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By Yi Whan-woo
North Korea may resume its Arirang mass games, its signature dance and gymnastic performance suspended since 2014, in September, according to a North Korea tour operator.
Young Pioneer Tours, a Chinese travel company, said last week the North planned to hold the games to mark its 70th anniversary Sept. 9.
"We've just had some (potentially) very exciting news come in from our partners in Pyongyang … The Arirang mass games might be returning to the tourist calendar on Sep. 9 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," it said on its website.
"Our current understanding is that if confirmed, the show on Sept. 9 would be for dignitaries, and high-ranking officials only (not tourists)."
It added that tourists would be allowed to attend from the middle until the end of September, although, based on experience, this could potentially be extended.
The games had been an annual event since the country's establishment in 1948. They share many characteristics with similar events held in the Soviet Union, such as thousands of students holding placards they change in sequences producing perfectly synchronized choreography to display images as the story unfolds.
The Arirang mass games were held at the May Day Stadium, a stadium in Pyongyang generally considered the showcase for the event.
