The elaborate mass gymnastic and artistic performance "Arirang," which North Korea has put much energy into preparing since last fall, will kick off a two-month journey Monday at May Day Stadium. North Korea claims that the work is a spectacular representation of the Korean nation's destiny and spirit using the theme of the famous traditional folk song "Arirang." The two-hour outdoor performance will feature some 100,000 artists, students, youths, and laborers, and consist of a prelude, four acts, and an epilogue. Government officials here believe that the work will feature the birth and development of the North Korean regime, including a story of late President Kim Il-sung's struggles against Japan during its occupation of the Korean Peninsula. The original title of the "once-in-a-millennium" work was "Song of the First Sun," referring to Kim Il-sung. But later, National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il instructed the title be changed to "Arirang" because the original title could make the event too political, thus making it difficult for the North to lure foreign tourists, including South Koreans, who do not share their devotion to the "Great Leader."