Sports in Pyongyang

May Day Stadium | Kim Il Sung Stadium | Pyongyang Ice Rink | Indoor Stadium | Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong indoor stadium | Chongchun Sport Village

May Day Stadium

The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium completed on May 1, 1989 for the International Youth Festival in Pyongyang. It is regarded as the largest stadium in the world, with a capacity of 150,000, and occupying over 207,000 m².Its name comes from Rungrado Islet in the Taedong River, upon which it is situated, and May Day, the international labour day.

While the stadium is used for sporting events, it is most famous as the site of massive performances and shows celebrating Kim Il Sung and the North Korean nation. In June–July 2002 it was the site of the colossal and meticulously choreographed "Arirang" gymnastic and artistic performance (often referred to elsewhere as "mass games"). The extravaganza involved for the first time some 100,000+ participants—double the number of spectators—and was open to foreigners. These performances are now an annual feature in Pyongyang, usually in August and September. The Guinness Book of Records has recognized these events as the largest in the world.

Kim Il Sung Stadium

Kim Il Sung Stadium was originally built as the Girimri Stadium in 1926. This stadium held the annual Kyung-Pyong Football Match between Kyungsung FC and Pyongyang FC during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. After the division of Korea, it was used as a venue for speeches by politicians, and it was the site of Kim Il Sung's first speech after returning from exile on 14 October, 1945. Rebuilt in 1969, it was then called Moranbong Stadium, but in April 1982 it was renovated and renamed in honour of Kim Il Sung. The stadium's capacity is 50,000. It is used mainly for football matches, and hosted the mass games until the 1990s (now held in Rungnado May Day Stadium).

Kim Il Sung stadium is a place of start of annual Mangyondae Prize International Marathon.

Pyongyang Ice Rink

The arena was opened in 1982. It has 6,000 seats, making it the biggest ice rink in North Korea. It is mainly used for ice hockey, figure skating and speed skating, however other sports such as table tennis, basketball, and volleyball have also been played at the venue.

Every year in February in the Ice Rink held International Paektusan Prize International Figure Skating Festival with participants from all over the world.

Indoor Stadium

In 2013 the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium was rebuilt into a better comprehensive stadium, a mass sports service center. It was opened in April Juche 62 or 1973. Over the past decades international and national games and national functions were held in the stadium and it has been widely used as a center for cultural life of the working people.

The four-story stadium has more than 12,000 seats for spectators, halls for games and trainings of different sporting items including basketball, volleyball and table tennis, bedrooms, dining hall and so on. The indoor illumination of the stadium has double systems for different uses and the bounce of the floor and space acoustics are on a very high level. The weighty doors at the main entrance hall, unique balustrade and the like make the indoor stadium more graceful

Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong indoor stadium

It was opened in 2003. The construction of the Indoor Stadium was realized according to the promise between Kim Jong Il and Jong Ju Yong (Jong Ju Yong is former honorary chairman of the South Korean Hyundai Group) to construct a modern sports facility in Pyongyang. They exchanged the promise before the inter-Korean summit held at Pyongyang in June 2000. “Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong Indoor Stadium” was named by Kim Jong Il. He said that the names of “Ryugyong” and “Jong Ju Yong” had to be put into the name of the gymnasium. “Ryugyong” is an old name of Pyongyang.

On 28 February, 2013 Kim Jong Un watched a basketball with former NBA player and Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman at Ryugyong Jong Yu Jong Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang. The game took place between two teams consisting of four members of the Harlem Globetrotters and 12 players from the DPRK and ended in a tie (110-110). According to the Associated Press and VICE Media during the game KJU talked with Rodman in English, but KJU occasionally spoke to Rodman in Korean using an interpreter.

Chongchun Sport Village

The Sports Village in Chongchun Street was erected in honor of KIS 70th birthday celebration. In 2013/14 the sports village in Chongchun Street has been renovated. The training facilities, lighting, and ventilation systems in over 10 gymnasiums have been upgraded, with the sports village now ready to host international games.

The DPRK, the native place of Taekwondo, invented varied forms of this marcial art excercises, helping improve the physical fitness of the working people. The Korean style hip-saddle roofed building of the Taekwondo Holy Centre, recently built in Pyongyang, is a comprehensive centre for propagation of Taekwondo. Covering a total floor space of more than ten thousand square metres, it has a history hall, a knowledge propagation hall, training hall, international conference hall and service facilities.