2013 North Korean Mass Games ‘Even More Massive’ Than Usual

Monday starts the annual North Korean Mass Games.

This is the annual spectacular commemorating what the North Korean news agency (KCNA) says is the anniversary of the Korean people’s
“victory in the Fatherland Liberation War,” or as it’s called in the West, the Korean War.

More than 80,000 people participate in the elaborate floor shows held in the May Day Stadium, one of the largest stadiums in the world with capacity for 150,000 people.

This year marks the 60th anniversary and officials have announced a special, even grander than usual “Arirang” themed show to commemorate the anniversary.

“Arirang” is a Korean folk tale about star-crossed lovers who are torn apart. In modern terms, the story has come to symbolize the split between North and South Korea.

Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Nick Bonner who runs Koryo Tours. Bonner first attended the Mass Games in 1993. He’s been taking tourists to North Korea to watch the mass games for decades.