Even Dialectical Materialism has to bow before the weight of Environmental pressures - they may blame US navy exercises, but North Korea's ‘Arirang’, its premier nationalistic and tourist-grabbing shindig, has been cancelled because of environmental crisis in the country.
North Korea has cancelled its ‘Arirang’ mass games
spectacle, a celebration of military and communist ideology, because of
flooding. The shows, part rhythmic gymnastics, part military parade, part
circus, should have started on August 15 and run to mid-October. Official
reasons include recent torrential rains and an annual military drill by the US
and South Korean military.
The festival will apparently be moved to April. About
100,000 people take part in the games, named after a traditional love story, a
source of national pride and foreign currency for North Korea. Most of the crowds are North
Koreans, but the state sells thousands of tickets to foreigners, with prices
ranging from € 40 - 240. Many also buy a package tour which puts much more
money into the economy. This year, North Korea was hoping to welcome American
tourists, with packages from 5-6 thousand US$.
Three major storms hit North Korea in July, threatening famine in a country that already has serious food shortages. The
Government says flooding has killed hundreds.
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