The occasion is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers’ party, the backbone of the state. It’s considered a hugely symbolic event and the anticipation is palpable.
On the 65th anniversary Kim Jong-un made his first official appearance after being named his father’s successor – and North Korea watchers are anticipating surprises this year.
There have been mounting concerns that the North Korea may use the occasion to boost national morale by launching a long-range missile or a fourth nuclear test.
The country recently announced plans to restart a nuclear reactor at Yongbyon and officials have boasted about being in the “final phase” of developing a new geo-stationary satellite.
“The world will clearly see a series of satellites … soaring into the sky at the times and locations determined by the [Workers’ party] central committee,” the director of the National Aerospace Development Administration told official state media.
To increase tensions even further, the North Korean ambassador to the UK warned last week that the DPRK would not hesitate to launch long-range nuclear missiles “at any time and any place”. Seasoned observers may dismiss this as standard rhetoric bearing little relation to reality, but international experts remain concerned.
In the run-up to the anniversary, the Guardian’s North Korea network is publishing a three-day series exploring life in the world’s most hard-to-know state.
We aim to go beyond the nuclear threats and mass gymnastic displays to explore the changes taking place under Kim Jong-un’s leadership. Highlights include:
A look inside Pyongyang’s refurbished May Day stadium - and what it says about the young leader’s ambitions to host the World Cup and Olympic Games.
We hear from people who have lived in the capital to find out more about daily life among the elite, and analyse the impact of recent economic reforms.
We’ll talk to defectors about the Christian networks helping people escape, and ask why so many defectors’ testimonies are falling apart.
A panel of experts will discuss ways the world can engage with the pariah nation, and we’ll ask whether tourism is a force for good or merely bolsters a repressive regime.
We’ll look at South Korea’s plans for reunification on the peninsula, questioning just how feasible it is to reconcile two of the world’s most incompatible nations. There will also be an extract from a dystopian novel set in a reunited Korea.
We have lined up a student doctor who visited North Korea on a medical mission to answer your questions about the country’s health system.
We’ll feature images from Pyongyang’s first western art-photography exhibition and there will be a quiz to test your knowledge about what high-profile visitors from Dennis Rodman to Damon Albarn have said about the city.
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