Dale Salwak in his article recollected firework gala "Sun's Korea Will Prosper Forever" held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of President Kim Il Sung's birth. I watched such wonderful fireworks for the first time, he added.

The article went on:

In April, Salwak, a 39-year literature and Bible professor at Citrus College, completed his third trip to north Korea as a magician performing at the Pyongyang Circus Theater, a 2,500-seat circus.

He said: "I was immediately struck by the beauty of Pyongyang. Before coming to north Korea, I had perceived north Korea as a dreary, stark communist country.

But the country’s capital was full of stunning architecture, including the north Koreans’ own Arch of Triumph and the Tower of Juche idea.

My impressions were, first of all, how kind and gracious everyone I met was.

In 2007, a friend invited me to perform magic in north Korea and two years later I performed for the first time in Pyongyang. I immediately fell in love with country and longed to return.

In the spring of 2011, I got my wish and again performed in north Korea.

I continued to speak publicly about my experiences in north Korea.

I’ve discovered how little people know about the country apart from what they read or what they’ve seen in the media. And there is still so much more I have to learn myself."