by REERA YOO
By now, it’s nearly impossible to not have seen or heard of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge—that is, unless you reside in North Korea. The viral campaign has now reached one of the most reclusive countries in the world, thanks to Pras Michel, a founding member of the Fugees, who took his challenge in North Korea’s capital on Sunday.
For his challenge, Pras had two buckets of ice water doused on him by his friends at a pier along Pyongyang’s Taedong River. Passerby on foot and boat were seen caught by surprise and laughing.
The two-time Grammy-winning rapper said he thought that Pyongyang would be the perfect place to perform the popular charity challenge since it is unknown in the country.
“I thought I’d put a little twist to it,” Pras told The Associated Press. “When we go to places, my crew, we stick out. You can tell instantly these guys aren’t from this neck of the woods. But the people have been good to us.”
He added that he passed the challenge to four others including his former bandmate Lauryn Hill and Prince Harry.
Pras flew into Pyongyang on Saturday to watch an international pro wrestling match and “explore.” He stated that he is currently working on several projects including a documentary about Haiti’s presidential election that is set to come out by the end of the year.
Over 3 million people around the world has participated in the challenge, raising more than $100 million for ALS research. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that can result in paralysis and death.
Photo via The Associated Press.
