Even Americans May Attend North Korea's Party For Dead Dear Leader

The North Korean celebration of their "great leader" Kim Il-Sung, funded in part by illicit drug operations abroad, is slated to kick the middle of next month.

And it's totally sold out for tourists.

There were two applications — one for tourists, and one just for American tourists — which had limited openings early in January. Both are now closed — though you can still sign up for July's "Victory in the Fatherland's Liberation War (Korean War)" if you're interested.

via Korea-dpr.com

The party could be one of many reasons the Chosunilbo reports that "A senior North Korean official has assured Chinese tour operators that there will be no war on the Korean Peninsula."

One of our recently signed up contributors, Joseph Ferris, is trying to make his way from Beijing on one of those flights into North Korea right now. If all goes well, he could be one of those Americans.