North Korea appears to be preparing to hold an outdoor concert or other large-scale celebrations in Pyongyang to mark Youth Day this Sunday, NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery shows, as state media promotes an atmosphere of freedom following the relaxation of pandemic-related restrictions.

The preparations could also be related to Songun Day on Aug. 25, a holiday celebrating former leader Kim Jong Il’s “military-first” policy. Concerts have more commonly been held on Youth Day and not Songun Day, but Kim Jong Un has been known to initiate new types of military celebrations in recent years.

New objects resembling stages and giant outdoor screens appeared in the parking lots of the Mansudae Assembly Hall and People’s Theater next door as early as Aug. 20, according to Planet Labs imagery, with activity continuing through Aug. 24.

North Korea celebrates Youth Day annually on Aug. 28 and last held a major outdoor concert to mark the holiday in 2020 at a different Pyongyang venue, with singers belting out their love for the ruling party and leader Kim Jong Un.

Celebrations last year mostly focused on promoting a campaign to send the country’s teenagers and 20-somethings — including middle-school-aged orphans — to “difficult” worksites like coal mines and factories to help address national economic “hardships” and material shortages.

The DPRK leader met with a small group of criminal youth on the occasion last year as well to promote a policy of forgiving those who tried to lead independent lifestyles outside the collective order or who were caught harboring anti-party ideas.

Slide the comparison bar to reveal labels marking signs of event preparation in this high-resolution image of the Mansudae venues taken Aug. 23 | Images: Planet Labs PBH, editd by NK Pro

The image on the left (taken on May 9, 2022) shows how the venue parking lots look when empty, and the image on the right (taken on Aug. 23, 2022) shows objects resembling stage assembly materials, big screen TVs and speaker and lighting towers in the parking lots | Images: Maxar via Google Earth (left), Planet Labs PBH (right)

A high-resolution Planet Labs shot of the Mansudae area on Aug. 23 shows what may be at least four large screens set up in symmetrical patterns between the two venues, as well as materials for stages just in front of the entrances of each venue.

The activity resembles work to set up stages and screens at the nearby war museum five days before Kim Jong Un attended a large-scale concert and fireworks show to celebrate war veterans on July 27, according to satellite imagery. 

Preparations at the war museum began as early as July 14 or nearly two weeks before the event, Planet Labs imagery shows, suggesting it would be normal for preparations to begin at the Mansudae venues at least a week before the Aug. 28 holiday.

Pyongyang has regularly hosted major events and concerts throughout the pandemic and even during the self-proclaimed spread of COVID-19 between May and July. But since announcing the country had “eradicated” the virus earlier this month, state media has promoted catharsis among citizens, showing them ceremoniously taking off their masks and enjoying renewed access to water parks and beaches.

Another outdoor concert this weekend could thus focus more on fun than sacrifice like at last year’s Youth Day events, fitting in with the narrative of a return to normalcy for ordinary people after authorities eased restrictions in most areas.

However, events may hinge on a new COVID-19 outbreak scare, after authorities announced Thursday that four “fever” patients in an area near the Chinese border are suspected of having contracted a virus and are undergoing testing. 

Edited by Bryan Betts. Updated on Aug. 25 at 15:05 KST to include information about Songun Day.