Arirang Mass Games

History

The name refers to "Arirang", a Korean folk story about a young couple who are torn apart, here intended to represent the division of Korea.

The festival was held annually between 2002 and 2013, with the exception of 2006. In 2007, Roh Moo-hyun became the first South Korean President to attend the games during the 2007 inter-Korean summit. The mass games were not held in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. In recent years, foreign tourists have been allowed to watch one of the many performances.

The mass games returned after a five-year hiatus, taking place from September 9 through September 30, 2018. The new performance was called "The Glorious Country" (빛나는 조국), honoring the country's 70th founding anniverary on September 9, 1948. On September 19, South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended the Mass Games with Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and addressed the crowd of 150,000.

The 2019 edition was named "People's Country" or "The Land of The People" (인민의 나라).

A further mass games event was scheduled to begin on August 15, 2020, playing weekly until the October 10. These dates were chosen to coincide with the 75th anniversaries of Liberation Day and Party Foundation Day. The event was eventually held from October 11 through October 31, and was entitled "Great Leadership" (위대한 향도). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's borders were closed to foreigners at the time.

There were no mass games from 2021 until 2024. After a four year hiatus in October 2025 the mass games returned, with this edition named "Long Live the Workers Party of Korea" (조선로동당 만세) as part of the festivities of the Workers' Party of Korea's 80th anniversary.

Iconography

The Mass Games possess an important ideological character setting out the legacy and political narratives of the North Korean state, with emphasis placed upon Workers' Party of Korea, its armed forces, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.

These messages may not be clear to foreign spectators, who are not aware of North Korean iconography: a rising sun symbolizes Kim Il-sung. When a gun is shown, it signifies the gun which Kim Il-sung gave to his son Kim Jong-il. The colour red, particularly in flowers, stands for the working class, and the colour purple and red flowers represent Kim Il-sung (as the flower Kimilsungia is a purple orchid and the flower Kimjongilia is a red begonia).

Participants

From as young as five years old, North Korean citizens are selected based on skill level to serve for the Arirang Festival for many years. In most cases this will be the way of life for them until retirement.

Events

The opening event of the two-month festival are the mass games, which are famed for the huge mosaic pictures created by more than 30,000{{cite news| last= Watts| first= Jonathan| url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/oct/01/northkorea| title= Welcome to the strangest show on earth

World record

In August 2007, the Arirang Mass Games were recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest gymnastic display with 100,090 participants at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang.

References

References

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3. Jung, Hyang Jin. "Jucheism as an Apotheosis of the Family: The Case of the Arirang Festival." ''Journal of Korean Religions'' 4.2 (2013): 93–122.
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