Kim Il-sung Stadium

Kim Il-sung Stadium

Kim Il-sung Stadium from the west
Former names Kirimri Stadium
Moranbong Stadium
Location Pyongyang, North Korea
Coordinates 39°2′37.4″N 125°45′27.7″E / 39.043722°N 125.757694°E / 39.043722; 125.757694
Capacity 50,000[1]
Surface Grass
Construction
Opened 1926 (original)
1969 (current)
Renovated 1982
Tenants
North Korea national football team
North Korea women's national football team
Pyongyang City Sports Group
Kim Il-sung Stadium
Chosŏn'gŭl 김일성경기장
Hancha 金日成競技場
Revised Romanization Gim Il-seong Gyeonggijang
McCune–Reischauer Kim Il-sŏng Kyŏnggijang

Kim Il-sung Stadium is the name of a large multi-purpose stadium located in Pyongyang, the capital city of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

History

Kim Il-sung Stadium was originally built as the Girimri Stadium (기림리공설운동장) 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. Most of the stadium was destroyed during the 1950-1953 Korean War, mostly by U.S. aerial bombing of the capital city during those years. 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.[2] It is used mainly for football matches, and hosted the mass games until the 1990s (now held in Rungnado May Day Stadium).

Present day

Today, the Kim Il-sung stadium is used as the home ground for the North Korea national football team, the North Korea women's national football team and the Pyongyang City Sports Group.

In 2008, on two occasions, a 2010 World Cup qualifying match between the two countries, due to be played in Pyongyang, had to be moved to Shanghai when authorities in the North refused to allow the South Korean national anthem to be played in Kim Il-sung Stadium, or the flag of South Korea to be flown, as North and South Korea have never granted each other formal diplomatic recognition.[3]

The start and finish of the annual Pyongyang Marathon occurs at Kim Il-sung Stadium.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.worldofstadiums.com/asia/dpr-korea/kim-il-sung-stadium/
  2. ↑ "World Stadiums: Stadiums in North Korea".
  3. ↑ "Clash of North and South Koreas ends all square", The Telegraph, 10 September 2008
  4. ↑ Robert Willoughby: North Korea 2nd ed. Bradt Travel Guides, 2008
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Coordinates: 39°2′37.4″N 125°45′27.7″E / 39.043722°N 125.757694°E / 39.043722; 125.757694

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