Roh Visits Historic Sites on First Day of Summit
By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
The inter-Korean summit, which runs through Thursday in Pyongyang, is expected to offer not only epoch-making initiatives to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula but also opportunities to see various cultural and industrial facilities in the North.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il held a grand celebration Tuesday at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang to welcome President Roh Moo-hyun.
The April 25 House of Culture is one of the large-scale cultural facilities in the North.
The facility, which was built in 1975, is mainly used to hold official welcoming ceremonies when overseas dignitaries visit Pyongyang, or nationwide events such as the birthday of former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung, which falls on Feb. 16, and the foundation day of the North Korean government, which comes every Sept. 9.
``April 25'' stands for the date of the establishment of North Korea's armed forces.
Kumsusan Memorial Palace, in which the remains of former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung are enshrined, Kim Il-sung University, and Paekhwawon State Guesthouse, where President Roh is to stay during the summit, are in the vicinity of the facility.
The House contains a grand theater with 6,000 seats, a small theater with 1,100 seats, many movie theaters and practice rooms.
The facility went through a comprehensive upgrade in 2005.
President Roh Moo-hyun also visited the Three Revolutions Exhibition Hall Tuesday.
This is a major international exhibition hall in the North. It was built in 1956 and the ``Three Revolutions'' refer to ideological, technological and cultural revolutions, which feature North Korea's Juche (self-reliance) idea.
The exhibition center, which stands on a 100-hectare area, is made up of five divisions _ Juche (self-reliance) idea, heavy industry, light industry, electronic engineering and agriculture division.