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The Rungrado May Day Stadium
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The Rungnado May First Stadium or May Day Stadium, is a monumental stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, completed on May 1, 1989. Its names come from Rungra Island in the Taedong River, upon which it is situated, and May Day, the |
international day celebrating labour and particularly celebrated among communists. Its scalloped roof features 16 arches arranged in a ring, and it is said to resemble a parachute or a magnolia blossom. The stadium can seat 150,000 for events on a main pitch sprawling across over 22,500 m2 (242,200 ft2). Its total floor space is over 207,000 m2 (2.2 million ft2) across eight stories, and the lobes of its roof peak at more than 60 m (197 ft) from the ground. It is more than double the size of the Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. |
While the stadium is used for sporting events, it is more famous as the site of massive parades and shows celebrating Kim Il-Sung and the Korean nation. In May of 2002 it was the site of the colossal and meticulously choreographed "Arirang" gymnastic and artistic performance in honor of Kim Jong-il's 60th birthday. The extravaganza involved some 100,000 participants¡ªdouble the number of spectators and was open to foreigners, a rare occurrence. Critics of the regime said the spectacle was an attempt to distract from the 2002 World Cup being co-hosted by South Korea shortly thereafter, and an effort to raise scarce hard currency. |
At the end of the 1990s, a number of North Korean army generals were executed by being burned alive in the stadium. |
The largest crowd to attend a professional wrestling card (190,000 on April 29, 1995) was present at May Day stadium; the card was promoted by Japan-based New Japan Pro Wrestling circuit and also included Western wrestlers from the American World Championship Wrestling promotion. |
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