What is Party Foundation Day?
You may have already seen the tour on our website and thought to yourself “I wonder what Party Foundation Day is?” If you haven’t seen the tour on our website, you need to jump straight on and see if you’re able to join us.
The Party Foundation Day holiday is celebrated every year on the 10
th
of October. It is marked by festivities across the country including military parades, mass dances, performances, fireworks, speeches and also picnics, lots of picnics. As the important events of the morning come to an end, families will make their way to local parks and relax. Prisoners are often granted clemency for the holiday and gifts will be handed out, especially amongst schools.
Party Foundation Day is one of the most important holidays in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, or shortened to DPRK. Only preceded by the Day of the Sun and the Day of the Shining Star, the holiday celebrates the foundation of the Central Organising Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea.
The Communist Party of North Korea would then merge, in August 1946, with the New People’s Party of Korea to form the modern-day ruling party of the DPRK – The Workers Party of Korea. The Workers Party of Korea is still today the ruling party in the country and its symbol is the ubiquitous Hammer, Sickle and Writing Brush. A symbol you’ll see almost as much as the North Korean flag itself.
Party Foundation Day is often used to unveil new megaprojects that the country has undertaken and is used to showcase the country both domestically and internationally, making it a great time to visit the country. The most famous opening was in 1995, the 50th anniversary, when the Party Foundation Monument was unveiled, an impressive 25,000 square metre, extremely grand, granite construction, which we of course visit on all tours.
It is also a popular day to get married, and just celebrate in general. As a foreigner you will be invited to drink soju with locals and dance, or just sit down and enjoy some BBQ. It is a day when Koreans both pay their respects to the Party and its leaders, while also taking time to enjoy their family and friends. It is without a doubt one of the most unique experiences you can have in North Korea.
As noted earlier, gifts from the State also form an important part of Party Foundation Day. Daily essentials such as meat, rice, and cooking oil are given out, while also homewares, cakes and candy are received.
Despite the leisure time, day off work and gifts, the day is first and foremost a political one, where various displays of loyalty to the country’s leadership and to the guiding path, feats and achievements, that the Workers Party of Korea makes in leading the country. Visiting places of political importance such as the Mansu Hill Grand Monument (the statues of the leaders), the Party Foundation Monument, Kim Il Sung Square, or the Monument to the Juche Idea, is a priority, especially in Pyongyang. Placing flowers at the feet of the leaders is a common activity and also one that you can take part in.
If the idea of the most distinctive and rewarding experience you could have in elusive North Korea, then Party Foundation Day is for you. If you’d like to join our next trip, contact us on
[email protected]
or check out our North Korea tours
here
.