Koryo Quarterly – November 2006

OVERVIEW

Tours update

• nuclear fallout
• mass fantastic - the mass games
• 2007 the year to travel ‘Pyongyang Times Travel supplement’
• exclusive tours for those who want that little extra…
• 2006 lowlights and highlights
• if you have traveled with us before…

Crossing the Line

• premiere and synopsis
• further screening dates
• in the news

Koryo Tours events

• ‘A State of Mind’ in Chengdu
• other events

Other news

• Mr Bean in Pyongyang

FULL TEXT

Tours update

• We had a great year - taking in over 500 tourists and getting them all out again – yet DPRK still rates as one of the least visited countries in the world. However, judging by our tourists’ testimonies you will note it is one of the most rewarding travel experiences possible. We have new itineraries designed for those who have traveled with us before…and of course there is always Turkmenistan.
• In spite of recent events we are still running tours to DPRK if you want more details on the Nuclear issue we recommend http://www.nkzone.org/nkzone/
  
  

  Hand painted posters by North Korean art students – various examples as they become available http://www.northkoreapropaganda.com/ drop them a line if you want to see their collection

• As most of you are aware (especially those who are American) the mass games scheduled for Aug-Oct 2006 were cancelled due to the flooding that hit DPRK in July. The mass games are provisionally being scheduled twice next year – the first is likely to be for 2 weeks in April to commemorate the 95th birthday of President Kim Il Sung, the second will be from August 15th to October 10th. We regret that Americans will most likely not be able to visit during April but we are confident that they will for the later games. Please keep checking our website for updates.
  For those tourists who came this year hoping to see the mass games, we are running a special short tour for you from April 23rd 2007 – please see the website for more details.
• Tour dates for 2007 are now on the website – this includes both non-US and US tours. Remember, if you do not want to join a group then you can go independently. Please see the website for prices and suggested itineraries.
• In 2007 we will be introducing EXCLUSIVE TOURS for those who want a truly unique trip with a specifically designed itinerary which includes sights not available to most tourists (music university and Chongsangli co-operative farm) and the opportunity to speak to specialists such as music teachers, professors and soldiers who fought in the Korean War. The trip is priced to include the best accommodation and service. It will not run as a scheduled tour but as an independent tour on flexible dates with limited numbers, so if you are interested in finding out more please get in touch.
• We have had some great trips this year and done some exciting and new things; highlights include:
  • 2 charter flights to Mount Paekdu (one by plane, one by helicopter – one in the sun, one in the snow!)
    

    Paekdu in August…	…and October! (picture by the intrepid Paul Bowman)

  • Seeing the revolutionary opera ‘Sea of Blood’ in May
  • Rowing on the Taedong River in October
  • An increase in corporate travel to DPRK
  • The 2nd annual school trip from the Hong Kong-based Li Po Chun United World College sponsored by the Rotary Club, Hong Kong
  • We assisted with a project which arranged for some North Korean children to travel to China with their families for vital heart operations. Please contact us if you wish for more details or want to help.

Crossing the Line

• Nicholas Bonner is co-producer of Crossing the Line which is the latest film made with VeryMuchSo productions which premiered at the Pusan International Film Festival in October
• ‘In the 1960’s, four US soldiers serving in the Korean Demilitarised Zone embarked on an extraordinary journey.
  At the height of the Cold War, this unlikely band of brothers crossed the most heavily fortified area on earth and defected to Communist North Korea. No-one knew why they did it.
  For nearly 40 years their life was hidden from the outside world, trapped in the most secretive of nations.
  Not even the US government knew their fate.
  Only one remains in North Korea.
  This is his story.’
• The film will be on worldwide release soon and we will advise you of screenings
• New York Times article on the film
  

Koryo Tours events

• We are currently liasing with the Bookworm in Chengdu (Sichuan Province, China) and several groups in Europe to screen our last documentary ‘A State of Mind’ with question and answer sessions from Nick or Simon.
• If you belong to or know of any organisation or company that would like to hold a DPRK event/screen one of our films/a talk from us etc then please get in touch and we can help you to organise something – we are happy to do this anywhere in the world!

Other news

This September marked the second time that the biennial Pyongyang International Film Festival (PIFF - not to be confused with PIFF Pusan) has been referred to as an International and not a 'Non-aligned' film festival. 2006 marks the 10th Film Festival held in the country. The festival centres around the Yanggakdo Island Pyongyang International Cinema Hall and is a compilation of over 100 feature, documentary and animation films held under the ideal of ‘Independence, Peace and Friendship’ between September 13th and 22nd. Films are submitted from around the world but notably films from South Korea were either not entered or failed to pass the censors.

Koryo Tours, Mr Sean Hinton and the UK Embassy were involved in bringing Mr Bean, Bride and Prejudice, Nanny McPhee and Valiant to the festival. During the 2004 Festival we took in 'Bend It Like Beckham' which was exceedingly popular - seen by over 12,000 audience goers.

Pyongyang citizens queue up at various cinemas around the city to buy tickets for 200 won. A great variety of people purchase tickets – we met restaurant staff, a group of people from one of the cigarette factories to students who are learning English. Word soon got around as to which film was a ‘must see’ and the second screening of a popular film was often sold out - the largest of the cinemas can seat 2,000 people. The sound track is sometimes subtitled, but in the case of Mr Bean it was live dubbed and the laughter could be heard across the River Taedong.

Audience watching Mr Bean the Ultimate Disaster Movie which contained DPRK's
first side long female nude and skateboard.

The lead actors of Pyongyang Nalphara and the Diary of a Schoolgirl
(which has just been purchased by a French distributor)

FILM FESTIVAL IMAGES (pictures copyright Koryo Tours):

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS NEWSLETTER – PLEASE PASS ON THE LINK AND OF COURSE WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS!

Nick, Hannah, Simon and Emily at Koryo Tours.