Foreigners in Pyongyang Marathon reduced by half this year
As one of the series of celebrations for Kim Il Sung ’s birthday, the Pyongyang Marathon was held on April 8. The Pyongyang Marathon began allowing foreign amateurs to participate in 2014. This move has greatly promoted the development of Pyongyang's tourism industry and allowed Pyongyang to greet the peak of tourism during this period of the year. Before the peak period, more than 5,000 Western tourists visited North Korea every year, one-fifth of them were Americans. In 2015, CNBC estimated that North Korea's tourism industry has become a lucrative source of revenue for the authorities, which can generate US $ 43.6 million in annual revenue. But in 2017, American Otto Warmbier, who was detained for 17 months while traveling to North Korea, passed away in a coma and died shortly after the United States issued a ban on American travel to North Korea. The far right is Otto Warmbier, the picture is from Danny Gratton There are 429 foreigners participating in the Pyongyang Marathon this time, which is more than half of the number of more than 1,000 people in the previous year. The Pyongyang Marathon departed from Kim Il Sung Gymnasium, and then passed some important landmarks in Pyongyang, such as Kim Il Sung Plaza and the newly developed project-Future Street. The final winner of the marathon was Li Kangbao from North Korea. He won the men ’s full marathon in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 53 seconds, and the North Korean people cheered him. He said: "I am very happy that I have fulfilled the expectations of the people." The professional contestants in the elite competition included 13 players from African countries. The winner of the women ’s full marathon was Jin Huicong from North Korea. She won the first place in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 24 seconds, and her twin sister Jin Huisong followed closely to win the second place. This marathon was officially named the "Wanjingtai Award" International Marathon. Both the International Marathon Association and the Distance Race Association and the International Sports Federation recognize this year's race, which categorizes the race as a bronze road race. Since the February Winter Olympics in South Korea, Kim Jong-un has taken a series of actions to calm down the situation on the Korean peninsula and active in international diplomacy. The tension between North Korea and the world has slightly eased, and to a certain extent, the fear of some contestants has been eliminated. But for Callum McCulloch, a British student who participated in the half marathon, ignoring the government's suggestion to travel to North Korea brought him a "boasting right". Matt Kulesza, a travel organization from Young Pioneer, said: "Although there were fewer guests coming to the competition than last year, the overall number of travelers in 2018 has reached the goal." Young Pioneer is precisely the trip that took Otto Warmbier to North Korea According to the organization, the items on the official website related to the North Korean marathon travel all show "booked". Kulesza said: "North Korea has sent out so many positive conversations in the media, maybe that mysterious atmosphere, that dangerous atmosphere has almost disappeared." Image source: pyongyangmarathon, Young Pioneer Reprinted from this article: Curiosity Daily Beard oil,aftershave,shaving cream,shaving foam Zchoise Cosmetic Factory , https://www.zchoise.com Road map of Pyongyang Marathon