Ik kreeg 2 mailtjes van Koryo Tours over de Mass Games. 1 Mailtje omdat ik binnenkort zelf naar Noord-Korea ga en 1 nieuwsbrief. Zoals het er nu naar uitziet is er een einde gekomen aan de Mass Games. Gisteren was de laatste voorstelling en het zal waarschijnlijk niet verlengd worden (in tegenstelling tot eerdere jaren).
Dear All
I am writing as I have just received a phone call from Pyongyang with a bit of bad news I’m afraid; For the first time since it began its run in 2002 the Arirang Mass Games will not be extended this year and therefore at the time you are going to North Korea you will not be able to see the event as it will have finished by then, the final performance is tonight (Sept 9th). This is surprising news to both us and our partners in Pyongyang, everyone was expecting an extension but I’m afraid it seems it is not to be. Very sorry about this. I know it is a highlight and a disappointment, as you might imagine we don’t have any influence or control over this.
So again we’re sorry to be the bearers of bad news in this case, all the tours will still run of course even though this one part of the itinerary will not be included. We hope you recover from this bad news and are looking forward to the trips anyway
I am leaving for DPRK on Sept 13th for 10 days, if you need to make any changes as regards the booking of your tour please do let me know by that time if at all possible, I will be out of email contact while away in North Korea
Best regards, sorry again to have to inform you of this
Simon
Mass Games - the end of Arirang has come
Koryo Tours is sad to announce that what is expected to be the final Arirang Mass Games has now come to an end. The final performance was last night, September the 9th. We are informed by our colleagues in Pyongyang that the event is now finished and will not be extended this year. The Arirang Mass Games started in 2002 and became an annual event in 2007, every year since then it has been extended and has run into October which we, and our partners in the DPRK, expected to happen again this year. However it was not to be. Sorry for anyone who didn’t make it to the performance.
It is not completely beyond possibility that an extension may be announced still though, this has happened before after all. If, by some miracle, the Arirang Mass Games are extended and new dates added we will of course let you know immediately
Next year, 2013, marks the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. This is seen in North Korea as a historic victory and we would expect it to be marked as such so there is a possibility that a new form of Mass Games will be staged to mark this event. This far we have no more news about this but as always we will keep everyone on our mailing list informed and up to date as soon as there is any information to be told. Koryo Tours as always will get you the bets access to whatever special events are going on in North Korea when you make your trip and we look forward to seeing what they can come up with the replace the Arirang event. While this particular event seems to have run its course we do expect the Mass Games form to carry on and await whatever version comes next, watch this space!
Kind regards from all at Koryo Tours