Arirang Festival

Can they do animated GIFs as well?

there actually can...i ve seen a video where they have like 5 cards that they put up one after another that shows some action.

i feel sad for north koreans. communism is horrible for those who have experienced it first hand.

It's such a shame that the "glorious leader" lives in utter luxury (he's the single largest customer of Courvosier in the world) while his people die in mass famine and live in utter oppression. Even a single utterance against the state or dear leader results in being sent to a concentration camp, along with your *entire* extended family (including by marriage) for the next four generations. 25% to 30% of the population in these camps die each year. In fact, the guards who murder individuals are rewarded with the opportunity to study in a university, a very rare gift. Think I'm mistaken about all this? Search the BBC and the web -- they have the videotaped testimony from the rare few individuals (almost all soldiers and guards) who have made it out of the state alive.

Anyone know who wrote the music used in the tv commercial? What western artist would license their music to the North Korean government? Or did they use it without permission?

The song is by Faithless and called "I want more". I was dubious that they would allow it to be used, but it seems to be their official video for the song!

See:
http://www.faithless.co.uk
or
http://www.faithless.co.uk/media/video/i_want_more_1.html

"People as pixels" - think about that the net time you throw away your screen that have 16 million colours.

Samuel, UK

A book titled "Inside North Korea" came out recently and it includes more images from the Arirang Festival. You can check it out at:

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/site/catalog/index.php?main_page=pubs_product_book_info&products_id=6368&store=books

How do you know that the Faithless video is the offical TV Ad for the festival?

The video is definitely the one Faithless used for the song. It was on heavy rotation on MTV Europe a year ago or so. If it was used by NK government I wouldn't be suprised if it was used without Faithless' consent or even prior knowledge.

Of course that song wasn't "the official TV ad". Why would the government choose such a crappy song? Whoever believes that knows nothing of North Korea. They are very patriotic and it's as likely for their government to chose western song as if USA (also very patriotic, for those of you who are morons) would chose a North Korean song for THEIR next propaganda film.

A MUST SEE documentary inside the lives of two North Korean schoolgirls participating in one of the many Mass Games.

A State of Mind
http://www.astateofmind.co.uk/

To see the other bipolar side of North Korea, the side that they don't want you to know about, check out:

Children of the Secret State
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1875007335054132657

The expression dead pixel gets a new meaning. You cant handle the refreshrate? You are dead...next please