Overview
The International Friendship Exhibition is a vast complex housing the lavish, practical, and often eccentric gifts given by foreign dignitaries to North Korea’s leadership, including Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un and Kim Jong Suk.
Nestled in the valleys of Mt. Myohyang in North Pyongan Province, the International Friendship Exhibition opened to the public in August 1978. The complex is showcased as a testament to the global friendship and admiration for North Korea and its leaders, featuring gifts from governments, companies, and individuals worldwide.
Architecture
The International Friendship Exhibition comprises two enormous buildings constructed in traditional Korean style. These structures feature sweeping, ornate roofs adorned with green tiles and are built entirely of stone blocks without windows. The size of the buildings is deceptive, as the main building is subterranean, extending into the mountain, and both structures continue underground. The entrance doorway, weighing four tons, is designed to mimic the appearance of wood. The complex is set against the peaceful backdrop of Mt. Myohyang, surrounded by picturesque gardens.
What’s it like inside?
Inside the International Friendship Exhibition, you’ll find a maze of cavernous halls and rooms with polished marble flooring, spanning 70,000 square metres. The complex has over 140 rooms filled with glass cabinets, said to house more than 116,000 gifts from 188 countries. Some of these countries don’t exist anymore, such as the USSR and Yugoslavia. These treasures are meticulously displayed, organised first by continent, then by country and finally in chronological order. Gifts are labelled with the donor’s name and date, representing political figures, companies and private individuals.
Gift Examples
The range of gifts is extraordinary, from gem-encrusted swords to tea sets, bear rugs, a taxidermized alligator, a train carriage and an armoured limousine. There’s even an entire aircraft housed in its own hangar. The museum reportedly houses the world’s largest store of ivory. You’ll also find quirky items such as a VHS copy of the 90’s hit movie Space Jam and, famously, basketballs signed by NBA stars Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman.
Here are a handful of further examples given to North Korea’s leadership:
Gifts Presented to Kim Il Sung
• A taxidermized pufferfish on a wooden base presented by immigration officers of the United Republic of Tanzania
• An artwork bronze relief of an eagle catching a fish presented by the former President of the Republic of Zambia
• A wooden speaker system presented by the Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China
• A ceramic oil pot and lamp-oil vessel from Ancient Greece presented by the President of the Socialist Party of Cyprus
• A gilded cigar case presented by President Tito of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Gifts Presented to Kim Jong Il
• An ornamental crystal wall lamp presented by a trading company in Indonesia
• A ceramic sculpture named ‘Peace’ of white pigeons flying around the earth presented by Billy Graham, a United States evangelist
• A sculpture of the dodo bird made from seashells presented by the League of Socialist Working Youth of Mauritius
• A golden tea set presented by the Ministry of Defence of the Syrian Arab Republic
• An incense jar made of jade presented by a trading company in Hong Kong
Gifts Presented to Kim Jong Un
• A conference table with chairs presented by the President of a Chinese company
• A wooden and gold craftwork of a ship’s steering helm emblazoned with the flame of Juche presented by a company in China
• A silver sculpture of ‘St. George the Victorious’ depicting the slaying of a dragon presented by a company in Russia
• A detailed ivorywork depicting Yakutians and a woolly mammoth dwelling in a cave presented by an individual in Russia
• A ceramic vase presented by a delegation of self-reliance study from Pakistan
Gifts Presented to Kim Jong Suk
• A floral ceramic tea set and table presented by a trading company in China
• A glass pot presented by the Swiss Committee for Supporting the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea
Interesting Facts
- The International Friendship Exhibition opened originally to display Kim Il Sung’s gifts in one building in 1978. The second building, dedicated to Kim Jong Il’s gifts, was added and opened in 1996, almost 20 years later.
- There are no windows in either building, and the exhibition halls are equipped with electronically controlled temperature and lighting systems. The lights will turn off behind you as you walk through the halls between each room to conserve power.
- Less than 15% of the reported visitors to the International Friendship Exhibition have been foreigners. The majority are local North Korean people, which highlights its significance to the domestic audience.
- It’s customary for visitors to open the giant doors of the exhibition halls with a white glove which adds a sense of ceremony to the visit.
- Each building has an introductory hall showcasing some of the shortlisted ‘highlight’ gifts, with a white marble statue of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il sitting at the head of this room of their respective building.
- Three rooms in the exhibition are dedicated to wax statues of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Suk. Visitors are asked to line up and pay their respects with a customary bow in each room.
- The guides will often mention that if it takes one minute to see each gift, you would need more than 480 days to view all the gifts in the exhibition.
- Often overlooked by tourists, there’s another (similar) gift exhibition located in Pyongyang called the ‘National Gifts Exhibition Hall’ which displays the gifts given to Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un and Kim Jong Suk from specifically the Korean people, including North, South and overseas Koreans.
Visiting on our Tours
We visit the International Friendship Exhibition on all tours which include Mt. Myohyang. As it’s a sacred site, visitors should dress in neat casual attire, but also bring a jacket as the interior can get quite cold even when it’s warm outside. The visit includes the requirement to perform a customary bow.
Photography is permitted outside, but not inside the buildings. There is airport-style security to enter, and all personal belongings need to be left either in the cloak room at no cost or on the bus.
It typically takes about two hours to visit the International Friendship Exhibition, and you can expect quite a lot of walking including staircases. At the end, there will be time to rest and enjoy a tea on armchairs with a scenic view of the valley, and to spend time perusing the souvenir shop on site.