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The US Sun
Inside ‘world’s most depressing theme park’ in N.Korea that refuses to close despite rickety rides & rusting fairground
By Georgie English,
5 days ago
NORTH Korea’s failed version of a Disneyland paradise has remained open despite its rickety and rusting rides sitting beyond repair.
The lacklustre Mangyongdae theme park is a picture of sadness today with hardly any genuine visitors walking through the decaying front gates.
A mum and unhappy daughter ride on a badly rusting ride in North Korea’s failed Disneyland-style theme park Getty The giant swing in the Mangyongdae park looks beyond repair flickr / stephan The rickety rollercoaster and rusting bandstand flickr / stephan Many of the rides are in dire need of a clean and a fresh coat of paint flickr / stephan Away from the rides a number of lacklustre stalls are also available flickr / stephan
A rollercoaster, giant swing, merry-go-round and even a mini bullet train feature in the park but worrying images of the desolate attractions show how little it has been cared for overtime.
The once bright and colourful rides are now turning a depressing shade of brown after years of rusting away.
Harrowing pictures show glum parents sitting with their kids on the corroding rides.
It was even slammed by tyrant leader Kim Jong Un in the early 2010s for having a dismal atmosphere and being in a run-down condition.
Staff at the park were even told they have “below-zero spirit” by the dictator, Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency reported.
His scathing comments promoted the site to undergo a renovation project in 2012 with very little being shown of the results of the work through North Korea ‘s tight media laws.
The park was first opened in 1982 and sits just 12km from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and takes up a whopping 700,000sqm.
Despite the impressive size the activities fail to live up to expectations with hardly any returning customers.
This is also due to a number of concerning allegations against the safety at Mangyongdae.
Tourists have claimed they were left with unlocked harnesses as they set off on treacherous rides.
Others say park engineers would be on the look out for loose screws and dodgy holes as customers boarded the rides, say MailOnline .
The main attraction is an ageing looped rollercoaster that was built under the watchful eye of North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il-sung.
Outside of the decaying and death-defying rides a number of sad game stalls are littered across the complex as well.
Pictures show a young girl with a gun shooting at targets which are said to be of imperialist and US aggressors towards North Korea.
The odd attraction is also only cornered off by a wooden beam and a red sheet.
Next to her sits a makeshift basketball net and a small green ball as well as a set of rusty cans to be knocked down.
A bizarre dog sanctuary is also sat in the middle of the park with crumbling kennels and overgrown grass.
It has even been alleged by the handful of shocked journalists allowed to enter the park that crowds of locals are rounded up and shipped off to spend the day looking cheery.
Their job is to seemingly make the place look slightly livelier, according to those who have witnessed it.
The secretive regime will allow in overseas visitors for the first time since the pandemic meaning the current state of the theme park may finally be revealed.
Visitors are expected to ride onboard the dirty and rusting rides flickr / stephan A less than impressed father and son in the theme park Getty The park underwent a restoration in 2012 with many of the attractions being slammed for being too old fashioned Getty A bizarre dog sanctuary is also seen in the heart of the park flickr / stephan
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