We have just been informed that North Korea’s spectacular Arirang Mass Games will be taking place once again this year. The officially confirmed dates so far are from August 1^st – September 9^th (Sept 9^th is DPRK’s National Day, a major holiday in North Korea) but we do expect the dates to be extended as it is normal for the initial confirmed run of the Mass Games to be this long, the event often finishes as late as mid-October, we will of course keep you updated!

If you’ve ever wanted to see 100,000 performers in a 90 minute spectacular combination of gymnastics, propaganda, dance, music, and of course unicycling all with the backdrop of the world’s largest screen – one made up of 20,000 schoolchildren flipping coloured cards to create an ever-shifting display unrivalled anywhere else in the world – then this is the event for you. Truly unforgettable and awe-inspiring, book now for something that will not be easily forgotten!

All tours that take place in this period can see the Mass Games, the event takes place in the evening and so is easily fitted to any tour schedule. The Mass games will run 5 times a week (on Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat) so plenty of opportunities for you to attend, you can even go more than once on a tour if you so desire!

We have some more information on the Mass Games including the ticket prices and some clips of our award-winning documentary about some of the performers ‘A State of Mind’ online at http://www.koryogroup.com/travel_massGames.php so please see here for more details

All tours that we are running at that time will be able to see the Mass Games and our full group tour schedule for 2012 can be found at http://www.koryogroup.com/travel_groupTours.php with independent tour details available at http://www.koryogroup.com/travel_independentTours.php

We hope you can join us on a trip this year to see this unique and newsworthy country, the Mass games are the icing on the cake of many of our specially designed itineraries, the fruit of our two decades in the North Korea tour business. Koryo Tours specialises in taking you on the most remarkable journey of your life, come and join us for the Mass Games 2012 – you’ve never seen anything like it before, guaranteed!

Please contact us on info@koryogroup.com for any other information at all, any questions about the tours or about the Mass Games always welcome. As the only recognised experts in North Korean travel we are best placed to answer your questions and arrange the most amazing trip you’ve ever been on – drop us a line now!

Although tourists have never been able to attend one of the DPRK’s famous military parades in the Kim Il Sung square itself we did take our groups to planned spots around the route so we could see the vast arrays of military machinery (tanks, missiles – real or not, artillery and so on), and personnel (hundreds of trucks carrying many thousands of soldiers from all facets of the Korean People’s Army) – this was an amazing experience as we stood with the locals and joined in the review – something few expected to happen, and something only Koryo Tours could pull off – an unforgettable experience for anyone who was there with us!

Aside from the parade, the flower show, the new buildings, fireworks, and all the other amazing sights (including the newly unveiled statue of Kim Jong Il alongside his father on Mansudae), one thing that sticks with us is seeing the looks on the faces of our Korean friends as they watched their new leader Kim Jong Un deliver his speech – the first time in decades that the ruler of North Korea has spoken at any length in public – truly a moving moment for many people that we work with and know very well over there!

In addition to the parade we also checked out a few newly available hotels, did an exploratory tour of several new restaurants and leisure facilities that we can make available exclusively to anyone travelling with us, and took the only groups to successfully tour the heavy industry sites near Pyongyang that have recently been opened by Koryo Tours as well as the remote and stunning mountain area of Pujon which we opened to international tourism in 2010. We’re very pleased to have been able to take in everyone who wanted to join the tours at this time and despite confusion, itinerary re-ordering, and the general orderly chaos on the spot we hope all of our travellers have lasting memories of what a remarkable time it was to be in the country on this historic occasion.

| The Game of Their Lives   &    Friends of Kim |

Presented by Simon Cockerell of Koryo Tours these two fascinating documentaries on North Korea tell some of the most fascinating stories to come out of this enigmatic country. Simon will give some background information on the film and answer any questions after the screening

Where: The Apartment, Shanghai

Address: 3/F, 47 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu, 永福路47号3楼, 近复兴西路(Tel: 6437 9478)
When: March 11th, 2012, start time 18:30
Entrance: Free

The Game of Their Lives (2001) – Koryo Tours’ first documentary tells the story of the North Korean football team who, against all the odds, qualified for the 1966 World Cup, archive footage and contemporary interviews with the players and those involved explains how they managed this feat, what it was like to go to England a mere decade after the end of the Korean War, what happened to them while they were there and how they became the most successful Asian football team in the world (until 2002!) at that time. A fascinating look at a group of men who achieved the impossible and then disappeared back behind the bamboo curtain until the film crew located them decades later

Start time 18:30
Total length = 85 mins

Friends of Kim (2003) – Dutch documentary shot on and around a tour to North Korea organised by the Korea Friendship Association – an organisation of westerners who are sympathetic and supportive of the North Korean government. This fascinating film shows the different types of people who go on such a trip including an American journalist along for the ride who clashes personalities with the organiser of the tour, wish some very unexpected consequences!

Start time 20:30
Total length = 80 mins

Welcome!

Our most spectacular tour is on offer again in 2012 and we invite anyone interested in the most remarkable trip we can offer to sign up now and get prepared for a life-changing experience.

Check out itinerary at: http://www.koryogroup.com/travel_Itinerary_magadan.php

Photos from 2011! (full screen advised!):
http://www.koryogroup.com/travel_Itinerary_magadan.php#pictureslideshow

The main highlights of the tour include;

Vladivostok - where most epic journeys end we start our trip into the darkest of Russia’s many Dark Tourism areas – see the city at the end of the line; warships, Fortresses set up to repel Japanese invasion after the disastrous war of 1905, a soviet-era abandoned airfield, as well as great nightlife, military souvenirs and much more

Magadan – synonymous with suffering during the darkest days of the USSR this remote city (so far removed from the rest of the country that it is over 2000Km from the nearest railway line and a place where the locals refer to the rest of Russia as ‘the mainland’) is home to 100,000 hardy souls. Despite this it is a very welcoming and navigable city with interesting sights, beautiful scenery surrounding the city, and some good nightlife to be had far from where you ever thought you would go

Dneprovsky Gulag – 5 hours drive from Magadan in military Kamaz trucks – this former tin and uranium mining complex housed prisoners in the darkest days of the 20th century. Guard towers and many other facilities remain and our walking tour of the site is a saddening and evocative experience in an area that deserves to be remembered. We will camp overnight here and visit some abandoned towns along the way

Kadykchan – Simply put; the most fascinating ghost town you will ever visit – utterly abandoned by its entire population in the last 90s after the collapse of the local mining industry this soviet-era city lies deep in Magadan province over 700km along the Kolyma Highway (known as the ‘Road of Bones’). A full day of exploring this empty city involves seeing schools, sports centre, hospital, apartment buildings (climbing to the roof of some of these is a highlight), city government building, and much much more, a place many people even in Magadan have never heard of and somewhere only one tour group (Koryo Tours of course!) has ever been before. This is a stunning place that lends itself to photography and is perfect for the adventurous traveller and anyone who wants to see something very special indeed, bragging rights for those who have been here are second-to-none!

So join us now! Drop us an email with any questions or to express an interest, we hope you can be there on this fully escorted trip and we look forward to journeying to the end of the world with you in July 2012!

Kimjongilia Exhibition

A new statue of Kim Jong Il on a horse was unveiled at Mansudae Art Studio on the 15^th Feb. It has been placed alongside the one already existing there of Kim Il Sung on a horse. It also appears that they are making a new large statue of Kim Jong Il which will go on Mansu Hill next to the one of Kim Il Sung there which is currently covered up. This is expected to be completed by April. Nick and I visited this new statue but we were unable to get any photos – you can see images here though

Portrait on Kim Il Sung Square

Kim Il Sung Square

At various locations in Pyongyang there were images of a smiling Kim Jong Il painted on gigantic portraits (similar to the ones of his father) – I saw them on Kim Il Sung Square, outside the April 25th Palace of Culture and outside the Indoor Gymnasium. There were huge queues of people lining up to lay flowers and pay their respects. The tour group visited the portrait on Kim Il Sung Square.

There were several different events held to mark the birthday – an Ice Skating display, the military circus and a synchronized swimming display – these are usually held on the 16^th Feb. At the end of the Army Circus they played the song Footsteps which is the song dedicated to Kim Jong Un, and at the end of the synchronized swimming the swimmers shouted Kim Jong Un’s name several times. Video of Swimming Performance

Poster for synchronised swimming performance

During the trip we also visited the new Viennese Coffee shop which is located at the bottom left corner of Kim Il Sung Square near the History Museum. It is in a complex which includes the coffee shop, a small store selling food and drinks and a restaurant with several private rooms. The coffee shop itself looks like an empty railway waiting room with pinkish lighting and a few chairs and tables placed around. The corridors in the war museum have more atmosphere than this place. The coffee was ok and nice apple cake but not a patch on the Pyolmuri Apple Pie. The group ate at the restaurant which wasn’t bad but nothing to scream with joy about! The lights were quite cool though – looked like coloured menthos…. More info about the coffee shop can be found here

Loving the wallpaper in the new restaurant.....

Dear All,

We have just been informed that we can accept more applications for the tours that we are running over April 15th, the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korean eternal president Kim Il Sung(our partners define this period as being between April 7 -20). We have been given the deadline of February 28th to receive complete applications (online form and colour scan of passport and passport photo). Please note that based on current information no further applications will be possible after that date. The tours we have available at that time are as follows:

Kim Il Sung Birthday Week Tour – http://koryogroup.com/travel_Itinerary_2012_KISB_week.php

Kim Il Sung Birthday Short Tour – http://koryogroup.com/travel_Itinerary_2012_KISB_S4.php

Kim Il Sung Birthday Long Tour – http://koryogroup.com/travel_Itinerary_2012_KISB_L5.php

Kim Il Sung Birthday Ultimate Tour Option A – http://koryogroup.com/travel_Itinerary_2012_KISB_U_A6.php

Kim Il Sung Birthday Ultimate Tour Option Ultimate -http://koryogroup.com/travel_Itinerary_2012_KISB_U_AnB8.php

To apply for any of the tours please follow the simple procedure at http://koryogroup.com/travel_bookingATour.php it’s as easy as that!

Independent tours are also possible, the deadline for application is the same as above (Feb 28), for basic info on independent tours please see http://koryogroup.com/travel_independentTours.php a brochure is available on request

We still do not have 100% final confirmation of what hotels we will be using on these tours, due to the large number of government invitees it may be the case that we may have to use hotels in and outside Pyongyang other than those we have planned and listed in the itineraries, we do therefore continue to request maximum flexibility as regards hotel rooming and the order of the tour itinerary.

According to the latest information from Pyongyang it is unlikely that the Mass Games will be held in April, this is not a final confirmation but it is the latest information. If you are interested in seeing the Mass Games then please note that we expect them to take place as usual from August to September or October of this year and we will of course update our mailing list when this information is confirmed.

As April 15th this year is the biggest day in the DPRK calendar for many years there will be many special events going on that we will be able to be a part of but most likely this will not be known for sure until nearer the time.We realise that this is frustrating to anyone planning to visit at this time but you can be fully assured that to be in the country over such a special date will make it a remarkable and unique time, and that you will see and do everything that is possible while you are in the country. Koryo Tours are the only company to have been running tours for the last two decades and we are best placed to take you there and get you the most access to the country and the events going on at that time. For now we have a small window of opportunity for you to join the world’s only North Korea travel specialists on a trip to the world’s most unique and remarkable destination, we hope you can make it with us, drop us a line at info@koryogroup.com with any questions and we look forward to being in North Korea with you on their biggest holiday in decades!

Best regards from all of us at Koryo Tours!

New Travel Opportunity in North Korea!
Unique and exciting chance in travel to the most unique areas in the country – Let the adventure begin!

Koryo Tours is proud to once again be the first and only company to offer an all-new tourism opportunity for anyone wanting to go and see some of the more remote parts of North Korea – allow us to explain;

We have been running tours to the Rason Special Economic Area for several years now; this part of the DPRK is located in the far North on the Chinese and Russian border and offers a look at the least visited part of the world’s most unique country – and the only place in North Korea where tourists can visit a local market, local bank, and many other unique spots. Lying to the south of Rason the major industrial centre of Chongjin and the stunning mountains of the Chilbosan range have long been among the most difficult parts of the DPRK to get to due to the need to charter a plane from Pyongyang to reach this area – here you can overnight in the only homestay in the country as well as seeing the highlights of the second largest city in the DPRK and some of the most stunning scenery in Asia.

Koryo Tours have been able to obtain permission to enter North Korea in the Rason area, visit this fascinating area, and continue by road down the north east coast of the country to the city of Chongjin and beyond. – this is a road never before travelled by western tourists, a new route opened by Koryo Tours in late January of 2012 for the very first time.

Ideal for second time visitors as well as adventure seekers this new route takes you to some of the least-seen parts of the country via a route that nobody (barring Koryo Tours’ staff) has ever taken before – please see our website’s Rason page for some more information

http://www.koryogroup.com/travel_rason.php

As if that wasn’t enough we have some more exciting news for those looking to visit the area – In September we have one of our longest and most comprehensive tours visiting North Korea, including taking charter flights up to the sacred Mount Paekdu (the highest crater lake in the world), and over to the North East Coast to visit Mount Chilbo and Chongjin, if you join our special Rason and Chongjin tour at that time you can meet up with the group at the local airport near Chongjin and fly to Pyongyang after visiting Rason and Chongjin, then tour some of the more conventional (!) areas of the country and leave by train or plane to Beijing along the normal exit route. In doing so you will be the first visitors to the country ever to complete this circular route, pioneering tourism as practiced by Koryo Tours at its very best!

For information on this option please see:

National Day Long Tour (Ultimate Option): http://www.koryogroup.com/travel_Itinerary_2012_NDLT_Ultimate.php
National Day Long Tour (Option B): http://www.koryogroup.com/travel_Itinerary_2012_NDLT_B.php

Please do feel free to contact us if you are interested in this special new route, we have more sites than ever available in both Rason and Chongjin that are exclusive to Koryo Tours, we would love to share this opportunity with you and we hope you’re as excited as we are at this chance to blaze a new trail in opening up new parts of North Korea to foreign tourists

For more information email: info@koryogroup.com

You can see some photos of the first ever trip down the north eastern coastal road from Rason to Chongjin on our FLICKR Photostream at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/koryo_tours/sets/72157629338457331/

The first post is about a technique of cooking clams that is very much unique to North Korea – at least to the West Coast anyway. Instead of steaming them in a lovely white wine and cream sauce with garlic, they use petrol. Yes, you read it right. Petrol. They actually taste pretty good too (unless you happen to get one that opened slightly whilst cooking and has been gently marinated in the stuff…). Interestingly, this unusual cooking method only exists on the west coast. On the east coast (where I happened to have them at the beautiful beach resort of Majon Guesthouse) they cook them on a large dish over fire. Here, the petrol is used to ignite the flames and not the clams themselves! http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/02/07/north-korean-gasoline-baked-clams-taste-great-could-reinvent-bbq-as-we-know-it/

The second post describes his visit to the DPRK’s first KFC – well, not the Colonel’s own brand but a one born out of a JV with a Singaporean company. In addition to the fried chicken they also do a mean bowl of cold noodles and draft beer to wash it all down with. http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/02/09/investigation-of-north-korea-reveals-their-fried-chicken-is-pretty-good/

I don’t have a picture of us at the chicken place (there are some good ones on his link though) – so here is a picture of a picnic at Mt Paekdu instead from last September.

If you want to taste these for yourself you know who to call!

The Bundesliga club did not disclose how much it paid for the 27-year-old forward or the length of the contract.

Jong, who is called Chong Tese in Germany, will step in for the injured Lukas Podolski who was ruled out for at least three weeks with a foot injury.

Podolski partially tore a tendon in his left foot during Saturday’s 4-1 league defeat at home to Schalke.

Sporting director Volker Finke says Jong fits Cologne’s requirements “exactly.”

Jong scored 14 goals and set up five more for Bochum since arriving from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in 2010. He played for North Korea at the 2010 World Cup.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/soccer/wires/01/30/2080.ap.soc.cologne.jong.0131/index.html#ixzz1l1Y7NWVG

While the TV and movie world have been going gaga of late over adaptations of crime novels ranging from the Inspector Wallander books, Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, the various Holmes revivals and so on those of us with an eye on the North Korea novel scene can still hope for a film or television adaptation of a series of books about a North Korean police inspector, James Church’s Inspector O series, they are all available from Amazon and all other good book retailers, here’s a little bit of info about them and some other DPRK-related novels, happy reading!

A Corpse in the Koryo – the first Inspector O book, a body is found in one of Pyongyang’s iconic hotels, great attention to detail all the way down to the names of the days of the week in the lifts of the Hyangsan hotel later in the book

Hidden Moon – The unthinkable happens; a bank robbery in Pyongyang! This complicated story does reward careful attention although some anachronisms such as the police all having mobile phones years before their introduction, grate a little!

Bamboo and Blood – Inspector O’s past catches up with him on this globe-trotting case which sees him in Pyongyang, New York, Geneva, and beyond

The Man With the Baltic Stare – the final part of the series sees Inspector O in rural retirement as unforeseen and nebulous changes take place in Pyongyang with various groups of outside agents vying for influence

In addition to the Inspector O series here are some other North Korea-related novels:

North Korean Memoirs – Sounds interesting – the discovered diary of an American who defected and then escaped North Korea, however it’s an awful book. Inaccurate in detail (the man defects across a room which in reality is completely in North Korea, pedantic I know but still, detail is noticed!), ludicrously wish-fulfilling sex scene, poor pacing, all in all a sad waste

Winter Games – Not a great book by any means, but might be worth reading on a plane. If this was a film it would star Michelle Yeoh, and maybe a young Steven Seagal, make of that what you will!

Your Republic is Calling You – an excellent novel about a long-term North Korean sleeper in South Korea who is suddenly and unexpectedly recalled after years of silence from his bosses. Will he go back, what about his family and new life? Great story-telling, complex characters, a very good and worthwhile novel – although one scene in the book is stolen blatantly from our movie ‘A State of Mind’!!