April 25 House of Culture

The April 25 House of Culture is a theatre located in Pyongyang, North Korea.[1] It was built in 1974-1975 to provide a venue for military education, and was originally called the February 8 House of Culture. It is located on Pipha Street in the Moranbong District of Pyongyang.[1] The classically colonnaded building[4] is considered one of the best examples of 1970s socialist monumentality in North Korea,[5] the other being the visually similar Mansudae Art Theatre.[6]

April 25 House of Culture
April 25 House of Culture decorated for the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
April 25 House of Culture
Location within Pyongyang
Former namesFebruary 8 House of Culture
Congress Hall
LocationPipha Street, Moranbong District, Pyongyang, North Korea[1][2]
Coordinates39°3′29″N 125°44′57″E
Public transit   Chǒllima: Jŏnu and   Hyǒksin: Chŏnsŭng
TypeCulture venue
Construction
Broke groundApril 1974
Opened7 October 1975 (1975-10-07)
April 25 House of Culture
Chosŏn'gŭl
Hancha
Revised Romanization4.25 munhwa hoegwan
McCune–Reischauer4.25 munhwa hoegwan

It has been the location of many historic events, from the 6th, 7th, and 8th congresses of the Korean Workers' Party, to the historic meeting of Kim Jong-il with the president of South Korea, Roh Moo-hyun, in 2007.[7]

Construction

A 12.4 hectares (31 acres) site was cleared and actual construction on the theatre building was begun in April 1974.[2] The building is 105 metres (344 ft) wide across the front, 176 metres (577 ft) deep, and rises to a height of almost 50 metres (164 ft).[2] It contains two large theatres with 6,000 seats and 1,100 seats respectively with a cinema theatre of 600 seats.[1] Its over 80,000 square metres (861,113 sq ft) of floor space provide for some 600 other rooms in support of the theatres.[2] The building opened on 7 October 1975.[1][2]

Name

The building as proposed was originally named the February 8 House of Culture after the date of the founding of the Korean People's Army (KPA). It was opened under this name and the 6th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea was held there on 10 to 14 October 1980, under this name.[8] After the congress the building was sometimes referred to as Congress Hall;[9] however, subsequently the name was changed to the April 25 House of Culture, the founding date of the resistance army against the Japanese,[10] in order to reflect the historical connection, and the continuity, with the KPA.[11] North Korea's Military Foundation Day had been changed earlier, in 1978, from 9 February to 25 April.[11]

Usage

The April 25 House of Culture is home to the April 25th Culture and Art Composition Office,[12] which is in charge of organizing major KPA cultural events, including international conferences and state funerals. In addition to meetings for military education, awards and solidarity,[4][13] and official state ceremonies and party meetings such as the 6th and 7th Congresses of the Workers' Party of Korea,[14][15] the theatres in the 25 April House of Culture are used for cultural events such as performances by the Korean People's Army Ensemble,[2] or the band Moranbong.[16]

The building rarely sees visits by tourists.[4]

In North Korean culture

The North Korean postal service issued a stamp on 7 October 1976, primarily for domestic use, depicting the then new building.[2][17]

See also

Notes and references
  1. "Pyongyang: Theatres". Official webpage of the DPR of Korea. Korean Friendship Association (KFA). 2011. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013.
  2. Corfield, Justin (2014). Historical Dictionary of Pyongyang. London: Anthem Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-78308-341-1.
  3. 중국-김준호 (25 April 2014). 평양 4.25 문화회관에 큰 화재 발생. Radio Free Asia (in Korean). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  4. Willoughby, Robert (2014). North Korea: The Bradt Travel Guide (Third ed.). Bradt Travel Guides. p. 135. ISBN 978-1-84162-476-1.
  5. "The Architecture of North Korea". Koryo Tours. 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016.
  6. "North Korea Architecture Tour 2014". How to Go to North Korea. Rebel Tribe. 2013. Archived from the original on 27 September 2014.
  7. "Theatres, Pyongyang, North Korea". koreakonsult.com. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  8. Kim, Nam-Sik (1982). "North Korea's Power Structure and Foreign Relations: An Analysis of the Sixth Congress of the KWP". The Journal of East Asian Affairs. 2 (1): 125–151. JSTOR 23253510.
  9. "Documents - Bob Hartley Collection". The Strand Archive. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  10. Official North Korean sources, such as Hwan Ju Pang (1987). Korean Review. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. p. 39. OCLC 21036357., state that the Anti-Japanese People's Guerrilla Army was founded on 25 April 1932 by Kim Il Sung. Kim was at that time commanding a small unit in the Chinese Communist Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army under General Yang Jingyu. "Kim Il Sung's Life to the Korean War". Post War North Korea. Korean History Info. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012.; Minnich, James M. (2005). The North Korean People's Army: Origins and Current Tactics. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-525-7.
  11. "N. Korea Displays Ballistic Missiles During Military Parade, Some for the first time". Marinekslee. June 2007. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. which cites: "Puk chuyo’gi’nyŏm’il 5-10 nyŏnmada taegyumo yŏlpyŏngsik" (North Korea Holds Large Military Parades for Anniversaries Every 5–10 years), Chosŏn Ilbo, 25 April 2007; Chang Jun-ik, "Pukhan Inmingundaesa" (History of the North Korean Military), Seoul, Sŏmundang, 1991, pp. 19–88; Kim Kwang-su (2006). "Chapter Two: 조선 인민군 의 형성 과 발전, 1945–1990 [Chosŏninmingun'ŭi ch'angsŏlgwa palchŏn, 1945–1990; Foundation and Development of the Korean People's Army, 1945–1990]". 북한 의 군사 [The Military of North Korea]. Seoul: Kyung Inmoonhwasa (Kyŏngin Munhwasa). pp. 63–78. ISBN 978-89-499-0439-9.
  12. The April 25th Culture and Art Composition Office has also been known variously as the April 25th Cultural Centre, April 25th Hall, April 25th House of Culture, 8 February Hall, 8 February House of Culture, and 8 February Group. Bermedez, Joseph S. (2003). Shield of the Great Leader: The Armed Forces of North Korea. Sydney, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-74115-007-0.
  13. "Servicepersons Vow to Be Faithful to Leadership of Kim Jong Un". KCNA Watch. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016.
  14. Talmadge, Eric (3 May 2016). "Details of N. Korea party congress secret, but goals clear". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 May 2016.
  15. Pearson, James (5 May 2016). "Finishing touches in North Korea capital ahead of rare party meeting". Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) from Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016.
  16. Paton, Callum (10 December 2015). "North Korea: Kim Jong Un's hand-picked girl band Moranbong hope to make it big in China". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016.
  17. Scott #1532 - Scott (2008) "Korea, Democratic People’s Republic" Scott 2009 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Volume 4 (165th edition) Scott Publishing Co., Sidney, Ohio, page 276. ISBN 978-0-89487-420-8

Further reading
  • Pyongyang. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. 1985. pp. 204–209. OCLC 477352411.
  • Hwan Ju Pang (1987). Korean Review. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. p. 225. OCLC 21036357.
  • Ndjana, Hubert Mono (1988). Korea, a mysterious country in the East. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. pp. 25–26. OCLC 20635290.
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