Kim Il Sung Mausoleum (KIMSUSAN Sun Memorial Palace)

Kim Il Sung Mausoleum is a tomb in Pyongyang that houses the embalmed bodies of two former North Korean leaders, Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il. The representative building of the mausoleum is called the Kimsuang Memorial Sun Palace by the Koreans themselves. Opposite it is the Revolutionary Cemetery, where the closest relatives of the Korean leaders are buried.

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Highlights

When Kim Il Sung was alive, he used the palace as one of his residences. After the Korean leader’s death in 1994, his son and political successor ordered the building to be converted into a memorial pantheon. Kim Il Sung’s embalmed body was placed in an open sarcophagus. Seventeen years later, Kim Jong Il was buried in the same building.

For North Koreans, going to Kim Il Sung’s mausoleum is a sacred ceremony. They visit the tomb in groups – school classes, brigades and military units. At the entrance, everyone goes through a meticulous search, handing over smartphones, cameras and even sunglasses. From the entrance, visitors travel by horizontal escalator down a long corridor, the walls of which are hung with photos of North Korean leaders.

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One part of the pantheon is dedicated to Kim Il-sung and another to his son. The bodies are in tall, empty semi-dark marble halls trimmed with gold. Four people each are allowed to visit the sarcophagi, accompanied by a guide. Visitors make a circle and bow. After that they are led to the halls with awards and personal belongings of the leaders. In addition, tourists are shown the cars and railroad cars in which North Korean leaders traveled around the country. Separately located is the Hall of Tears, where the farewell ceremony was held.

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In front of the squat gray building of Kim Il Sung’s mausoleum, there is a spacious square with flowerbeds and a park. Here everyone can take a memorable photo against the background of the pantheon. For this purpose, special steps are installed on the square, there is a photographer.

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Visiting the mausoleum by foreign tourists

Foreigners are allowed to enter the Kim Il Sung Mausoleum only during an organized tourist trip, twice a week – Thursday and Sunday. Visitors are asked to take care to wear ceremonial, non-bright clothing. No loud talking is allowed inside the building, and photographs may not be taken not only inside the pantheon, but also in the plaza outside it.

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How to get there

The Kim Il Sung Mausoleum is located in the northeastern part of Pyongyang, near the Kwangmen subway station. Travelers come here on tour buses accompanied by a North Korean guide.