Food
There is an abundance of food eaten in North Korea, including meat, vegetables, dairy products, and fruits. However, not all these foods are accessible to normal citizens. There is not a lot of candy eaten, and sugar is regarded as highly luxurious and short in supply. Home grown crops are often sold at outdoor markets in more rural parts of the country. Stores also sell packaged goods including packaged or canned meats.
Culture of North Korea. ?www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/North-Korea.html. Accessed 13 Mar. 2015.
There is a great variety of art in North Korea, much of which is regulated by the state.
The majority of literature is produced by state-salaried writers. The center for art in North Korea is the Mansudae Art Studio, which is located at a campus north of PyongYang of about 120,000 square meters. This center is possibly the biggest art center in the world, with approximately 1,000 artists and a staff of 4,000 that work to produce paintings, posters and sculptures. It is government runs, and sells to both the states leaders and international clients. The center was founded in 1959, just 6 years after the end of the Korean War. Obviously, art is very important aspect of North Korean culture. North Korean Arts. www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ north-korea-art-scene_us_55ef4c0ee4b093be51bc9a0a. Accessed 22 Sept. 2015. |
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Kim Il-sung's birthday celebration
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Each year on April 15th, the day that founder Kim Il-Sung was born (who passed away in 1944), there is a big celebration in North Korea. In fact, the day is known as the Day of Sun and is a major national holiday. At the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, the mausoleum holding the embalmed body of his grandfather, many people gather at midnight. The current Supreme Leader and grandson of Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-un is present. In addition, many of the country's top military leaders and millions of other citizens are present to join in the celebration in their late founder. There are fireworks, dances, and squads of soldiers marching through Kim Il-Sung Square.
Day of the Sun Parade. 15 Apr. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/04/14/asia/ north-korea-day-of-the-sun/. |
Dance: the ARirang mass games |
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The Arirang Mass Games is known as one of the world's largest and most impressive performance. An estimated 100,000 North Koreans participate, including adults and children doing gymnastics or dancing. The performance takes place in the Rungrado May Day Stadium in PyongYang, where many can spectate. It celebrates the birthday of the country's first president Kim Il-Sung and also is done to promote the working class, the armed forces, and the Kim dynasty. People practice for months in advance, with the hope of impressing their President who will watch the performance. A lot of the symbols and dances in the performance represent and symbolize aspects of North Korean culture. There are also performances by soldiers, symbolizing military strength, who march around the stadium carrying flags or weaponry. The show itself is very shocking and eye catching with its many lights. It is a great North Korean ritual that expresses just how complex the culture of the country is. To the right is a video clip of a part of the Arrange Mass Games and also slideshow with pictures.
North Korean Dance Games. 27 Feb. 2015, www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ article-2968477/Inside-North-Korea-s-colourful-Arirang-festival.html. Accessed 27 Feb. 2015. |
Citations
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