North Korea, which is taking part in a World Expo for the first time in the event’s 159-year history, marked its first national pavilion day on Monday, Xinhua reported.

Experts say North Korea’s participation in the Expo 2010 is intended to demonstrate the country’s peaceful nature amid rising tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program and the sinking of South Korea’s Cheonan warship, which Seoul blames on the North.

Speaking at the ceremony to hoist the North Korean flag, the country’s urban development minister, Hwang Hak Won, praised the exhibition as a venue for developing friendly relations between states, regions and international organizations.

The pavilion, which North Korea received from China free of charge, has been visited by more than 4 million people since the Shanghai Expo’s opening on May 1.

The main theme of the South Korean exhibition is “Paradise for people.”

According to Chinese organizers, the building “perfectly merges national characteristics of DPRK together with its modern beauty.” It showcases a panorama of Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang and a 4.5-meter-high replica of the monument of the Juche Ideas - the official North Korean ideology.

It also features a TV monitor showing a video about everyday life in Pyongyang.

The 2010 World Expo is being held in Shanghai from May 1 to October 31, 2010. Up to 70 million people are expected to visit the city for the event, which has seen investment of up to $4 billion.

SHANGHAI, September 6 (RIA Novosti)