Liberation Day in North Korea
Air Koryo flight JS152 finally took off at 11.30 a.m. from Beijing after a lengthy visa process I was one of only several Western tourists for the whole year off to see the "Hermit Kingdom" of North Korea. It was Aug. 14, the day before Korean Liberation Day - one of the few holidays celebrated in both the South and the North. Unfortunately for the workers of the Workers' Paradise, Aug. 15 fell on a Sunday this year, robbing them of even one day off from their regular workweek.
Almost all Pyongyang residents, as a member of a group or community organization designed to strengthen revolutionary spirit, were required in celebration of the public holiday to lay a wreath of flowers at the statue of Kim Il-sung at Mansudae in the showcase center of Pyongyang on Aug. 14 or 15. Groups of soldiers, workers, youth groups and on and on lined up in front of the statue as a group representative set down flowers and they all bowed in unison. Heaven knows what they did with the flowers on Aug. 16!
On Aug. 15, our group was "privileged" to see the body of Kim Il-sung in the mausoleum at Kumsusan, the reported workplace of Kim Il-sung while alive. We were forewarned that our behavior must be exemplary and a tie mandatory. After paranoid processing akin to traveling from a U.S. airport post-9/11, we arrived at the formaldehyde-soaked corpse of the Eternal President. Expressionless armed soldiers stood guard in every corner, and four bows from every side of the tomb were required from all visitors. I have read differing reports that the mausoleum cost the North Koreans anywhere from $200 million to $1 billion unaffordable for them, in any case, at any price. The splendor and opulence of the "man of the people" was certainly a contrast to the squalid living of the general population. More impressive but equally wasteful monuments such as the 170m-high Juche Tower, Mangyongdae (the birth place of Kim Il-sung), the U.S. spy ship Pueblo and the Pyongyang subway among others were also on our itinerary for the day. All carefully orchestrated with a detour to the gift shop at the end.
A treat for us as a chance to mix with the locals was the Liberation Day group dancing outside Kim Il-sung Stadium. We were encouraged to dance with a member of the opposite sex, but all hesitated to do so at first. Out of nowhere, a North Korean "ajoshi" acting somewhat like a waiter in a South Korean nightclub would suddenly grab an attractive and embarrassed but obliging North Korean female to dance with one of us. The locals put us to shame with their graceful synchronized moves, but it was all in good fun and provided for some good camcorder footage as well.
Monday was a soggy trip to Panmunjom, a trip I have done a number of times from Seoul. Our North Korean military guide, who claimed the U.S. and South Korea started the war but that the northern peasants, farmers and volunteers drove them back and advanced to Seoul in three days, gave us a giggle. In fairness, though, both sides are involved in propagandizing their own side of the story.
At a rest stop on the way back to Pyongyang, it became evident that the North Koreans are still learning the basics of a market economy. One of the guys on our tour wanted to buy a lollypop, only to be told he needed to buy the whole container, which he declined to do. Now, I'm not a trained economist, but I explained to the store staff in my best Korean that the price of $10 for 100 lollypops came to a reasonable 10 cents each. However, it's unlikely that anyone would want to buy a whole container of them. I suggested that it would be possible to sell them individually for 20 or 25 cents each, thereby doubling profits. Her response was a muted, "I don't care. I'm not trained to think outside of the box." I'm sure the box will still be there next year.
The main reason I chose this particular tour was the chance to visit Mount Paektu, a mythical mountain to all Koreans. Incredibly enough, for only $3000 we were able to charter a Koryo Air plane with a pilot, co-pilot and two stewardesses for two days. We flew to Samjiyon in Yanggang Province. An airport staffer told me there are often no planes for a whole week. Taking the one-hour bus ride to Mount Paektu showed clearer the caste system in descending loyalty of "core," "wavering'' and "hostile" in loyalty to the regime. This area was almost certainly populated with the latter two groups. Gaunt, dark-skinned people walked along the dirt roads, often barefoot. The only vehicles were the occasional military truck, often doubling as a mode for transporting walking civilians. The closer to the Chinese border we came the more visible the soldiers became, literally thousands of them and both male and female. At one point our tour stopped at Amnok River to show us the Chinese/North Korean border. I teasingly told my female guide I could see a talbukja (defector) crossing the river. Not appreciating my sense of humor, she sternly told me they are not "talbukja" but "paebanja" (betrayer).
Arriving at Mount Paektu, only one sign propagandizing the regime was evident. Fortunately for future generations, most of the mountain is on the Chinese side of the border, denying the North Korean government the chance to forever deface the mountain rock with their revolutionary slogans as they have done to Mounts Myohyang and Kumgang. Once Mount Paektu becomes available to mass tourism, a dirty little secret that the tour operators will attempt to hide is that on most days the mountain and Lake Chon aren't visible due to heavy fog. We were extremely fortunate in that it was a beautiful clear day with little fog and so could see the mountain and lake perfectly. And what a sight it was!
A visit to Kim Jong-il's supposed birth place, the newly opened Mount Paektu museum and the Samjiyon monument which boasts the second tallest bronze Kim Il-sung statue wound up our Mount Paektu visit. There was certainly no expense spared in the construction and upkeep of these places.
We took a flight back to Pyongyang and ended up at a stamp shop near the Koryo Hotel. The stamps and many propaganda paintings, murals and mosaics showed the pride of North Korea and their worship of the two Kims. However, it also makes a mockery of their repeated claim that the DPRK endeavors to seek peace and friendship with all the countries of the world missiles hitting the White House, American soldiers being crushed by North Korean soldiers and one stamp of a North Korean soldier thrusting a knife through the neck of George W. Bush don't exactly re-enforce their professed claim. They do make good photos and souvenirs, though.
The next day, after passing through a hastily reconstructed Ryongchon, the scene of a devastating explosion in April, and a 3-1/2 hour wait at Sinuiju Railway Station clearing border formalities, we crossed the Amnok River into Dandong. In what must be an unusual description of being in China, we all agreed that China appeared to be quite "free" and "bountiful." Perhaps the time is not so far away when we will be able to say the same for North Korea.
The writer is living in Seoul.