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Thousands of choreographed dancers, trucks full of grinning men with rocket launchers — it could only mean one thing — a birthday party.

KIM IL-SUNG’s beaming, cherubic face is everywhere. 18 years after his death, the image of his croaking-toad jowls and chicklet-white teeth still appears to hold sway over much of the North Korean population.

Kim Il-sung portrait

Documentary filmmaker, Patrick Wallner, who visited Pyongyang during the ‘madness’ of the birthday celebration and shot this video, had this to say:

Traveling to the Hermit Kingdom is already bizarre enough, but when we heard that North Korea would be celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the Great Leader & eternal president, Kim Il-sung, there was no way to let such an epic birthday party slip through our hands.

Laurence Keefe, Kirill Korobkov and I flew over to Pyongyang for two days to witness the madness. While skateboarding within the DPRK was our main intention, it was overshadowed by the celebrations & the ‘no sliding’ anywhere rule.

Cityscape


 

About The Author

Joshywashington

Joshywashington is a Travel Media Ninja from Seattle who enjoys writing, climbing trees and strong coffee.

Archived Responses to And the crowd goes wild: Kim Il-Sung’s 100th birthday

  1. Anonymous says:

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  2. Priyanka says:

    Seen some documentaries on North Korea and one specifically on what goes into preparing for these celebrations( when he was alive to now) and I have to say- it’s insane. Kids practice for hours and hours and hours to perfect one jump or whatever step it is that they are doing.

    Completely crazy!

  3. sean says:

    That shot at 1:46 of the woman turning around is the sort of shot that photographers wait their whole lives to get.

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