "nightmarish" five-day trip to Pyongyang for a World Cup qualifier in an empty stadium. Son Heung-min told reporters, "Our opponents were too rough and even swore at us. I'm just glad we all got home without any major injuries." The Korea Football Association said some North Korean players "shoved elbows and used their knees" to attack South Korean players and added "I've never seen that kind of football played before." Choi described the match as "like a war." [Conservatives] [Anti-Moon] [Inter-Korean] [Football]
Footballers Return from 'Nightmarish' Match in Pyongyang
By Cho Yi-jun, Kim Myong-song, Chang Min-seok October 17, 2019 11:42 South Korea's national football team returned to Seoul on Thursday morning from what one official called a "nightmarish" five-day trip to Pyongyang for a World Cup qualifier in an empty stadium. The nightmare began as soon as the athletes landed at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport. They were told to list every item in their bags, some having to rewrite their list several times after airport officials pointed out things they had missed. The Korea Football Association had brought three boxes of meat and seafood to feed the players, but those were confiscated on arrival. One KFA official said, "It took more than three hours to leave the airport due to all the procedures." They arrived in Pyongyang at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, but by the time they finally headed to their hotel it had grown dark. A KFA official said, "We could feel that the North Koreans didn't want anyone to know that we were here. It looked like they intentionally dragged out the inspections to move us around under cover of darkness." Son Heung-min talks to reporters on arrival at Incheon International Airport on Thursday after an inter-Korean match in Pyongyang. /Yonhap The players and entourage had to leave their mobile phones at the South Korean embassy in Beijing before heading to Pyongyang. They were not even allowed to bring books. [Inter-Korean] [Football] [Stalemate]
N.Korea Invites S.Korea to Int'l Weightlifting Championships in Pyongyang
By Yun Dong-been October 16, 2019 11:19 North Korea has invited South Korea to this year's Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, which kick off in Pyongyang on Saturday. The Unification Ministry here said on Tuesday that some 70 athletes and support staff will make a trip to the North for the event. Two reporters are also allowed to accompany the South Korean team to cover the event, the ministry added. This comes as somewhat of a surprise because the North flatly refused to let South Korean reporters come to the country for an inter-Korean match on Tuesday in Pyongyang. The second-round Asian qualifier for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar took place in bizarre circumstances, lacking a live broadcast, fans or media presence. Some speculate the North authorized reporters to cover the weightlifting competition because the country wants to promote its hosting of a major international event. The North is very strong in weightlifting, winning 24 medals -- seven gold, 12 silver and five bronze -- and setting five world records at the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Thailand last month. On the other hand, there looks to be a big gap between the two countries in football. In men's football, South Korea is ranked 37th in the FIFA world rankings and North Korea 113th. The North may have banned media at the World Cup qualifier because it feared that South Korean footballers would deliver a strong performance, embarrassing it on its home turf.
The two Koreas drew the match 0-0. [Inter-Korean] [Football] [Sports diplomacy]
Scalpers show up in Pyongyang as people compete to buy inter-Korean World Cup qualifier tickets
Posted : 2019-10-13 16:59 Updated : 2019-10-13 17:11 Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min, rear, and Valencia midfielder Lee Kang-in will play for South Korea in its FIFA World Cup qualifier against North Korea in Pyongyang, Tuesday. / Yonhap Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min, rear, and Valencia midfielder Lee Kang-in will play for South Korea in its FIFA World Cup qualifier against North Korea in Pyongyang, Tuesday. / Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo A scalper's ticket at the upcoming inter-Korean FIFA World Cup qualifier, Oct. 15 would be estimated to cost around 50,000 North Korean won, or $6, sources familiar with the issue said, Sunday. They said the tickets were expected to be sold out and that some North Korean football fans would "willingly purchase" scalper's tickets because North Koreans were excited about key South Korean international footballers Song Heung-min and Lee Kang-in coming to Pyongyang. "Many fans still find the price worthy enough as long as they can see Son and Lee on the pitch," a source said, adding that the $6 ticket was equivalent to buying 10 kilograms of rice. Part of the second round of World Cup qualifiers, the Oct. 15 match will take place at the 50,000-seat Kim Il Sung Stadium. Son, 26, and Lee, 18, are familiar names, with the former a Tottenham Hotspur ace and the latter a rising star at Valencia. "North Korean football fans have heard about Son and Lee and their trip to Pyongyang has been talk of the town," another source said. Their popularity in North Korea was worth noting, the sources said. They pointed out that as one of the world's most reclusive countries, the North did not allow live broadcasts of football matches outside the country and instead sent recorded files. The North's media outlets have yet to report on the upcoming match with the South, the first since October 1990. It is also uncertain whether it will be aired live. But sports authorities have shared news about the South Korean national team's scheduled visit to Pyongyang, the capital. North Korea plans to stage a mass display during the match. Last week, the Ministry of Unification said the North had yet to respond to the South's repeated requests to hold talks about broadcasting the game live and allowing South Korean spectators to attend. [Inter Korean] [Football] [World Cup] [Marketisation]
Footballers Told to Behave During Stay in Pyongyang
By Yun Dong-been October 14, 2019 13:40 South Korean footballers were told by a Unification Ministry official to be extra cautious while they stay in Pyongyang for a rare World Cup qualifier between the two Koreas there. The match will be held at Kim Il-sung Stadium and is part of the second round of Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They were briefed in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Oct. 8 ahead of their departure for Pyongyang on Tuesday. The No. 1 priority is to bring back whatever they carry in. "The footballers were told repeatedly that they should bring back everything they bring in so they avoid the risk of accidentally violating UN sanctions," a Korea Football Association staffer said on Sunday. "That includes any pairs of socks, jerseys and track suits made by Nike of the U.S." Son Heung-min (center) arrives at Incheon International Airport on Sunday on his way to an inter-Korean match in Pyongyang. /Yonhap The ministry also advised them not to carry American-made laptops or other electronic gadgets and luxury goods, which the UN and the U.S. government have put on a blacklist of goods that could be diverted to development of weapons of mass destruction. Clips in the North Korean state media of a missile test in August showed an Apple iPad and a drone remote controller on leader Kim Jong-un's desk, which he must have gotten hold of through a weak link in the sanctions. Footballers and support staff will also leave their smartphones behind at the South Korean Embassy in Beijing. They will only be allowed to take digital cameras, whose memory cards will be checked when they leave Pyongyang. The match will not be broadcast live. "Today the three major TV networks had last-minute negotiations with North Korean officials through a Japanese agency," a football official said on Sunday. "But talks aren't going smoothly." The time is now at any rate too short to set up the transmission equipment. "We're going to relay real-time scores on social media in case live satellite coverage isn't possible," the KFA staffer said. But even that could be difficult assuming there is no internet coverage in the stadium. Currently, only the names of scorers and scores are posted on the websites of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation in real time. [Inter Korean] [Football] [World Cup] [Sanctions] [US dominance]
Tourist Map Of Pyongyang by FULLER
New work in the artist's 'Purposeful Wanderings' series Here at Koryo Tours we're proud of our activities in the DPRK beyond tourism ? everything from humanitarian work to cultural engagement projects. One of our goals on that front is to help international creatives gain access to and understanding of North Korea. In the past this has included the likes of Michael Palin (for his BAFTA-nominated documentary about the country) and Magnum photographer Carl De Keyzer (for his series DPR Korea: Grand Tour). Today we're excited to share the latest from this area of our work: Tourist Map Of Pyongyang (2019), an incredible and intricately detailed hand-drawn panorama of North Korea's capital by the artist FULLER, who we first met last year at Art Beijing. Best known for his 'Purposeful Wanderings' series of art maps, he was there showing his work Beijing ? an extraordinary 120 x 150 cm drawing based on his time spent walking some 1,350km across the city. Conversation soon turned to Pyongyang with FULLER keen to learn more about a place he'd heard so much about but assumed he'd be unable to document via his usual wanderings. And so, using our 26 years of experience working in the DPRK, we arranged a bespoke itinerary, allowing the artist to spend two weeks walking as much of Pyongyang as is possible for a tourist. The result of that project is FULLER's Tourist Map Of Pyongyang (2019), which you can see (and pre-order) below before anyone else in the world.
Inter-Korean World Cup Qualifier Won't Be Broadcast Live
Arirang News October 11, 2019 08:20 An inter-Korean World Cup qualifier next Tuesday in Pyongyang is unlikely to be broadcast live. An official at Seoul's Unification Ministry said North Korea has been silent on South Korea's proposal to send a cheerleading squad to Pyongyang and broadcast the match live. The official added that setting up a live broadcast at this short notice is practically impossible. The match is the first of its kind in 29 years. [Inter-Korean] [World Cup] [Stalemate]
Outbound tourism to DPRK on the rise among Chinese
2019-10-08 09:45:47 CGTN Gu Liping DPRK tourist facilities are only a strip of water away from Dandong City, northeast China's Liaoning Province. /CGTN Photo Despite the cooling weather in early October, the tourism market is heating up in Dandong City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, which borders the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK). During China's week-long National Day holiday, which also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-DPRK diplomatic relations, a large number of Chinese tourists are flocking to the border town to explore the mystery of their Korean neighbor. In the early 1950s, hundreds of thousands of young volunteer soldiers crossed the border to aid their DPRK comrades against American invasion during the Korean War, which laid a strong foundation of the 70-year-old friendship. Today, thousands of Chinese people cross the Yalu River everyday - by train or by bus- to sightsee in the neighboring country where people from their parents' generation fought alongside the DPRK soldiers. [China] [Korean War]
A Team of Their Own
The inspiring, unlikely story of the American, Canadian, South Korean and even North Korean women who joined together to form Korea?s first Olympic ice hockey team. Two weeks before the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, South Korea?s women?s hockey team was forced into a predicament that no president, ambassador or general had been able to resolve in the sixty-five years since the end of the Korean War. Against all odds, the group of young women were able to bring North and South Korea closer than ever before. The team was built for this moment. They had been brought together from across the globe and from a wide variety of backgrounds?concert pianist, actress, high school student, convenience store worker?to make history. Now the special kinship they had developed would guide them through the biggest challenge of their careers. Suddenly thrust into an international spotlight, they showed the powerful meaning of what a unified Korea could resemble. In A Team of Their Own, Seth Berkman goes behind the scenes to tell the story of these young women as they became a team amid immense political pressure and personal turmoil, and ultimately gained worldwide acceptance on a journey that encapsulates the truest meanings of sport and family. [Winter Olympics18]

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SEPTEMBER 2019

The May Day and East Coast Tour
27 April - 7 May 2020 Join in the May Day festivities, also known as International Workers' Day, in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Locals get a day off and there will be picnics, dances, sports and more for you to get involved with and celebrate like a Korean! But there's more to North Korea than just Pyongyang, so we'll head off the beaten track to the country's east coast, spending a night at the exclusive hot springs resort in Nampo, where you can also enjoy the famous petrol clam BBQ. We'll also visit the port city of Wonsan and the chemical-industrial centre of Hamhung. That's not forgetting the sights of Pyongyang, of course, such as the Juche Tower and the Mansudae Grand Monument. And we'll also get down to Kaesong to explore the world famous DMZ.
Two Koreas pursue construction of inter-Korean sports exchange centers
Posted on : Sep.5,2019 16:38 KST Modified on : Sep.5,2019 16:38 KST South and North Korea Sports Exchange Association holds launch ceremony for implementation committee Aa aerial diagram for an inter-Korean sports exchange center proposed by the SNKS South and North Korea are simultaneously pursuing the construction of inter-Korean sports exchange centers as privately operated facilities for use as bases for inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation. The South and North Korea Sports Exchange Association (SNKS) announced on Sept. 4 that construction of inter-Korean sports exchange centers for joint competitions and training by South and North Korean athletes and the training of future athletes was being simultaneously pursued by South and North Korea. The group has held 22 regular inter-Korean youth soccer exchange matches to date, including reciprocal visits over land by South and North Korean squads last year. [Sports diplomacy] [Joint Korean]

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AUGUST 2019

The Summer Holiday Tour in North Korea
7 nights in North Korea + Beijing-Pyongyang travel time Discover North Korea?s rarely visited East coast from the industrial centre of Hamhung to the hiking trails of Mt. Kumgang. A summer adventure in North Korea! This tour will also include Pyongyang, Kaesong & DMZ. From 1,249 EUR per person Overall Sun, sea, and sand? Yes, that?s right! North Korea may not be known as a summer get-away, or indeed known for its beaches, but we think a summer package holiday in North Korea is far too underrated, and one of the best holiday destinations to give you one of the most unforgettable trips of a lifetime. Plus, you won?t have to worry about tourists crowding the beaches! Our Summer Holiday Tour is an annual favourite which gives you the highlights of North Korea - and more. This includes exploring the capital Pyongyang and historic Kaesong on the Korean Demilitarised Zone on the North-South Korea border, while also taking time to see the country's rarely visited east coast. [Koryo Tours]

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JULY 2019

Chinese Tour Agency Offers Tour to Watch Inter-Korean World Cup Qualifier
By Chang Min-seok July 22, 2019 11:13 Koryo Tours, a China-based travel agency specializing in tours to North Korea, started selling a package tour to Pyongyang which includes attendance at an inter-Korean football match slated for October, tentatively in Pyongyang. The four-day tour from Oct. 14 to 17 costs about 899 euros per person, staying for additional two nights there costing some 1,149 euros. As a leg of the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, South Korea will have an away match with North Korea on Oct. 15, despite uncertainty over the venue. Beijing travel agency Koryo Tours offers a package tour to Pyongyang for an inter-Korean football match, in this grab from its website. The tour operator warned that the tour program is subject to change, as "there is a chance it will be held in a third country." South and North Korea have not played each other in Pyongyang since October 1990. When the two sides were in the same qualifying group for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, they played each other in Shanghai as North Korea requested that a match scheduled in Pyongyang be moved to a third country. South Korea is grouped with North Korea along with Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Turkmenistan. 2 Koreas Drawn in Same Group for World Cup Qualifiers Moon Proposes 2 Koreas Co-Host 2030 World Cup [Inter-Korean] [Football] [US dominance] [Tourism]
Pyongyang International Film Festival Tour and Autumn Trade Fair Tour + MASS GAMES
5 nights in North Korea + Beijing-Pyongyang travel Join us for the Pyongyang International Film Festival and DPRK Autumn Trade Fair! Be there to see the glitz and glamour of the film festival opening ceremony, plus see the latest good on the market in North Korea! From 1,049 EUR per person Overall A special tour focused on ?Chollywood?, the North Korean domestic film industry, and the annual Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF) . PIFF is one of the major international events held in the DPRK and hosts both international and domestic films. We will attend the festive PIFF Opening Ceremony, meet people involved in the DPRK film industry, visit shooting locations for classic North Korean films in Pyongyang and Kaesong, and learn the subtle (or often not so subtle) message and cultural significance of DRPK cinema. Specifically we will look in-depth at the classic film 'Flower Girl' (1972), romantic comedy 'O Youth!' (1994), and the first joint DPRK-foreign production 'Moranbong' (1957).
North Korea to launch tour program to Mt. Geumgang
Posted : 2019-07-15 13:23 Updated : 2019-07-15 18:38 Rocky peaks on Mount Geumgang. Korea Times file By Park Si-soo North Korea will launch a tour program to Mount Geumgang this month in an apparent effort to bolster its sagging economy amid international sanctions. The North's propaganda outlet DPRK Today said Sunday the four-day program would begin in late July and run until the end of November. The program ? believed to be for foreigners ? includes hiking, fishing and spa treatments. In April last year, the Kumgangsan International Travel Co. promoted a similar tour program through one of the North's newspapers. North Korea has touted Mount Geumgang, along with the ancient border city of Gaeseong, as one of the country's most outstanding tourist destinations. However, inter-Korean tour programs to Mount Geumgang and Gaeseong targeting South Koreans have been suspended for more than a decade after a South Korean tourist was shot dead near the resort for allegedly trespassing in an off-limits area in 2008. [Kumgangsan]

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JUNE 2019

S. Korean leaders hold forum on Seoul and Pyongyang jointly bidding to host 2032 Olympics
Posted on : Jun.20,2019 16:31 KST Modified on : Jun.20,2019 16:31 KST Forum participants call for media to refrain from factionalism and support reunification efforts Participants of a forum to discuss the Seoul-Pyongyang joint bid to co-host the Olympics, including Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (third from left), pose for a commemorative photograph at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on June 19. (Yonhap News) ?If the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang were a starting point toward peace on the Korean Peninsula, then the 2032 Summer Olympics in Seoul and Pyongyang will represent the final destination of peace.? ? Park Won-soon, mayor of Seoul ?As a professional in the sports community, I would venture to proclaim the 2032 Olympics as the ?Unification Olympics.?? ? Cho Jae-gi, president, National Sports Promotion Corporation How likely is a joint Seoul-Pyongyang Summer Olympics in 2032, and what role should the media play toward achieving it? A variety of opinions were shared on these questions at a forum titled ?The Significance of Seoul and Pyongyang Bidding to Share the 2013 Olympics and the Role of the Media? held on the afternoon of June 19 at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents? Club on the 18th floor of the Korea Press Center in Seoul?s Jung (Central) district. The forum was organized by the Korea Journalist Club (KJC, Chairman Lee Byeong-dae), the Korean Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. (KAHPERD, Chairman Cha Gwang-seok), and the Korea Society for Journalism and Communication Studies (KSJCS, Chairman Lee Jae-jin). [Olympics32] [Joint Korean]
North Korea postpones international youth football tournament
Posted : 2019-06-07 13:17 Updated : 2019-06-07 13:17 North Korean footballers arrive at the Gimpo International Airport, Nov. 3, 2018, to depart for China after they finished the Ari Sports Cup U-15 youth football tournament in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Yonhap North Korea has postponed an international youth football competition, citing internal reasons, South Korean officials said Friday. According to South-North Korea Inter-Korean Sports Association, North Korea has asked to push the Ari Sports Cup back by about three weeks. The under-15 tournament was initially scheduled for June 29 to July 9 in Pyongyang. The competition will feature three clubs from North Korea, three teams from South Korea, and teams from China, Uzbekistan, Russia, Switzerland and Spain, among others. An official with the association said he didn't consider North Korea's request for postponement as a negative sign, and added the organizers are trying to ensure a successful competition. The Ari Sports Cup has been held sporadically since its inauguration in 2006. There were two tournaments last year, with Pyongyang hosting the fourth competition in August and Chuncheon, 85 kilometers east of Seoul, providing the stage for the fifth edition in October. (Yonhap) [Football] [Sports diplomacy]
Kim Jong-un Keen to Develop Chinese Border Region
By Lee Min-seok June 03, 2019 12:24 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered officials to conduct feasibility studies to develop Kanggye and Manpo cities in the remote province of Jagang bordering China, the official [North] Korean Central News Agency reported Saturday. The move is apparently aimed at attracting Chinese tourists. Photos released by the KCNA show Kim flanked by senior officials while visiting construction sites in Kanggye and Manpo. In one he is standing in front of a drawing of high-rise buildings and bridges that seems to be a blueprint of the development project, but KCNA gave no details. Kim also tried to develop the border city of Sinuiju last November, including building an airport and a large hotel, but construction is dragging on due to a shortage of materials. Manpo lies just across the border from China's Jilin Province and is home to a cluster of arms factories, so it has been off-limits to civilians. "That shows just how urgent the situation is," a government official here said. [China NK] [Tourism]

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MAY 2019

Pyongyang Marathon 2020 now open
Sign up today for Super Early Bird prices! Hello world! We're delighted to announce that Koryo Tours is once again the exclusive travel partner for the Pyongyang Marathon ? and that registration for next year's race is now open! The Pyongyang Marathon 2020 has been officially confirmed for April 12. The AIMS-certified race is the biggest event on the DPRK sporting calendar, and is a unique opportunity to run alongside hundreds of locals through the streets of Pyongyang. Running without guides and starting and finishing the race in front of a 50,000-strong crowd in the Kim Il Sung stadium is an experience like no other. [Pyongyang Marathon]
Uncertainty Lingers Over N.Korea's Participation in FINA World Championships
By Lee Tae-dong May 24, 2019 10:23 It remains unclear whether North Korea will participate in the upcoming FINA World Championships, which will be held in the southwestern city of Gwangju from July 12-28. At a press conference in Gwangju on Thursday, FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu said the North had informed the organization it will not take part in the biennial sporting event. Later, however, Marculescu issued a statement clarifying his comment, saying Pyongyang did not officially inform FINA but rather an official from the country's swimming federation said it would be very difficult to participate. Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-sup (left) speaks at a joint conference with FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu in the southwestern city on Thursday. /Yonhap The event's organizing committee in Gwangju and FINA asked the North to reconsider its position. "We would once again like to invite North Korean athletes, cheer squad and art troupe," Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-sup said. The deadline for registration is June 12. They hope the championships serve as an opportunity to forge friendships between the two Koreas and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula just as the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics last year did. [Inter Korean] [Sports diplomacy]
Pyongyang International Film Festival Tour and Autumn Trade Fair Tour
(MASS GAMES EXPECTED) 5 nights in North Korea + Beijing-Pyongyang travel Join us for the Pyongyang International Film Festival and DPRK Autumn Trade Fair! Be there to see the glitz and glamour of the film festival opening ceremony, plus see the latest good on the market in North Korea! From 1,049 EUR per person Overall A special tour focused on ?Chollywood?, the North Korean domestic film industry, and the annual Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF) . PIFF is one of the major international events held in the DPRK and hosts both international and domestic films. We will attend the festive PIFF Opening Ceremony, meet people involved in the DPRK film industry, visit shooting locations for classic North Korean films in Pyongyang and Kaesong, and learn the subtle (or often not so subtle) message and cultural significance of DRPK cinema. Specifically we will look in-depth at the classic film 'Flower Girl' (1972), romantic comedy 'O Youth!' (1994), and the first joint DPRK-foreign production 'Moranbong' (1957). Included in the tour are a special film screening of the Koryo Tours' co-production 'Comrade Kim Goes Flying (2012)' in Pyongyang, as well a Q&A with those involved in the film?s production and promotion.

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APRIL 2019

Sep 5-17, 2019: Paektu-san Highland 6N/7D Expeditionary Hikes, plus 5 days in Pyongyang, Kaesong and the DMZ.
12N/13D in North Korea HIKEKOREASep 5-17, 2019: Paektu-san Highland 6N/7D Expeditionary Hikes, plus 5 days in Pyongyang, Kaesong and the DMZ. Be the only people allowed to trek North Korea?s Highland Plateau. A vast uninhabited zone of volcanic soils, undulating grasslands, Larch Pine Forests, and fascinating history. Beneath Korea?s highest and most sacred peak lies the Paektu plateau. During the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-45), independence fighters were based in the Manchuria region of China. They would infiltrate from there into the isolated Paektu plateau regions and set up secret camps (mil-yong ??). There they would train partisans in guerilla warfare, spread anti-Japanese propaganda, exchange information and receive resources and medical items. These well-hidden secret camps continued south along Korea?s Baekdu Daegan mountain spine into Phyongnam-do province. The Paektu plateau is therefore considered a sacred zone of the revolution and has been off limits to outsiders forever. In North Korea, the camps have been kept as cultural relics of that period and are visited annually by groups of students and adults as an educational pilgrimage, where they retrace the footsteps of the partisans. Hike Korea has been granted exclusive access to this pristine area and is permitted to explore these remote partisan trails on foot. In August 2018 it launched its inaugural trekking expedition. We got to see some never seen before amazing mountainscape and walked in untouched pristine zones for six days. Our hosts, the North Koreans were excellent, including the upbeat guides at the secret camps. Afterwards, the trek received a lot of global media attention. The potential for this area is ongoing and it is our future desire to see it developed in a sustainable manner with trail maintenance, hut construction, and a permit system, that one day means everyone can enjoy it.
South, North Koreans celebrate 25 years of taekwondo at Olympics
Posted : 2019-04-12 14:57 Updated : 2019-04-12 16:28 World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won, right, International Taekwondo Federation President Ri Yong-son, left, and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach after the two organization's joint ceremony at Lausanne, Switzerland, Friday (KST). Courtesy of World Taekwondo Athletes from the two global taekwondo governing bodies after their special performance. Courtesy of World Taekwondo By Jung Min-ho Taekwondo athletes from South and North Koreas staged a joint performance at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, Friday (KST), to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the martial art becoming an Olympic sport. The World Taekwondo (WT), under the leadership of South Korean Choue Chung-won, and the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF), led by North Korean Ri Yong-son, gave a joint demonstration in front of more than 100 people, including International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. According to WT, the event was held also in recognition of the sport's other contributions to the Olympic Movement, including innovative rule changes and the promotion of human rights and peace-building initiatives over the past 25 years. Since the 103rd IOC Congress in Paris voted to include taekwondo in the 2000 Sydney Games, it has appeared at every Olympics. [Taekwondo] [Joint Korean] [Olympics]
Pyongyang Marathon 2019
A film from Koryo Tours
North Korea: Tourists swell Pyongyang marathon turnout
7 April 2019 Twice the number of foreign runners are competing in Sunday's marathon in the North Korean capital Pyongyang compared to last year, tour firms say. About 950 westerners entered the annual race, up from 450 in 2018. Political tensions have eased in recent months leading to an increase in tourism, although the regime remains one of the world's most oppressive. A US travel ban to North Korea is still in place following the death of a student in 2017. Why would visitors want to run a marathon in North Korea? The marathon is part of the celebrations marking the birth of the founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, in 1912. Tourists run through the strictly controlled capital city, cheered on by North Koreans lining the streets. Image caption A foreign competitor talks to a child on the roadside in Pyongyang The event attracts so-called marathon chasers - tourists who run different races across the world. Jasmine Barrett, an Australian running the marathon for the third time, said she kept coming back "to see the smiles on the children's faces". "I'd definitely recommend it to others because it's a great way to see the city and the people who live there," she told AFP news agency. There were no American runners due to the tourist ban following the death of US student Otto Warmbier two years ago. He was detained in 2015 after allegedly stealing a propaganda sign. Colin Crooks, the British ambassador to North Korea, was one of the runners taking part. He tweeted that the "atmosphere in the stadium was great". Skip Twitter post by @ColinCrooks1 #Pyongyang Marathon this morning! Preparing to run in the 10k with other members of Team UK. Atmosphere in the stadium was great #NorthKorea #britishembassy pic.twitter.com/OURvpbB9zT ? Colin Crooks (@ColinCrooks1) April 7, 2019 Scenes along the route of this morning?s #Pyongyang Marathon. Local citizens cheering the runners. Refreshments stations, #NorthKorea style pic.twitter.com/5sCqFCysAm ? Colin Crooks (@ColinCrooks1) April 7, 2019 [Marathon] [Media] [Propaganda] [BBC]
'Surreal' Pyongyang marathon in spotlight as tensions ease
Posted : 2019-04-08 15:32 Updated : 2019-04-08 15:34 North Korea's Pyongyang marathon was run on Sunday (April 7) amid easing of tensions on the Korean peninsula. Athletes run through the capital of the reclusive state in the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, as the race is officially known. Nearly 1,000 foreigners, several hundred more than last year, signed up in the sixth year foreign runners have been allowed to compete, according to officials, as tensions between North Korea and South Korea have eased since 2018. A video provided by North Korea's official news agency KCNA, which Reuters cannot independently verify, showed North Korean and foreign runners starting the race as thousands cheered in the Kim Il Sung Stadium. KCNA said the event included a full marathon, a half-marathon and 10km and 5km runs. According to the IAAF, the first three in the men's full marathon were from North Korea, the winner being named as Ri Kang Bom, who clocked two hours 12 mins 53 seconds. Among the competitors were two Olympians, retired Swiss freestyle skier Mirjam Jaeger, a 2014 Sochi Olympic participant, and British snowboarder Aimee Fuller, who took part in the 2014 and 2018 winter Olympics. Running alongside competitors from the host country were entrants from China, Morocco and Ethiopia. (Reuters) [Pyongyang Marathon]
Tours to DPRK sold out at the Int?l Travel Mart
VietNamNet Bridge ? The Viet Nam International Travel Mart (VITM) wrapped on Saturday, with travel firms hailing its success. Int?l Travel Mart, tours to DPRK sold out, Vietnam economy, Vietnamnet bridge, English news about Vietnam, Vietnam news, news about Vietnam, English news, Vietnamnet news, latest news on Vietnam, Vietnam A troupe performs xoan (spring) singing originated from Phu Tho Province in the framework of VITM. The presence of North Korea at the event triggered interest among the visitors and the media. ?During the four-day event, we had 500 tourists registering to visit the DPRK,? said Nguyen Cong Hoan, director of HanoiRedtours Company. ?Tours to DPRK from April to September are full. It?s an unexpected success for us.? Hoan said the Trump-Kim Summit and Chairman Kim Jong-un?s State visit to Vietnam had boosted tourism to the DPRK. To meet the increasing demand, Vietnamese tour companies have signed an agreement with the DPRK International Tourism Company (KITC), a leading tour operator under the DPRK National Tourism Administration. A charter flight between Hanoi and Pyongyang will be launched in June following a MoU signed between KITC and Hanoitourist Company. Phung Quang Thang, director of the company, said the tour would cost about VND30 million ($1,500) for a five-day trip. ?Currently, tours to the DPRK transit in China, costing a lot of time and money.? ?With the charter flight, tourists will save time on transit,? said Thang. [Vietnam][State Visit]
Pyongyang's Air Koryo boosts flights to Beijing
Posted : 2019-04-01 13:36 Updated : 2019-04-01 15:31 North Korea's flag carrier Air Koryo has increased the number of flights between Pyongyang and Beijing in apparent anticipation of a rise in exchanges amid their improving bilateral relations, a source said Monday. Air Koryo will fly between the capitals of the allies five times a week starting in April, up from the previous three flights a week, according to the source. The Pyongyang-Beijing direct flights will be available every day except Wednesdays and Sundays. The increase appears aimed at meeting an expected rise in the number of tourists and other cross-border exchanges in state and civilian sectors as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year. In a sign of the improvement in bilateral relations, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited China four times since last year for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, including his latest trip in January this year. In September, North Korea resumed flights between Pyongyang and the Chinese city of Dalian after a hiatus that had lasted years. (Yonhap) [[Air Koryo] [Aviation] [Tourism]

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MARCH 2019

2 Koreas to Make Joint Bid for 2023 Women's World Cup
March 20, 2019 10:47 South Korea has expressed its intention to jointly bid with North Korea to host the 2023 Women's World Cup, FIFA said on Tuesday. According to the Korea Football Association, the idea was proposed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. "Although we haven't talked with North Korea about that yet, we expect some degree of cooperation from FIFA on the matter," said an official at the KFA said. Eight other countries -- Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa -- have expressed their interest in hosting the tournament. The host country will be decided in March next year. [Football] [Joint Korean]
North Korea calls for 'second phase' construction in Samjiyon County
By Elizabeth Shim SEOUL, March 18 (UPI) -- The Kim Jong Un regime is calling for a "phase two" in the development of Samjiyon County, an area of North Korea he visited three times in 2018. Pyongyang's Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said Tuesday the construction at Samjiyon is "expanding" in the "spirit of the revolution." North Korea continues to stress a socialist method of economic planning. "The commanders of the 216th Division, military builders, storm troopers are expanding the second phase of Samjiyon construction with their [capacity] for self-regeneration, a spirit of revolution based on the overcoming of hardship," the Rodong said. Kim has inspected the area adjacent to Mount Paektu. His visit in October 2018 was publicized through more than 40 photographs of him at the snow-covered site. He also visited Samjiyon in July and October to provide "field guidance," according to state media. The North Korean leader also mentioned the area in his New Year's address. He had said Samjiyon County should be transformed into a "mountain culture city" that is also an example of a "socialist utopia." Samjiyon and North Korea's Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone have been prioritized in Kim's plan to rebuild North Korea. [Samjiyon] [Wonsan-Kalma]
North Korea hopes to woo Spanish tourists with charm offensive
Presentation in Madrid aims to dispel ?myth? of closed country, highlighting speedy visa approval Antonia Laborde Madrid 16 JUN 2017 - 14:51 CEST North Korea launched a charm offensive in the Spanish capital on Thursday, with the normally secretive state opening the doors of its embassy in Madrid to journalists, who had been invited to a presentation of the country?s plans to develop a tourism industry, and with it, bring in much-needed foreign currency. [Tourism] [Spain]
Inter-Korean Table Tennis Team Unlikely at 2020 Olympics
By Lee Tae-dong March 05, 2019 12:42 The two Koreas will not be able to field a joint team in table tennis in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The Korea Table Tennis Association sounded out the opinions of South Korean players and found that they were overwhelmingly against the idea because their North Korean counterparts are not nearly as good and could ruin their chances. International Olympic Committee officials met with sports representatives from North and South Korea in Lausanne, Switzerland last month and the two Koreas agreed to field unified teams in women's basketball, women's hockey, judo and rowing, with a chance to add more disciplines. But a majority of South Korean table tennis players opposed a unified team if they had to cede their berths in doubles matches to their North Korean counterparts. [Olympics20] [Joint Korean]
One Korea Tour | From Mount Paektu to Mount Halla
19 nights in North Korea, South Korea, and China Travel the length of the Korean Peninsula ? from Mt. Paektu to Mt. Halla, visit Pyongyang and Seoul, experience the DMZ from both sides, and compare Korean history, culture, and society in the DPRK and ROK.

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FEBRUARY 2019

Run the Pyongyang Marathon April 7, 2019
Pyongyang?s annual marathon is your chance to run the streets of the capital along with hundreds of locals and visitors ? the most amazing race of your life, exclusively available from Koryo! The Pyongyang International Marathon, also known as the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, has been open to amateur runners since 2014. You can run the 5k, 10k, Half Marathon or Full Marathon. The race is an International Associations of Athletic Federations (IAAF) Bronze Label road race with Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) certification. Koryo Tours is the exclusive travel partner of the Pyongyang Marathon.
N.Korea's Doping Taint Threatens Inter-Korean Olympic Teams
February 18, 2019 13:58 The International Olympic Committee is struggling to resolve North Korea's recent designation as a "non-compliant" nation by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which threatens inter-Korean cooperation in the next Summer Olympics. IOC President Thomas Bach met Friday with South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-whan and his North Korean counterpart Kim Il-gukat at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and said all members of unified Korean sports teams for the Tokyo Olympics will undergo drug testing. But he said Kim "has expressed full commitment of [North Korea] to remedy this situation as soon as possible." In a separate statement, the IOC said it will "explore the possibility with WADA and other parties of providing additional support" to the North in its anti-doping efforts. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-whan (left) poses with his North Korean counterpart Kim Il-guk (right) and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday. /Xinhua-Yonhap A country deemed non-compliant with WADA regulations cannot take part in or host any international sports competitions hosted or organized by WADA. Returning home Sunday from Switzerland, Do said, "The two Koreas will form unified teams in women?s basketball and ice hockey, rowing and judo, and to prepare for Olympic qualification, we decided to begin joint training soon." The IOC will grant final approval for the four joint squads around March. The number of unified teams could increase down the road, according to Ryu Seung-min, a member of the IOC's Athletes' Commission who attended Friday's meeting. "Some disciplines like table tennis and canoeing could still field unified teams after talks are held and athletes' opinions are gathered," he said. [Olympics] [Detente] [Pushback] [Drugs] [UNUS]
Hyundai Asan Celebrates 20th Anniversary at Mt. Kumgang
By Choi Hyun-mook February 08, 2019 11:15 Tour operator Hyundai Asan said Thursday that it is celebrating its 20th anniversary in North Korea's Mt. Kumgang resort on Friday. The company is sending 22 executives and staff to the scenic mountain resort by bus for the two-day event. Hyundai Asan, which pioneered package tours to Mt. Kumgang, also sent staff there last November to mark their 20th anniversary. Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun will not take part in the event this time, and it is unclear if any North Korean officials have been invited. /Newsis A Hyundai Asan staffer said Thursday, "North Korea has often informed us only on the day of the ceremony who will attend." It contacted North Korea through the inter-Korean liaison office on Jan. 25 for permission to host the event. The authorization raised hopes that the tours can resume in the foreseeable future. They were stopped when a North Korean soldier shot a South Korean tourist there in 2008. But a Unification Ministry official said Thursday that the ceremony has "no relation with a resumption of package tours to Mt. Kumgang." [Kumgangsan]
Two Koreas to hold talks on traditional wrestling exchanges
Posted : 2019-02-07 11:05 Updated : 2019-02-07 11:05 Two Korean traditional wrestlers compete during 2018 Korea Open Ssireum Festival in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, in November last year. Korea Times file South and North Korea plan to hold talks on ways to boost exchanges in "ssireum," traditional Korean wrestling, at the North's Mount Geumgang next week, a sporting body here said Wednesday. Park Pal-yong, the chief of Seoul's Korea Ssireum Association (KSA) plans to embark on a two-day cross-border trip next Tuesday to meet with North Korean officials in charge of the sport, according to the KSA. "One of the items to be on the table is the co-hosting of the ssireum festival slated for June," association official Jeong In-gil said. The event, named the Dano Festival, is set to take place in South Korea's Gangwon Province, but that could change if the two sides agree to co-host it, he said, adding that several rounds of working-level meetings will follow to arrange details. The two Koreas also plan to work for the unification of the different terminology and rules of ssireum and push for personnel exchanges, according to the association. Such efforts have gathered steam since November after South and North Korea successfully pushed for the joint inscription of ssireum as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee. [Joint Korean]
Announcing: The Best of North Korea
Not many people realise that tourists actually have a fair amount of choice in North Korea. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, hotels and other services that are open to foreigners and locals. Depending on which tour you're on, you'll likely visit one of these spots. After more than two decades of travel in the DPRK, we reckon these are the ones to look out for. BEST HOTEL: JANAMSAN HOTEL Located near the picturesque Janam Hill in Kaesong, the ancient town that plays host to the DMZ with South Korea, the Janamsan Hotel is our favourite in North Korea. The staff are incredibly friendly, and since Kim Jong Un visited in 2018 for the meetings with South Korea at the DMZ, the facilities have had an upgrade, although the hotel still has a 1970's Soviet-style design. This is also the place for excellent local snacks, namely yakgua, 'medicine snacks', which are a kind of dry cookie and umaegi, which are honey covered rice cakes. ? BOOK YOUR NORTH KOREA TRIP NOW ? BEST RESTAURANT: WONSAN FISH RESTAURANT The Wonsan fish restaurant makes the most of its coastal location by serving up fresh catches from the sea, which is only 50 metres away. We celebrated Michale Palin?s 65th birthday in one of the private rooms here, dining on delicious sashimi and to traditional Korean fish dishes.

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JANUARY 2019

Paektu-san Highland Treks
12N/13D in North Korea HIKEKOREA Paektu-san Highland Treks Beneath Korea?s highest and most sacred peak lies the Paektu plateau. During the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-45), independence fighters were based in the Manchuria region of China. They would infiltrate from there into the isolated Paektu plateau regions and set up secret camps (mil-yong ??). There they would train partisans in guerilla warfare, spread anti-Japanese propaganda, exchange information and receive resources and medical items. These well-hidden secret camps continued south along Korea?s Baekdu Daegan mountain spine into Phyongnam-do province. The Paektu plateau is therefore considered a sacred zone of the revolution and has been off limits to outsiders forever. In North Korea, the camps have been kept as cultural relics of that period and are visited annually by groups of students and adults as an educational pilgrimage, where they retrace the footsteps of the partisans. Hike Korea has been granted exclusive access to this pristine area and is permitted to explore these remote partisan trails on foot. In August 2018 it launched its inaugural trekking expedition. We got to see some never seen before amazing mountainscape and walked in untouched pristine zones for six days. Our hosts, the North Koreans were excellent, including the upbeat guides at the secret camps. Afterwards, the trek received a lot of global media attention. So we?re looking forward to extending the 2019 treks to four 6N/7D expeditions, (an extra days hiking) including the add-on 6D tour of Pyongyang, Kaesong, and Panmunjom. The potential for this area is ongoing and it is our future desire to see it developed in a sustainable manner with trail maintenance, hut construction, and a permit system, that one day means everyone can enjoy it. [Paektusan]
N.Korea's Disastrous Asian Cup Ends with Heavy Fines
January 23, 2019 11:11 North Korea's footballers have been slapped with heavy fines after repeatedly fouling opposing teams during the group stage matches of the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in the UAE. North Korea was handed 11 yellow and two red cards in the group stage, in which it lost all three of its games, scoring just one goal while giving up 14. The AFC's Disciplinary and Ethics Committee on Sunday fined the North a combined $13,000 for red cards given to Jong Il-gwan of FC Luzern and Han Kwang-song of A.C. Perugia Calcio and also punished their country for breaching the yellow card limit for a single game. [Football] [Overseas labour]
North Korea?s new beach resort will soon be ready for tourists
The development, which comes with a water slide and cinema, is located in an area previously used for artillery drills and ballistic missile launches The project was built according to the precise demands of Kim Jong-un, who is said to have spent his childhood summers in the area PUBLISHED : Thursday, 17 January, 2019, 6:45pm UPDATED : Thursday, 17 January, 2019, 10:05pm 18 Jan 2019 A giant beach resort being built in North Korea to attract more tourists to the country is ?nearing completion?, a US monitor said on Thursday. This Week in Asia Get updates direct to your inbox E-mail * By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Satellite pictures released by 38 North showed rapid progress on the sprawling development, now equipped with a water slide and cinema. The seaside strip, known as the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, is squeezed between a new airport and the country?s east coast, in an area that has previously been used for artillery drills and ballistic missile launches. Was Kim?s China visit an economic lifeline for border development? The site?s construction has been closely overseen by leader Kim Jong-un and plans have been announced for a grand opening in October, when the country marks the 74th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers? Party of Korea. Kim, who reportedly spent his childhood summers in the area, visited the site at least three times last year according to state media, sometimes berating officials in charge of the works and issuing detailed orders. [North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol Ju (left) inspecting the construction site of the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist area in Kangwon Province. Photo: KCNA] Kim ?found that the whole street was not perfect in the artistic aspect?, the official KCNA news agency reported after his October inspection. [Wonsan]
Unified Korean team loses last match at handball worlds
Posted : 2019-01-21 10:17 Updated : 2019-01-21 10:21 The unified Korean men's handball team celebrates after beating Japan 27-25 at the International Handball Federation World Men's Handball Championship at Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Jan. 19. Yonhap The unified Korean men's handball team has finished third from the bottom in its world championship debut. Korea fell to Saudi Arabia 27-26 in the 21st-place match at the International Handball Federation (IHF) World Men's Handball Championship at Royal Arena in Copenhagen on Sunday (local time). The squad of 16 South Koreans and four North Koreans, coached by South Korean Cho Young-shin, ended up in 22nd place among 24 participants. This was the first international appearance by a joint Korean handball team, men's or women's. Korea lost all five preliminary matches to fall into the ranking round and captured its historic first win over Japan in the 21st-24th place semifinals on Saturday. [Joint Korea]
The Victory Day Tour
7 nights in North Korea + Beijing-Pyongyang travel time Experience one of North Korea?s most important national holidays that will see mass dances and other festivities! This tour will also travel to Kaesong, the DMZ, Nampo, and Pyongsong. Round-trip by train or upgrade to flight From 1,249 EUR per person Overall July 27th 1953 was the day the Korean War armistice was signed. This occasion is celebrated in North Korea as ?Victory Day? and is a major annual holiday. This year will mark the 66th anniversary and we will make sure that you?re in Pyongyang on the day to join in the celebrations with the locals picnicking in Moran Park, and attending whatever dances or events are planned on this day. Aside from joining in the celebrations with the locals, we won?t be missing out on seeing the main sites of the capital city, Pyongyang.
United Korean handball team to compete in world championships
Posted on : Jan.9,2019 16:43 KST Modified on : Jan.9,2019 16:43 KST The unified Korean men?s handball team is set to compete in the IHF Men?s Handball World Championship, which will launch in Berlin on Jan. 11. The Korean will face Germany in the opening match. The unified team will be accompanied by a unified cheering squad. The team comprises 16 South Korean athletes and four North Korean athletes, and began training together in Berlin on Dec. 22, 2018. Although other countries have been limited to 16 athletes per team, the International Handball Federation (IHF) made an exception for the unified Korean team. The photo shows the team during training on Jan. 2. (provided by the Korean Handball Federation) [Joint Korean]
Inter-Korean Handball Team to Compete in World Championship
Arirang News January 04, 2019 08:57 Handball players from the two Koreas formed a joint team for the upcoming World Championship. They are now in Germany for training ahead of the World Men's Handball Championship, which will be co-hosted by the country and Denmark later this month. The two Koreas' ambassadors to Germany attended training on Wednesday and expressed their hopes that the New Year would get off to a good start with peaceful sporting exchanges between the South and the North. Sixteen players from the South and four from the North will face Germany in the tournament's opener in Berlin on Jan. 10. [Joint Korean]

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