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I'm an expat Californian who is obsessed with traveling to strange and exotic destinations in the former Communist Bloc. I also like tacos, beer, surfing, trapshooting, and the geopolitics of oil. I currently live in Arlington, Virginia and work in Washington, DC. Read more about me here, check out my photo album, or send me an e-mail.

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    North Korea: Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery, Part II

    In case my explanation was insufficient, below is the footage of our trip to the Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery from the North Korean tourism DVD. It includes the usual laying of flowers, bowing, etc.

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    North Korea: Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery

    Located on Mt. Taesong, just a short drive from the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, is the Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery, the final resting place of Koreans who died fighting the Japanese during their occupation of the Korean peninsula.
    As with our visit to Mansudae, our group was asked to purchase several bouquets of flowers to lay at the [...]

    North Korea: Monument to the Foundation of the Korean Workers’ Party

    After visiting the Tower of Juche Idea, we headed over to another monument commemorating the foundation of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). The WPK is the ruling party of North Korea and is headed by its General Secretary, Kim Jong-il. This particular monument was erected in 1995 to commemorate the WPK’s iron-fisted [...]

    North Korea: U.S. Imperialists visit the Mansudae Grand Monument to Kim Il-Sung

    More footage from our North Korea tour DVD. Here we are at the Mansudae Grand Monument to Kim Il-Sung, where we had to lay flowers and bow in unison. Or attempt to bow in unison, anyways. We kinda screwed it up, as you can see.

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    North Korea: Warm welcome to the DPRK!

    When our tour group arrived in North Korea, I was a bit surprised to learn that in addition to our driver and three guides/minders, we would be accompanied by a cameraman who would be filming our entire trip. At first I thought this was for propaganda purposes (”Tune in tonight at 7pm, dear comrades, [...]

    North Korea: Tower of Juche Idea

    Designed by the Dear Leader himself, the Tower of Juche Idea was completed in 1982 to commemorate Kim Il-Sung’s 70th birthday. That’s quite a gift to present to your father for his birthday. By comparison, the books and t-shirts I send my dad now appear to be quite inadequate.
    At a height [...]

    North Korea: The Mansudae Grand Monument to Kim Il-Sung

    Following an evening of Mass Games, drinking North Korean beer, and exploring our bizarre hotel, we were up bright and early for our first full day of touring Pyongyang. The first stop on our itinerary was the obligatory visit to the Mansudae Grand Monument, a 65 foot bronze statue of the “Great Leader” Kim [...]

    North Korea: The Arch of Triumph (because everything’s bigger in the DPRK)

    There are a lot of monuments in Pyongyang, and as you soon learn, all revolve around the achievements of Kim Il-Sung. The first monument we visited was the Arch of Triumph. You probably think that this arch looks quite similar to that one in Paris, and you would be right, EXCEPT THIS ONE IS [...]