It's been over a decade since I sat in the water of a Pyongyang public bathhouse, fielding questions from several North Korean university students. Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are preserved for viewers to see inside. The show is the world's largest gymnastics display and one of the most important events in the North Korean calendar. What looked like tens of thousands of North Korean children and adults played music, gave traditional dance performances, and conducted intricate gymnastics routines. During my exchange, I spoke to young North Korean people, asking them about their ambitions.

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Persons: —, Todor Merdjanov, Kim Il, Merdjanov, It's, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong, we'd, chatted Organizations: Service, University, Bulgarian, Business, North Korean, Korean Studies, North, Sun, Mass Locations: Bulgarian, Pyongyang, North Korea, Seoul, South Korea, North, Sofia, Bulgaria, Beijing, North Korean, East Asia, Kumsusan, Wonsan, Korean