Panorama of Korea

PANORAMA OF KOREA PYONYANG, KOREA JUCHE88(1999) PANORAMA OF KOREA President Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people National Emblem and National Flag of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Russia China Korea Korean East Sea Korean West Sea Japan Korean South Sea The Pacific Ocean “Location of Korea” CONTENTS GEOGRAPHY ·························································· 1 Location and Area ······················································· 1 Physiography ······························································ 1 Seas ············································································ 2 Climate ······································································· 3 Fauna and Flora ·························································· 4 HISTORY ·································································· 5 1) One Million Years Ago ······································· 5 2) Cradle of Koreans ··············································6 3) The Earliest State ···············································7 4) From the Period of the Three Kingdoms ···············8 5) Korea in the Modern Age and the Korean National Association ···········································11 6) Anti-Japanese Revolutionary Struggle ··················16 7) Juche Korea ··························································20 Founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ········ 20 Fatherland Liberation War ········································22 Rising Up out of Debris ············································24 Full-Scale Construction of Socialism ························26 “Arduous March”, Great Challenge to the 21st Century ······43 POLITICS ······································································49 1) Guiding Ideology ··················································49 2) The State and Political System ······························50 Character, Tasks and Ultimate Goal of the State ·····50 State Structure ························································51 3) Socio-Economic System ·······································53 Ownership and Supreme Principle of State Activity ····53 The Principle and System of Guidance and Management of the Socialist Economy ··················54 4) Political Parties and Public Organizations ············55 The Workers’ Party of Korea ································55 The Korean Social Democratic Party ·····················56 The Chondoist Chongu Party ·································56 The Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland ····················································57 The Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League ···············58 The General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea ·58 The Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea ·········59 The Korean Democratic Women's Union ···············59 5) Fundamental Rights of Citizens ···························60 6) Overseas Korean Nationals ···································61 The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan ··································································62 7) Struggle for National Reunification ······················63 Three Principles of National Reunification, July 4 North-South Joint Statement ························64 Plan for the Founding of the Democratic Confederal Republic of Koryo, 10-Point Programme of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation ······················68 Three Charters for National Reunification ··············71 8) Foreign Relations ·················································73 PROVINCES AND THE MUNICIPALITIES DRECTLY UNDER THE CENTRAL AUTHORITY ·····················75 Pyongyang City ·····················································75 Ryanggang Province ············································107 South Phyongan Province ····································123 Nampho City ·······················································131| North Hamgyong Province ···································147 South Hamgyong Province ···································163 North Phyongan Province ····································176 North Hwanghac Province ···································187 South Hwanghae Province ···································195 Jagang Province ···················································203 Kangwon Province ···············································211 Rajin-Sonbong City ·············································227 Kaesong City ·······················································235 FOLK CUSTOMS ······················································251 1) Diet ····································································251 2) Costume ·····························································253 3) Dwellings ···························································255 4) Family Life ························································257 5) Folk Games ·······················································261 NATIONAL EMBLEM AND NATIONAL FLAG ···· 281 GEOGRAPHY Location and Area Korea is located in the heart of the east of the continent of Asia. Its territory consists of the Korean peninsula extend- ing southward and 4,198 islands around it, including Jeju Island, Ullung Island and Tok Island. Korea has an area of over 222,200 square kilometres. It is a homoge- neous nation and its population is about 70 million. Its official language is Korean. The area of northern half of Korea is over 122,760 square kilometres and its population is 22,550,000 as of 1998. Physiography The Korean peninsula has diverse topography. It is composed of mountains, plains, valleys, coasts and pla- teaus formed by earth movements, erosion and sedi- mentation which occurred during distant geological ages. The terrain is predominantly mountainous. Moun- tains account for almost 80 per cent of the whole territory. Its average elevation is 440 metres above sea level. High mountains are predominant in the northern and eastern parts of the country. There are several long mountain ranges, including the Paektu Mountain Sys- tem, which stretches from Mt. Paektu to the South Sea of Korea. There are over 50 mountains more than 2,000 metres high. The highest is Mt. Paektu (2,750 metres) which stands on the northern border. It was a volcano which erupted about I million years ago and was subsequently crowned with a crater lake called Lake Chon. Besides Mt. Paektu, Korea has many high picturesque mountains such as Mts. Myohyang, Kumgang, Chilbo, Kuwol, Jiri and Halla. Among them, Mt. Kumgang is world-famous from ancient times for its scenic beauty. Plains comprise a relatively small proportion of the territory. They are mainly situated in the west and the south; on the east coast narrow plains lie along the lower reaches of rivers. Seas Korea is a maritime country, surrounded by sea on three sides. It has the East Sea, the West Sea and the South Sea, all of which are linked with the Pacific Ocean. Continental shelves account for about 50 per cent of the whole area of those seas. The whole of both the West Sea and the South Sea of Korea consists of them. Korea has many islands of different sizes. The coastline is so indented that numerous peninsulas, capes and bays have been formed. The west and south coasts are particularly indented. They are world-famous for their indentation and the multiplicity of islands. In the seas are to be found 800 species of fish and sea urchins. The West Sea of Korea has a high tidal elevation influenced by the Pacific Ocean; an average tidal elevation is 3-6 metres and at some places as high as 11 metres. Along the coastline of the West and South Seas stretches a vast tideland of about 720,000 hectares. Dur- ing the previous 50 years the northern half of Korea has reclaimed vast areas of tideland by linking more than 130 islands in the West Sea. Climate Korea has a typical temperate climate with distinct seasonal changes. The average annual temperature is around 8° to 12°C and average annual rainfall is a mod- erate 1,000-1,200 mm. Korea's climate is influenced by typical seasonal winds. There are also distinct dry and rainy seasons. The Korean peninsula is alternately visited by different air currents causing climatic variations according to the season. In the winter cold and clear weather prevails due to the dry and cold north and northwest winds, whereas in the summer damp and warm south and southeast winds, which are formed at the tropical regions of the Pacific, blow in from the sea, bringing heavy rainfall. In the spring and autumn the influences of the Asian continent and the Pacific Ocean alternately affect Korea with shifting winds. As a result, relatively warm and clear weather prevails with little rainfall. Considering the size of its territory, Korea has con- siderable regional differences in climate. There is a range of different climates from the subtropical on the south coast to the subarctic in the alpine regions of the north, climatic phenomena ranging according to region. This is because Korea lies stretched from the north to the south on the middle latitudes where latitudinal variations in the amount of solar radiation are greatest, and in addition it has a complicated terrain and is surrounded by sea on three sides. Fauna and Flora In Korea there is a wide variety of animals and plants. This is due to the diversity of climatic condi- tions, the large number of mountains and rivers, and the fact that it is surrounded by sea on three sides. There is a variety of vegetation, ranging from subarctic and alpine

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