PALACE OF THE CHILDREN OF MANGYONGDAE

The little prodigies of Mangyongdae: this is the name given to the multitude of children who are swarming in the Palace which is open to them in Pyongyang, officially to relax and learn artistic activity in addition to their school education. The place was opened in May 1989 on Kwangbok Street in the North of the district of Mangyongdae. Like the Pyongyang children's Palace (a similar structure North of the Kim Il-Sung Square that cannot be visited), it is a showcase of North Korean education. Attending such a place is a privilege for children. The youngest can have access to a gymnasium, a swimming pool, activities such as calligraphy, music, theatre, etc., while the older ones benefit, for example, from foreign language courses and computer science. It is possible to get inside some rooms where children train and have a look at their rigour and precision, even the youngest ones. The tour ends with a show in an amphitheatre of 2000 places featuring each speciality taught in the Palace. Everything is a breath-taking military precision. We can ask ourselves if these children are really leased to be there...