Well, he always wanted to be in show business. The mausoleum that displays the embalmed corpse of former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il has been opened for tourists, and it's already getting a lot of buzz.
Last week the first group of western tourists, part of Young Pioneers Tours, got permission from the secretive government of the hermit kingdom to take a stroll through the grim attraction, which opened to the public on January 17th, according to ABCNews.
Tourists will be required to follow strict protocol and go through several hoops before they're let in. All visitors cannot bring in cameras and cell phones, and must pass through jets of air that cleanse them of dust. When in front of the late dear leader, they are required to bow at his feet and arms. However, they cannot bow at his head, because that's disrespectful.
Kim Jong-Il died on December 17, 2011, and now lies in state in the building as his father, Kim Il Sung. However, both corpses enjoy different show-room floors of the former presidential palace-turned-mausoleum.
Gareth Johnson, managing director and founder of Young Pioneers Tours, said he planned the tour for January, trying to time it for when the country re-opens to tourists after an apparently annual winter shutdown.
"We were hopeful that if we timed it right, the mausoleum would be open and we would gain access," he said. "It was a combination of great planning and a little luck."
Apparently Kim Jong-Il, who looks "not waxy at all," according to Johnson, is finally ready for his close-up. "He looks like a person."
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