Celebrating Lunar New Year in North Korea [PHOTOS]

North Korean family members enjoy the traditional yutnori game on the lunar New Year's Day, or Seollal, in this video clip uploaded on the North's state-run media DPRK Today site on Feb. 21, 2015. Screenshots from DPRK Today's YouTube channel.

By Jung Da-min

Seollal, or Lunar New Year's Day, is one of the most celebrated traditional Korean holidays.

But it had been forgotten in North Korea until 1989, when the country's then leader Kim Jong-il resurrected the tradition of the lunar calendar.

Before that, North Koreans used to celebrate on the first day of the New Year according to the solar calendar. In the South, the New Year was celebrated twice ― according to the lunar calendar and the solar calendar.

But young North Koreans have got used to celebrating two New Year's Days in recent years as there has been nationwide promotion of traditional customs for the lunar Seollal, North Korean media stories show.

The lunar New Year's Day scene in North Korea is similar to that in the South.

Family members gather to share traditional foods like tteokguk ― traditional rice-cake soup ― and spend time together playing traditional games such as yutnori.

Children from different regions enter a kite-flying contest in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang.

The following Seollal photos were published in North Korean media outlets.

This DPRK Today video, uploaded on Jan. 27, 2017, shows tteokguk, Korean traditional food for the New Year holiday. Screenshot from DPRK Today's YouTube channel.

A plate of desserts ― seemingly made from rice ― featured in the video of a Seollal cuisine competition uploaded by DPRK Today on Dec. 28, 2017. Screenshot from DPRK Today's YouTube channel.

People dine at a restaurant serving Seollal foods in this video clip uploaded by DPRK Today on Jan. 27, 2017. It said the clip was taken in February 2016. Screenshot from DPRK Today's YouTube channel.

Children from North Pyongan Province participate in a kite-flying competition in Kim Il Sung Square to celebrate Seollal in this video clip uploaded by DPRK Today on Feb. 9, 2016. Screenshot from DPRK Today's YouTube channel

Children enjoy kite-flying in this video uploaded by DPRK Today on Jan. 27, 2017. Screenshots from DPRK Today's YouTube channel.

North Korean children enjoy rope-jumping in Kim Il Sung Square in this video uploaded by DPRK Today on Feb. 9, 2016. Screenshot from DPRK Today's YouTube channel

This video clip uploaded by DPRK Today on Jan. 27, 2017, shows North Korean family members playing Chinese checkers. Screenshot from DPRK Today's YouTube channel

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