KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 51 Happy New Year

REETING THE NEW pushing ahead with the building our voices for the effort to G Year 2018, we Korea of a thriving socialist country ensure peace and security of Today editorial board extend while resolutely thwarting the the Korean peninsula and the congratulations to all our hostile forces’ severe challenges, world and realize international readers. and they are making all efforts to justice. We hope that you will realize build an independent and peace- We are sure you will be better your beautiful dreams and won- ful world. aware of the Korean people’s in- derful ideals, and that your fami- We will try our best to inform domitable spirit and the country’s lies will be full of happiness and you of the pulsating reality of development through this maga- affection. Korea as much and as accurately zine. Today the Korean people are as we can. We will further raise Happy New Year!

52 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 Monthly Journal (739)

C O N T E N T S

3 Self-reliance and Self-development Is the Only Way Out

The Korean people achieved great things in the spirit of self-reliance and self-development implanted by

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

6 Fruits of Wise Guidance 7 For the Better Quality of Products 8 By Giving Priority to Science and Technology 10 Best Beer 12 Motto of the Supreme Leader of the DPRK 14 Juche Idea, Revolutionary Doctrine of Independence (1)

Monthly journal Korea Today is printed in English, Russian and Chinese, and posted on the Internet site www.korean-books.com.kp in English, Russian, Chinese, French, Spanish and Arabic.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 531 16 Saenal Yesterday and Today

18 Benefit from Science

19 Rising to Challenge of Cutting Edge

20 Ultrasonic Developers

21 Respectable Koryo Medicine Researchers

22 A Day in a Primary School

24 Brisk Extracurricular Circle Activities Front Cover: Molten iron production is on the in- 26 Mineral Enriched Beverage crease at the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex. 27 Developer of Mineral Koryo Medicine

Photo by Ra Phyong Ryol 28 Orphan Grows to Be a Sports Ace 28 Delicacies and Gold Medals

30 Their Dream to Be World Champion

32 Couple of Doctors

34 Secret of Successes

35 New Kind of Saccharide Medicine Developed

36 Short Story

Spring

38 Eight Scenic Spots in Kwanso

40 Hyecho and His Travelogue

41 Trump’s Question to Answer

Back Cover: Piano Rock 42 Back Street Villain in Mt. Chilbo 44 Sanctions Resolutions—Unwarranted Photo by An Kang Rim 46 Result of Sycophancy and Treachery 48 Invariable Wild Ambition 13502 ㄱ-78238

Edited by An Su Yong Address: Sochon-dong, Sosong District, Pyongyang, DPRK E-mail: [email protected]

2 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un inspects the newly renovated Ryuwon Footwear Factory in October 2017.

Self-reliance and Self-development Is the Only Way Out

HE ONLY MAINSTAY FOR US AT THE Marvelling at the blue water of the great artificial T moment is our own exertions. Nobody would lake, he remarked that he keenly felt how powerful help us or wants our nation to become powerful and and formidable the exertion of determined people is prosperous. This is the philosophy Supreme Leader and that the creative ability and wisdom of the Kim Jong Un implanted in the mind of the Korean Korean people who harness the nature as they want people securely. is really inexhaustible. He declared that nothing in In August 2016 he inspected the newly built acryl the world can break the indomitable spirit of the paint production process of the Sunchon Chemical Korean people who are determined to build a power- Complex, when he said that the successful establish- ful socialist country with their own efforts, technol- ment of the process with the Korean technology, ogy and resources. Korean materials and Korean equipment and its full In this way, whenever he drew up a plan to bring operation was another proud achievement in the a happy life to the people and visited factories in chemical industry sector and that that was eloquent full operation and vigorous construction sites, he proof of the truth that nothing is impossible to stressed the need to make things of the Korean style achieve when they march ahead upholding the ban- using the Korean efforts and technology, thus inner of self-development first. spiring the people to work in the spirit of self- The Supreme Leader visited the Wonsan Army- reliance and self-development. People Power Station one December day in 2016. The spirit has been a great motive power for the ►

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 3 ► people to overcome all trials and ordeals and achieve a multipurpose voltage and current transformer and best things in the worst conditions. Last year wit- the Ragwon Machine Complex newly produced a nessed an upsurge in the struggle to make a water- concrete force pump which is badly needed in the shed in the building of a socialist economic giant. construction industry. The Ministry of Land and Representative of the struggle were the completion of Maritime Transport built a 320 t-capacity motor Ryomyong Street, the setup of a quilt production ferry with their own efforts and technology and put it process in the Pyongyang Kim Jong Suk Silk Mill, into service in the Taedong River, thus making it the inauguration of the Pyongyang Bag Factory, and possible to cut the distance and time of vehicles’ the development of the Ryugyong Kimchi Factory operation and save a lot of oil. into a model and standard kimchi maker. These are Besides, a great many factories and enterprises all the crystallization of the self-reliant and self- worked hard to develop new styles of products which developing spirit the Korean people kept in their can contribute a lot to the State policy of turning heart. production processes Juche-oriented and modern. Innovations occurred in the leading and major Typically, the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex industries. The workers of the Suphung Power Sta- built a ferromanganese production process which is tion established a scientific system of water control fed with low-grade wad; the February 8 Vinalon and raised the generating efficiency up to the peak Complex completed a new caustic soda production while other power stations, including the Sodusu, system with its own effort and technology; the Namgang and Kanggye Youth, were in full opera- Namhung Youth Chemical Complex established an tion. Hundreds of collieries hit their production tar- energy-saving steam production process which is gets for the year. The railway transport sector main- based on a recycling mode, and began to produce 4G tained a dynamic transport control system and gave polymeric catalyst; the Hungnam Electrode Factory precedence to accident-free runs of trains for concen- acquired a technology of manufacturing electrodes trated transport, while cutting the round-trip time of for UHP electric arc furnaces using natural graph- the goods wagons and elevating the cargo transit ite. capacity. As a result successful transport was en- Remarkable progress was made in the effort to sured for the giant power plants and construction develop all fields rapidly by adhering to science and projects. technology as the lifeline. A good example came from The machine industry developed scores of new the teachers and researchers of the Pyongyang Uni- products through the campaign of surpassing the versity of Architecture, who developed a multi- cutting-edge. The workers of the Ryongsong Machine channel automatic system of sensing the heat of Complex opened a vista to produce modern air com- hydration in cement by the direct method. The sys- pressors by developing, with their efforts and tech- tem is of tremendous importance in guaranteeing the nology, a V-style air compressor of a new model stability of buildings and mass-producing high- which is much lighter and of a higher standard in all quality cement by elevating the scientific accuracy of technical specifications than existing ones. The cement and concrete production. It made a great Taean Heavy Machine Complex newly manufactured contribution to the construction of the Paektusan ►

4 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► Hero Youth Power Station and other monumental Korean style, and development of ultrasonic washing edifices. It was also introduced at the Sunchon Ce- machines. The 32nd national sci-tech festival, the 15th ment Complex to bring about a huge profit in laying national invention and new technology exhibition a sci-tech foundation for sharp increase of quality and other events took place with large attendance cement. Besides, there were a good deal of sci-tech stimulating the exchange and introduction of sci-tech achievements, including the development of an effi- achievements. cient portable plasma cutter, home-production of a The sanctions applied by the US and other impe- digital device for protection of generators, develop- rialist forces to strangle Korea are going on without ment of biofuel, development and application of a interruption, but the Korean people are making big technology for production of heat-resistant cement, strides forward to attain the final victory of the home-production of a new kind of vegetable pesticide, building of a powerful socialist nation in the invari- manufacture of a new style of unmanned material able spirit of independence, self-reliance and self- carrier, home-production of special functional paper development. products, development of a silver preservative of the Yom Song Hui

Some of the achievements of the Korean people based on their own efforts.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 5

Fruits of Wise Guidance

Kindling the Flames of Enthusiasm importation fever the truth that anything made by their own efforts and technology is more precious NE DAY IN JULY 2015, and laudable. O Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un visited the That day the Supreme Leader stressed that the Kim Jong Thae Electric Locomotive Complex. country should leap forward to the world standard, During his inspection of the complex the and that it should do in a year what others had Supreme Leader said that its workers should lead done in a decade, kindling the flames of creating all others of the country as a hard-core group of the the Mallima Speed in the heart of the officials. Juche revolution and Songun revolution and that they should demonstrate the mettle of the heroic Renamed Factory working class in railway modernization. The workers of the complex had previously made elec- In August 2014 Supreme Leader tric locomotives and carriages, and rail butt weld- Kim Jong Un inspected the then Taedonggang ing machines and SR motors, he said and added Tile Factory. (During his previous inspection of the that so they could possibly make underground factory in September 2012, the Supreme Leader electric trains, assigning them to the honorable referred to it as a smart and praiseworthy factory.) task of making the trains. Now he congratulated the factory for having sent a Afterwards the administrators and workers of lot of tiles to the major construction sites while the complex turned out as one to develop and pro- overfulfilling its annual production plan for two duce a new kind of underground electric trains. years. Campaigns were under way to break the existing And he said that he decided to rename the formulas relating to time in all processes including factory Chollima Tile Factory to the effect that it is casting, forging and processing. They thus finished located in Kangson, the birthplace of Chollima, the process of the bogie pedestal braces in four and that the new name reflected the Party’s belief days which had been considered to take more than that the factory would be in the van of the struggle two months, and successfully manufactured the to bring about a great heyday of construction by driver’s cab and carriages of the underground fully displaying the spirit of Chollima. Referring to train in over 20 days. The scientists and techni- quality of tiles as the key factor in defining the cians of the complex completed over 5 000 relevant quality of architectural structures and the latter designs in a short span of time, surpassing the as a criterion for evaluating a country’s level of ready-made theory and developed a high-speed civilization, he said that the factory should set a compressor and a high-speed circuit-breaker by higher goal for the purpose of raising the quality of their own efforts and technology. its products up to the world level and strive hard to On October 22 that year Supreme Leader attain the goal. Kim Jong Un visited the complex again. He ex- Looking round adhesive and tile production amined the underground electric train the work- workshops, a digital colour spray printing room ers, scientists and technicians of the complex had and so on to get familiar in detail with production made with their own efforts and technology, and and development of new products, he gave impor- affectionately praised them for what they had tant instructions the factory would have to adhere done. Then he said to officials that he had had the to in its activities. He also gave an important in- complex manufacture the underground electric struction on making the factory become the first train of Korean style without fail because he had model of a digital factory. wanted to prove practically, instead of hundreds and thousands of words, to those infected with the Yom Song Hui

6 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 For the Better Quality of Products

sal states’ sanctions against our country become, the further the country, I think. What we redouble our efforts in the have you done to overcome spirit of self-reliance and self- the trial? development. Owing to the United States Meanwhile, much progress and its vassal states’ superinten- was made in improving the qual- sity sanctions against our coun- ity of products. try, we could not conduct normal The 28th National Con- trade with other countries or sumer Goods Exhibition was import various materials and held last year. What was its equipment necessary for produc- characteristics? tion of consumer goods. The exhibition opened at the But we did not give up. In- Pyongyang Underground Shop in stead, we all turned out to further October last year. On display at strengthen the foundation of our the exhibition were more than independent national economy, 80 000 consumer goods of over Kim Pyong O. achieving lots of successes. This 2 000 sorts from light industrial can be proved by the fact that factories across the country and OME TIME AGO A KOREA modern factories and production daily necessities workshops of S Today reporter had an inter- processes appeared last year. factories and enterprises under view with Kim Pyong O, a bureau For example, the Pyongyang ministries and national agencies. director of the Ministry of Light Bag Factory, among new bag fac- The exhibition was characterized Industry. Excerpts: tories built across the country, by the obviously better quality of made its facilities Juche-oriented consumer goods and the fact Light Industry plays an up to 95% and produced school that their production was made important role in improving bags of different shapes and col- Juche-oriented on a high level. the people’s living standards. ours to be supplied to schoolchil- Women’s underwear and socks, What was the target for the dren before the new school year towels and bags were those good development of the light in- began, using canvas from the enough to be put on international dustrial sector last year? Pyongyang Kim Jong Suk Textile markets. Bags from the Phyong- The standards of the people’s Mill and zippers from the Man- song Artificial Leather Factory, cultural life are improving day by gyongdae Revolutionary Site Sou- made of high-quality synthetic day, and they are requiring better venir Factory. leather and newly-developed consumer goods. The target of the The Pyongyang Kim Jong Suk pressed vinalon cotton insoles, light industrial sector last year Silk Mill established a modern had been very popular among all was to vitalize the relevant pro- quilt production process to pro- the visitors to the 13th Pyongyang duction with proper management duce a variety of bedding with silk Autumn International Trade strategies and by relying on do- cloth and silk cotton from light Fair. The bag factory increased mestically available raw and industrial factories in our country. the sorts of the products up to other materials and bring about a And efforts were made to de- over 30 in a year after July 2016. turn in diversifying the range and velop new products. As a result, The exhibition was crowded types of the goods and improving kinds of popular commodities every day. Gold and other medals their quality. branded with Korean trademarks were awarded to the goods that Nationwide competitions took increased. The Pyongyang Artifi- were made with domestic raw place between sections such as cial Silk Factory is now producing materials, popular with the peo- the knitwear industry manage- by themselves tetron rayon which ple and of world standards. Dur- ment bureau and the footwear had to be imported before. The ing the exhibition the exhibitors industry management bureau, Songyo Knitwear Factory devel- visited different factories, at- and efforts were made to diversify oped elastic knitted underwear tended lectures on new technology the range, types and colours of and elastic patterned lace, and and had their new products regis- consumer goods and reduce pro- footwear factories did over 200 tered on the list of February 2 duction cost. This led to produc- kinds of new leather shoes and Products. tion of a number of famous goods sports shoes. Totally over 900 This year, too, we will make and commodities. kinds of new products were devel- efforts to develop much more fa- Last year the development oped in the first half of last year. mous goods and commodities us- of light industry was badly This shows that the tougher the ing our domestic resources and affected by the US and its vas- imperialists’ sanctions against technology.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 7 By Giving Priority to Science and Technology

AST YEAR STEEL PRODUCTION L increased unprecedentedly at the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex amidst the fierce flames of competitive campaign for increased production of iron and steel. The complex found the key to increased iron and steel production in attaching importance to science and technology and put efforts in expanding the success in the Juche iron and that in steel production simultaneously. The steel workshop put the technical indexes of electrodes on a higher level through the effort to enhance the utility rate of domestic electrodes during the operation of electric furnace. The complex also finished repair and maintenance of the major systems of a large-size oxygen plant in a few days which had been considered to take over a month, making it possible to produce more and better oxygen and thus increase the Juche iron production from the oxygen-blast furnace. The officials, technicians and workers of the complex waged a mental war, a technological campaign, so dynamically as to technically renovate the gas generator, putting an end to the established concept that the operation of the generator is impossible at low atmospheric temperature. Meanwhile, the technical staff of the complex introduced a rational method which can further shorten the time of melting as molten Juche iron had to be directly fed into the UHP electric arc furnace. This led to the peak record in per-charge molten iron production. Last year the complex also established in a short Steel production is on the increase. span of time a new foundation for ferromanganese production which is conducive to the iron and steel production, and put it into operation. The establishment of the ferromanganese production process meant a firm guarantee for the complex to operate its steel production system by its own effort and technology and with domestic raw materials, and a great stride in making the alloy steel production Juche- oriented. The establishment of the ferromanganese production process has the following story. Earlier, President Kim Il Sung had clarified the ways and means of actively exploiting and using wad abundant in Korea and given an important instruction on establishing a Juche-oriented ferromanganese production process. Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, true to the instruction of the President, acquainted himself in detail with the problems arising in arranging the aforesaid process in ►

8 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► the complex, and took relevant measures to solve them. The managers, technicians and workers of the complex set a workable goal of completing in the shortest time the gigantic project ranging from the development of the workings to the construction of the dressing plant, and mobilized all reserves and potentials. After developing workings in a western area, they, in close connection with the researchers of the State Academy of Sciences and the Central Mining Research Institute, drew the design of the ferromanganese production process as required by their actual condition. On the other hand, the workers of the complex worked day and night, performing a miracle of finishing the processing and assembly of the equipment in a short period of time. In the sci-tech learning space. As a result, the whole project was finished in two months which otherwise would have taken half a the country. year, and they put the production of ores for that of Now the managers, technicians and workers of ferromanganese on a normal basis. And they decided the complex have set a high goal of further raising to use the existing ferroalloy furnace of the ferroalloy the actual ore concentration rate and improving the workshop for the ferromanganese production, and quality of ferromanganese and are steadily making introduced a rational melting method for the opera- further achievements by pooling effort with the rele- tion of the ferroalloy furnace, remarkably succeeding vant researchers. in producing ferromanganese with wad available in Sim Yong Jin

Heavy-duty rails are produced.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 9 Best Beer

RINKS LIKED BY THE fermented beer and bottom- D Korean people include Tae- fermented beer according to the donggang beer. Foreign visitors to methods of fermentation, and Korea, too, relish it. Taedonggang beer belongs to the “Your beers are as good as any latter. The beer is made using the in the world! We hope many water from under the bottom of Americans get the opportunity to the Taedong River and barley, taste your good work.” This is hop and so on produced at home. what general director Tom Curly The sorts of the beer include that of the AP wrote in the visitor's made from only barley, those with book after looking round the 30, 50 and 70 percent material Taedonggang Brewery during his being rice, that made from rice visit to Korea in 2011. 100 percent and black beer. Last The brewery is situated in year the brewery developed wheat Sadong District, Pyongyang. At beer. first it produced only a sort of The brewery built in 2002 has beer. Now it produces different been renovated on a modern line, sorts of beer better in quality, and its appearance changed for the mated, which caused trouble in its production capacity has been better and the production proc- production. But the process is now enhanced. esses modernized. Previously the unmanned, and a beer case piling Beer is divided into top- bottling process was not auto- machine of their own design and make has been installed, thus making manual labour completely unnecessary for bottled beer production. The comprehensive analytical laboratory situated near the production building has been put on a firm foundation, provided with latest analytical equipment and more technical forces. Pak Kum Hui, head of the laboratory, says, “We examine all the production processes from the supply of raw materials and the brewing of beer to bottling and the quality of the beer, check for the presence of microorganisms in the beer and analyse its ingredients. We’re making efforts to improve the properties of the beer—it is mild, thrilling and refreshing.” The production control room also deserves a comment: an inte- grated control system has been established on a higher level with the help of researchers from the Kim Chaek University of Tech- nology. Thus the brewery’s production and business activities have been ►

10 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 Efforts are made to produce quality beer.

► made more scientific and IT-based. Large-sized refrigerator vans marked Taedonggang Beer quickly transport the beer. Lots of beer houses in Pyongyang serve the beer every day, and similar houses in provinces do so. In 2016 there took place the Pyongyang Taedonggang Beer Festival on the picturesque bank of the Taedong River. The floating restaurant Taedonggang and the vicinity of its wharf served as the venues for the festival. The festival included a contest in which the Taedonggang Beer is highly popular. contestants guessed the right between seven sorts of the Taedong- gang beer after tasting it. In those days beer fans at home and from abroad turned up the thumbs, admiring the beer as the best and original. The beer contains vitamins and mineral matters, and helps improve human health by preventing diabetes and obesity and promoting urination. So it is very popular with people. Workers of the brewery are striving to produce tastier and better beer. Rim Sang Jun

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 11 Motto of the Supreme Leader of the DPRK

NCE JIANCARLO ELIA VALORI, CHAIRMAN lute priority to the people’s interests and convenience O of the board of directors of the Mediterranean and make selfless, devoted efforts for the good of the Development Bank and concurrently chairman of the people. In his speech delivered at the military parade board of directors of the General Investment Group, and public procession of the Pyongyang citizens held Italy, wrote in his article that his answer to a raised in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding question is that His Excellency Kim Jong Un is a of the Workers’ Party of Korea on October 10, 2015 peerless great man of the Mt. Paektu lineage who is he said that the great Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism identical to His Excellency President Kim Il Sung is, in essence, the people-first principle and that the and His Excellency Kim Jong Il, whom the world is mode of existence of the Party is serving the people. respecting and admiring as the eternal Sun of Juche, And he set forth the slogan “Everything for the peo- and a great statesman who is always successful per- ple and everything by relying on them!” and led the Party to thoroughly apply the people-first principle fectly in all aspects. in the implementation of all its lines and policies.

Under the Supreme Leader’s benevolent care, the His Motto Korean people are leading a happy life despite the US imperialists and reactionaries’ extreme schemes The phrase “The People Are My God” was the to isolate and stifle the country and the sanctions motto of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman they imposed against it. In recent several years alone Kim Jong Il, and it is now the motto of many cultural and emotional life bases and struc- Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of Korea. It is tures where the people can enjoy the modern civili- the Supreme Leader’s view of life that he has nothing zation to their fill sprang up including the People’s more to wish for even though his body may be scat- Theatre, the Rungna People’s Pleasure Ground, the tered like the grains of sand for the good of the peo- People’s Open-Air Ice Rink, the Mirim Riding Club, ple. He always thinks of the people, and his thoughts the Munsu Water Park, the Okryu Children’s Hospi- and affairs are always for the good of the people. tal, the Masikryong Ski Resort, the Sci-Tech Com- The Supreme Leader, at an enlarged meeting of plex, the Songdowon International Children’s Camp, the Political Bureau of the Workers’ Party of Korea the Pyongyang Orphanage, the Pyongyang Baby Central Committee held in February 2015, said that Home and the Ryomyong Street. officials should adhere to the Party’s view of the In 2015 when the Rason area in the northern part people for their creed and soul, and regard it as their of the country suffered severe damages by a sudden iron rule in their work and life to give top and abso- heavy rainfall the Supreme Leader put the rehabili- ►

12 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► tation of the flood-hit Rason City on the agenda at an the guidance based on the Songun idea of giving enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commis- priority to military affairs, and that Commander sion of the WPK, and inspected the area two times, Kim Jong Un’s inspection of the division seemed giving guidance to the rehabilitation campaign. In aimed at emphasizing his inheritance of the cause of 2016 when the Musan area in the northern end of the Songun. country was damaged again by a heavy rain, he said Meanwhile, the rest of the world press wondered that his beloved people were left homeless, that there how the newly-emerging Kim Jong Un’s Korea was not a state of emergency more serious than the would tide over the great difficulties and whether he, people’s pain, and that there was no revolutionary at the helm of the socialist Korea, could distinguish task more important than relieving the people of himself as a great man whose name would go down misfortune. Then he changed the main thrust of the in history like the President and the Chairman had 200-day campaign to rehabilitation of the flood- done. afflicted northern area and took an unprecedented Kim Jong Un depressed the US imperialists and measure of crucial importance to organize a head- their followers by having the third underground quarters for commanding the rehabilitation. nuclear test done when they were committing vicious The Supreme Leader finds pleasure in making provocations finding fault with Korea’s successful selfless, devoted efforts for the good of the people, launch of artificial earth satellite Kwangmyongsong and the history of his noble affection for the people 3-2. In August 2015 he neutralized the prevailing will last for ever. hair-trigger situation and thus safeguarded peace and security of the country, and in January 2016 he His First Affection made the country qualified enough to become one of the nuclear powers by leading its first H-bomb test to Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s success. Army Kim Jong Un inspected the KPA Seoul Ryu In 2017 the KPA, under the guidance of th Kyong Su Guards 105 Tank Division on January 1, Kim Jong Un, made thorough preparations to rout 2012, with the will to keep advancing along the road any invaders at one stroke. The KPA Strategic Force of independence, Songun and socialism pioneered succeeded in the test fire of ICBM Hwasong 14 on the and led by the President and the Chairman. US’s Independence Day, and mapped out a plan for Commenting on this the US’s CNN and Japan’s an enveloping fire at Guam as the US’s aggressive Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that Commander manoeuvres became undisguised. Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of the DPRK, In September last year the Supreme Leader gave th inspected the KPA 105 Tank Division and con- an autographic order to carry out an H-bomb test gratulated the servicepersons on New Year’s Day, which was very significant in achieving the target of that the tank division was the first to dash into Seoul the final stage in completing the State’s nuclear in the early days of the Korean war, that in August forces. Accordingly, there took place an ICBM-ready 1960 Chairman Kim Jong Il visited the division H-bomb test which was a complete success. together with President Kim Il Sung and launched Taken aback by the ever-growing national power of the DPRK, the US President vociferated in People move into new houses in the flood-affected his speech at the 72nd session of the UN General northern area of North Hamgyong Province. Assembly that there was no alternative option except total destruction of north Korea and that they would annihilate the country’s population of 25 million. This time Kim Jong Un released a statement in the name of the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, declaring that he would surely and definitely tame the old lunatic of America with fire. Natalia Belokopitova of the Working Russia movement once said that Marshal Kim Jong Un is leading Korea’s struggle to defend socialism to final victory as wisely as President Kim Il Sung who defeated the formidable enemy in the 1950s and Chairman Kim Jong Il who made such an enemy surrender in the decades-long war without gun report by dint of Songun politics. In the New Year, too, the Korean people will always emerge victorious in the anti- imperialist, anti-US showdown as they have Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

Kim Ye Ryong

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 13 Juche Idea, Revolutionary Doctrine of Independence (1)

T THE BEGINNING OF Kim Il Sung had a deep insight Seoul, Pyongyang, Inchon and A the 20th century hundreds of into the requirement of the new other industrial cities and many millions of oppressed people in era in which the oppressed and provinces, followed by tenancy the world were still wriggling in humiliated popular masses were disputes of peasants and strikes agony like in the previous cen- emerging as masters of their own of students across the country. In tury. The earth was invariably destiny. The period from the lat- the course of this, the Korean dominated by powerful imperial- ter half of the 1920s when he set Communist Party was organized ists and ruling classes. And the out on the road of revolution to in April 1925. The formation of Korean nation was also in agony. the early 1930s witnessed the the party propelled the develop- At this juncture there emerged a popular masses’ unprecedentedly ment of the mass movements and new ideology which denied the organized violent struggles waged the national liberation move- degradation and termination of across the land of Korea. The ment. man and proved that the strength Korean people’s anti-Japanese With the beginning of the lat- and wisdom to bring about peace mass struggles at that time were ter half of the 1920s the mass and prosperity of humankind are not merely an extension of their struggles turned into organized not beyond both the earth and previous struggles, but those of ones on a nationwide scale, and mankind but in the earth and in new aspect waged in an attempt they reached a markedly high the mind of man, that is, the to overcome the limitation of the level. popular masses. The ideology is former struggles. Between the late 1920s and the Juche idea founded by The Japanese imperialists the early 1930s the struggles de- Kim Il Sung, eternal President advocated a "cultural rule" after veloped into violent ones on a of the Democratic People’s Re- the March First Popular Uprising larger scale. public of Korea. The history of the in 1919, but in the following year Newspapers of those days idea covers the history of the Ko- there appeared a labour mutual- carried articles about strikes, rean people’s carving out their aid association as a workers’ or- riots and demonstrations of work- destiny independently, the his- ganization followed by the suc- ers, peasants and students almost tory of the transformation of soci- cessive appearance of a peasants’ every day. ety, nature and people, the his- organization, a young people’s Seeing through the revolu- tory of Songun leadership and the organization and a women’s or- tionary advance of the people, history of the building of a power- ganization. And under the guid- Kim Il Sung paid special atten- ful socialist nation. ance of the organizations there tion to some matters different took place vigorous mass strug- from those in the previous days. * * gles to defend the proletarian One of them was that the popular masses’ right and interests masses’ struggles for any purpose With the Stream against the Japanese imperial- in any country were waged in a of the Times ists’ colonial policy. In 1921, with violent and organized manner. the general strike of the Pusan The other was that the revolu- It was during his early dockers as a start, there were tionary movement was developing revolutionary activities that launched in succession strikes in in a broad and diversified way on ►

14 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► a worldwide scale. pent-up resentment and anger of the popular masses were emerg- Watching attentively varie- the Korean people who had been ing as masters of the times and ties of struggles launched in suc- humiliated and ill-treated under history was that his father cession at home and abroad the Japanese aggressors’ brutal Kim Hyong Jik, more firmly re- Kim Il Sung was confident that “saber rule.” It started with a solved to achieve the independ- the era was coming in which mass demonstration in Pyongy- ence of the country by relying on workers, peasants and other ang. And it led to a nationwide the popular masses, conducted working masses who had been anti-Japanese resistance. To- more positive activities to unite groaning under exploitation and gether with adults, Kim Il Sung, the masses. oppression were to collectively too, rushed to the front of the Kim Il Sung’s eye for the struggle against aggressors, Pothong Gate, shouting, “Long stream of the times gradually landlords and capitalists. At that live independence of Korea!” He developed from his childhood’s time he was in his teens. But he saw the people protesting in a do- that witnessed the times as only was already able to grasp the or-die manner, shouting, “Long those of a tragic upheaval to that essence of the era with the people live independence of Korea!” to regard the times as the new as the central factor. This is in- while falling shot by the Japa- ones of the working masses’ conceivable apart from the un- nese imperialist army and police struggles accompanied by bloody usual process of his growth. He and bleeding stabbed by the en- fights. In those days he, unlike was born (April 15, 1912) and emy’s swords. The popular others, already felt keenly that grew up in a time of ordeals, of masses tried to gain their liberty the popular masses were the be- darkness and of starvation when and independence even at the ings with great force and that the the Korean people were groaning cost of their lives. It was not a awakened people were opening under the Japanese imperialists’ temporary and simple request or the era whose masters they would bayonet of fascist terrorism. He aspiration but their strong aspi- become. himself experienced the people’s ration and desire. This enabled Dwelling on his inmost tragic life full of sorrow and re- Kim Il Sung to be confident that thoughts at that time, sentment of a stateless and hope- Kim Il Sung said in his reminis- less people. He saw the people the right as masters of their own cences With the Century, “The toiling and moiling and realized destiny, the independent right, question had arisen of the that the world was lasting year that the popular masses were policy of struggle and the after year thanks to such working struggling to obtain was what leadership. I had the firm people. they fundamentally required and conviction that we could de- The people were all industri- that it was just what the era re- feat any enemy, however ous and kind-hearted, and their quired and aspired to. powerful, if we had a correct heart was burning with anger at So Kim Il Sung recalled with policy that suited the trend of oppressors and ruling classes. deep emotion that the March the times, and led the struggle The March First Popular First Popular Uprising marked properly.” the first time that he stood in the Uprising that took place on a Like this, Kim Il Sung de- nationwide scale in 1919 served ranks of the people and that the scribed the people’s long- true image of the Korean nation as an important opportunity for cherished fundamental aspiration Kim Il Sung to have a deep un- was implanted in his mind’s eye. as independence and put it for- derstanding of the era with the Another important factor that ward as the basic requirement of people as the central factor. The enabled Kim Il Sung to have his the times. uprising was an explosion of the own views of the new era in which Yom Song Hui

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 15 Saenal Yesterday and Today

OME TIME AGO A KOREA the masses in a unified way and of the newspaper all night and S Today reporter had a talk devoted his tireless efforts to its added correcting touches to the with Pak Pyong Hyon, the editor- foundation. The SCU was Korea’s union’s activists’ manuscripts in-chief of the newspaper Saenal first children’s revolutionary or- while checking them one by one. (New Day—Tr.), on the occasion of ganization Kim Il Sung formed Under his scrupulous guid- the 90th anniversary of its found- on December 15, 1926. It was an ance, the activists of the SCU ing. Excerpts: organization to fight for the bright and those of the Paeksan Youth new day when Japanese imperial- League (a mass anti-Japanese I think the newspaper Sae- ism would be overthrown and youth organization Kim Il Sung nal is one of the Korean pub- national liberation achieved, the formed with hard-core youngsters lications with a long history. day when the old society would be in Fusong on December 20, 1927) You’re right. Saenal was the destroyed and a new one built. managed to write 100 copies of first revolutionary newspaper that The newspaper became the SCU’s the newspapers’ first issue for Kim Il Sung founded in Fusong organ at that time. over a week without any mimeo- on January 15, 1928, while wag- Then he suggested that the graph. ing the anti-Japanese revolution- newspaper should be named Sae- The first and second columns ary struggle. Having a deep un- nal after the acronym of the un- of the first issue carried the inau- derstanding of the function and ion’s name and that its writing gural article titled On Publishing role of publications in the revolu- and editing should be done to suit the First Issue of the Newspaper tionary struggle, he proposed to the union’s character and its Saenal. found the newspaper to educate members’ awareness and senti- At that time the newspaper members of the Saenal Children’s ments. He himself wrote the in- was aimed at rousing all the un- Union (SCU), other children and augural article for the first issue ion members and other children ►

The content and mode of the newspaper edition improve steadily.

16 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► and the broad masses to the sa- cred struggle for the national liberation by educating them in the spirit of opposing the Japa- nese imperialists and loving the country and developing them into true revolutionaries. Later, during his stay in Jilin, he wrote and sent articles for the newspaper so that it fulfilled its mission. Would you tell me the dis- tribution areas and main contents of the newspaper? Saenal was distributed to wide areas like Fusong, Wanlihe and Songshuzhen, helping awaken youngsters and other people po- litically. The paper severely exposed and condemned the Japa- nese imperialists’ invasion of Ko- rea and the aggressors’ brutal Saenal is a close companion of schoolchildren. colonial policy of plunder, and propagated the truth that only tionary world outlook in the well-rounded builders of socialism when the popular masses, master youngsters so as to rouse them who are knowledgeable, moral of the Korean revolution, fought to the anti-Japanese patriotic and healthy and reliable succes- united against the Japanese im- struggle. sors to the Juche revolutionary perialists could they take back With the beginning of the pa- cause. their country. And it positively per’s publication, the Juche- It also gives wide publicity to carried articles titled—How Did oriented revolutionary publica- the activities, successes and ex- Landlords Come into Being? and tions started to take historic root perience of senior middle schools’ What Kind of Method Do Land- in Korea. youth league organizations that lords Employ to Exploit Peasants? The newspaper is now car- rouse all the students to a study- and those which exposed the fun- rying on with its history and first movement under the slogan damental contradiction of the tradition as required by the “Let Us Learn for Korea!” put class society and exploitation by developing reality, I think. forward by Kim Jong Il, and landlords and capitalists. Right. The paper began to be carries lots of articles to introduce In addition, some columns of republished as the organ of the good experience of individual the paper were dedicated to arti- Central Committee of the then students excellent at their study cles that explained the advanced League of Socialist Working and organizational life. Marxist-Leninist ideology, data Youth of Korea on April 1, 1971, Besides, it deals with news of on scientific knowledge on the greeting a new heyday of its de- schools’ sports activities, articles history of the development of velopment. It is still carrying to introduce good experience in human societies and that on youngsters to the new day that socio-political activities and do- cultural enlightenment. will see the accomplishment of the good-things movement, sci-tech The SCU and other anti- Juche revolutionary cause and knowledge, literary knowledge Japanese organizations used the the cause of building a socialist and literary works written by the paper as a textbook and a means power. students. of motivating the masses. Thus, it It carries lots of articles The newspaper fully serves greatly helped educate the broad dedicated to education in as the best supporter and com- sections of youngsters and other Kim Jong Il’s patriotism and panion of schoolchildren who are people in the anti-Japanese patri- moral education. In particular, it preparing themselves for the otic idea, consolidate their ordeals with many articles that help bright future of the thriving ganizations and implant a revolu- students prepare to develop into nation.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 17 Benefit from Science

shops as an important opportu- using the increasing profits to nity to think of and develop a import the machines. Then the new idea of technique. This may general manager clearly said that explain how he knows well what they should make by themselves is important in enhancing the the incubators which could be growth of chickens, the egg- referred to as the basis of produc- laying rate and the meat pro- tion at the farm. duction. And though busy with So they began to make incu- his work he never forgets to bators of a new kind by making meet researchers and techni- the maximum use of their own cians to discuss with them about potentialities. Later the machines how to solve technical problems made it possible to produce chicks arising in production. This leads in the incubation buildings with- General Manager Ju Myong. directly to sci-tech achieve- out the help of breeders, except a ments actually conducive to single computer operator. This HE SINUIJU CHICKEN production. gave important impetus to the T Farm in Korea is recognized From long ago the farm won future development of the farm as a highly profitable farm in the numerous special and first prizes and that of the country’s poultry country. Not long ago I happened at national scientific and techno- farming as a whole. to know the secret during my logical festivals. It is said that Those who visited the farm to coverage. most of the achievements were learn from its experience said in invented by the general manager. unison, “This is the first time that Main Developer He says that only when he I have ever taken a copy of a ma- himself takes the lead in the com- chine design from a chicken The office of its general man- petition for ability can he make farm.” ager Ju Myong is usually empty. production and business activities According to what its employees become the process of direct appli- Unknown Person of Talent said, the general manager spends cation of science and technology. more time in workshops and a The words unknown person of laboratory. He took to that habit Multipurpose Farm talent can be often heard in con- soon after being appointed to the versations between employees of position in 1995. He has taken the In 2009 the farm was faced the farm. lead in the farm’s sci-tech work with a problem of increasing the In the past any good idea always as the originator of a new number of incubators in accor- would encounter obstacles caused technique. dance with the expansion of its by immediate production and He regards the process of giv- production capacity. At that time empiricism. So newcomers of the ing guidance to production and production began to be activated farm would strive to do something acquainting himself with work- at the farm, so some proposed in the early days and then give ►

The hatching room and the adult chicken house.

18 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 Rising to Challenge of Cutting Edge

NE LATE EVENING IN O early 2015 the environmental protection science department of the global environmental science faculty of Kim Il Sung University was in a consultation for hours. They were talking about the research task which they were assigned to for the making of a dust-free process of production, which was the main problem in the project of putting the Pyongyang Children’s Food- stuff Factory on a modern basis. Everyone looked tense because they had little experience and, worse still, they had to finish their job in no more than a year. Matters of environmental protection are discussed. Presently, a confident voice broke the silence in the room, professor Kang Kon Ho, was to air conditioner with their own saying, “I’d like to try it.” It make an analysis of the air condi- efforts and techniques. sounded quite patient. It was tion around the factory, learn the Thanks to the devoted efforts Doctor Jon Yong Il, who was an effects of wind, temperature and of the research team an air condi- associate professor. He said, “I humidity on concentration of pol- tioner of the Korean style was know this is a difficult task. But I lutants and find out a way to deal developed in a short period of ten dare say we’ll be able to do any- with them. Another team was put months, and this led to the estab- thing once we tackle them in a in the charge of Jon himself, and lishment of a central air- determined way. You know, it is a was to develop a relevant dust- conditioning system. global practice to ensure a dust- collecting device. Recollecting the time, Jon free environment by means of a When the project got afoot, says, “I know there are numerous central air-conditioning system. I some people asserted that the air obstacles in our way to the cutting found it interesting years ago and conditioner, which is the cream of edge. The recent project has con- have done a research to improve science and technology and the vinced us that when we have a the environment by means of air heart of the dust-collecting facil- sense of responsibility for the current. Now I’m sure we can ity, had to be imported from future of our country we’ll be able carry out the task with our own abroad. But Jon, persuading them to conquer any fortress of sci- efforts.” that one step backward now ence.” Thus, a research team was would lead to a hundred ones The researchers are putting formed with Yong Il as the head, backward in one year or two and all their wisdom and enthusiasm and a full-scale project was that that was a critical matter in the projects for the prosperity launched. Yong Il divided his related with the future of the of their country. team into two groups. One of country, put his heart and soul in them, led by Doctor and associate the research so as to develop an Choe Sol Mi

► up. Then the farm eliminated meaning that whoever makes pletely solving the problem of such phenomena, and whenever a efforts can become an able scien- protein-rich feed badly needed for valuable idea of technical innova- tist or technician. poultry breeding. tion was proposed it provided As a result, the farm produced The general manager often enough conditions for the relevant hens of a new kind whose egg- asks, “Don’t we have an unknown research so that the result could laying rate is remarkably high. person of talent here?” in any be introduced in production. Recently it has developed in suc- workshops he inspects. Now the words unknown per- cession varieties of microbial fer- son of talent began to pass as the mented composite feed, com- Ri Kum Chol

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 19 Ultrasonic Developers

N BEING APPOINTED ultrasonic generator with an The researchers who devel- O chief of the acoustic engi- automatic control of frequency. oped the machine are all in their neering laboratory of the physics Without the solution it would be 20s or 30s. They have also devel- faculty, Kim Chaek University of impossible to correct the problems oped ultrasonic vibration panels Technology one summer day four found in the existing washers. of different kinds which can treat years ago, Ri Kyong Ho felt quite The researchers buckled down existing water tanks and storage a sense of responsibility. For days to the task, which was not so easy tanks with ultrasonic waves he thought and thought about to do. Scores of circuit diagrams without any transformation, an what he had to tackle for the be- were worked out. It took them as ultrasonic device which can ginning. Now he said to his staff many as two months to succeed in evenly emulsify more than two members, “I am sure everything developing an ideal generator by kinds of liquid with opposing depends on us. We ourselves have joining their intelligence and qualities like water and oil, a to plan projects and carry them efforts. It was fitted into the ul- high-capacity ultrasonic-used out. Let’s pool our knowledge and trasonic products, and the trial vaporizer which can provide a resources to develop cutting-edge operation turned out really proper content of humidity and products.” successful. get rid of dust in the air, an ultra- His enthusiastic speech was a Ri says, “When we began to sonic measuring device which can great pep talk. The first research develop the ultrasonic washing promptly and correctly get the project was to manufacture an machine, we encountered a lot of thickness of large pieces of steel ultrasonic washing machine. That difficult problems. In the course of plates and pipes, and a portable kind of washer had already been dealing with the strange problems ultrasonic detector which can be developed in the country, but they we got experience and lessons as used to check the position and size were not in good use. Imported well. The machine we developed of inner defects like a blowhole things were overwhelming at that can effectively clean things with and crack in different castings time. Well informed of the situa- complicated surfaces and deep and welds. tion, Ri decided to develop a new holes, bends, experimental appa- These things brought them kind of ultrasonic washing ma- ratuses, surgical operation tools, high acknowledgment at the 32nd chine. and jewelry. It can make it possi- national sci-tech festival, and the Their painstaking efforts pro- ble to turn the cleaning job auto- ultrasonic washing machine, in duced a small washer for the be- matic or semiautomatic. You can particular, was registered as cut- ginning. On the basis of the ele- use the tap water and alkali, acid ting-edge product in June last mentary success in the trial stage, or organic solvents.” The washing year. different sizes of washers of the time can be set as the user wants, The researchers are now re- kind were developed. Before long, and the function of automatic doubling their effort to develop far however, a bottleneck cropped up temperature control can be at- more cutting-edge products using unexpectedly. The introduction of tached additionally as the user the Korean materials and em- the products into practice turned wants. For these advantages the ploying their own technical out quite problematic. One of the washing machines are favoured, knowledge. crucial matters was to develop an Ri says. Sim Yong Jin

Developers of cutting-edge products like ultrasonic washers.

20 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 Respectable Koryo Medicine Researchers

effective in treatment of myocar- dial infarction and angina pectoris. She also delved into the old Koryo medical books— Tonguibogam, Uibangryuchwi and Hyangyakjipsongbang— which comprehensively write on Koryo therapies and remedies that had been created and developed in keeping with the Koreans’ Kim Hye Ryon. way of life and physical builds. In Kim Suk Yong (middle). the course of this, she proved sci- HE ACADEMY OF KORYO entifically that Koryo medicine the study. As a nervous disease T Medicine has a lot of capable has good therapeutic value as it expert, she was intensifying the researchers loved by the people, can cure disease-affected organ- study on nerve, when she found and Kim Hye Ryon, director of the isms in an all-round way and treat out that the meridian system of Koryo Pharmacological Institute, those diseases that the modern the Koryo medicine is closely con- and Kim Suk Yong, researcher of medicine cannot cure, and does nected with the theory on nervous the Acupuncture and Moxibustion not harm the human body as it system of the modern medicine. It Institute, are typical of them. has little toxicity and side-effects. meant she had to be well aware of Gradually, she was confident that the acupoints to treat nervous No Longer Obstinate she could treat obstinate diseases diseases. She completed nerves with Koryo medicinal materials and neural segments relevant to Koryo pharmacologist Kim which were used in the prevention the meridian points. She made Hye Ryon has a career of over 40 and treatment of ordinary dis- deep studies on acupoints and years. She has achieved a lot of eases in the past, and she started completed a metallic anatomical successes by intensifying studies a relevant research project. model of the human body and a on the treatment using medicinal The other researchers of the colour chart. Meanwhile, she herbs while making clear the academy helped her, and several wrote many books including Me- composition of Koryo medicines years of strenuous effort resulted ridian and Neurophysiology, and their efficacy. In particular, in an amazing success. She re- Modern Medical Foundation and she has left indelible traces in ceived a doctorate, and now she is Clinical Practice of Acupuncture making medicines from the ex- putting her heart and soul in and Moxibustion and Manual tract of herbs. another research project, keeping Therapy of Clinical Acupuncture At first, Hye Ryon buckled burning enthusiasm in her mind. and Moxibustion. She also made down to the work of extracting public a number of theses at an ginkgo leaves as they were widely Developer of Meridian international academic society. planted in hills and streets and Chart of Acupuncture Kim has made positive efforts the efficacy of the leaves was con- and Moxibustion to put the meridian theory on a firmed constantly. She worked scientific and modern footing in day and night and finished the Professor Kim Suk Yong of the keeping with the actual condition project in a short span of time. acupoint-based diagnosis depart- that acupuncture and moxibus- More than that, she developed a ment of the aforesaid academy is tion science has become a sector of st relevant injection. The medicine a People’s Scientist and Merited the life science in the 21 century. gained public favour. She was Doctor. In 1992, she completed a Now a large board of acupoint- awarded the February 16 Scien- meridian chart, which shows 201 nerve chart and an anatomical tific and Technological Prize motor points corresponding to 14 model of electronic acupuncture which is given to excellent scien- hard pulses and 361 meridian and moxibustion are displayed in tists in the country. points, and 31 neural segments the Sci-Tech Complex. Later, she developed the plus meridian lines that gather in She is both a researcher and a doctor. As she has rich experience Saengmaeksan extract, Saeng- Taechu and Kyolbun acupoints. in curing a large number of pa- maek solution and Saengmaek For this she was awarded a di- tients including the cases of para- injection from scores of Koryo ploma at an international inven- plegia, she commands great pub- medicinal materials such as tion exhibition held in Geneva in lic respect. Schizandra chinensis and big blue 1994. lily turf, and they turned out very She devoted 40-odd years to Yom Song Hui

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 21 A Day in a Primary School

OME TIME AGO, I VISITED THE SINUIJU was Jang Ryon Sil, the first of the school’s teachers S Paeksa Primary School situated in the border good at inventing heuristic methods of teaching. She city of Sinuiju. added that the school has all the classrooms The school boasts a neat, modern four-storeyed equipped as multifunctional ones using such visual building decorated with tiles of different colours. aids as the abovementioned lessons. When I admired the school building as a smart one, Now we went to the newly built table-tennis cir- Kim Myong Sun, headmistress of the school, said cle hall. Kim Won Chol, who was in charge of the circle, said proudly, “Till a year ago, the circle was small in scale with only a few members. Then we boldly decided to expand the existing room for the circle into a large table-tennis hall so that we could admit more children who wanted to learn playing table-tennis. This led to an increase in the number of able reserve players. And some of them developed their own special skills. A team formed with such players ranked among the first three winners at the National Inter-Provincial Sports Games 2017 held last year.” The headmistress said that after school many Headmistress Kim Myong Sun, People’s pupils were practising the ABC of other sports they Teacher, is held in respect. liked respectively, such as football and basketball. We also looked round dancing and music circle proudly, “Our school has classrooms, laboratories rooms. I was very impressed by the scene of dancing and circle rooms, all fully equipped as required by circle members practising movements hard. And I the universal 12-year compulsory education system.” was struck with admiration for the way little at- Then she led me to the room of the 1-1 class, tenders played very skilfully various musical instru- where all the pupils were attentively watching a ments such as violins, accordions and drum sets. ► cartoon film The Hedgehog Defeats the Tiger on TV, holding their breath. After a while, the teacher asked Teachers improve their attainments them, “Why did the tiger mistake the chestnut-burr through shows of teaching aids. for the hedgehog?” The pupils answered, “Because he got frightened by the hedgehog” or “Because both the chestnut-burr and the hedgehog have spines on the outside.” “Yes, you’re all right,” the teacher said. “The natural world has a number of animals and plants that defend themselves with such spines or poison. Now let us call out such animals and plants.” She thus let the children think of the wide natural world. When I praised the teacher for her graphic teaching, the headmistress told me that the teacher

22 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► When I said that all the classrooms and circle rooms were absolutely perfect, the headmistress said, “Whether the educational work would be successful or not cannot be decided today, so we all turned out and changed the school for the better like this in less than a year.” We also dropped in at the 3-6 classroom. The class, I was told, had many pupils of literary ability. All the pupils were engrossed in writing composition on the theme My Dream. What first caught my eye was a composition a girl, named Jong Ye Ryong, was nomena, and a computer room. Back out of the last room I heard singing coming from somewhere. Music circle members were singing the song Ode to Moth- erland in their room on the third floor.

Our national flag will be fluttering in the sky for ever. All dreams will come true in this land. … I was unusually moved to hear the song in the border city. Then a tune was coming out from the speaker to signal the end of their daily work. I followed the pupils out to the playground. They began to play football, exercise on horizontal bars, play rope jumping or run to catch up with one another with great animation. At last, the short winter sun was setting. The schoolchildren with schoolbags on their shoulders were leaving the school for home. As such days went on they would be prepared to become future famous doctors and heroes, I thought. Looking at the lovely children, I seemed to see the bright future of the powerful nation. Kim Chol Ung writing. She wrote that her dream was to be a poet as famous as Kim Il Sin, a graduate of the school, who had been well-known as a little impromptu poet during the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students held in Pyongyang. And other pupils, too, expressed in their writings their dreams of becoming a world famous sportsperson or a renowned musician. Young as they were, all the pupils had high aims. Then we looked round the nature room that had on display a lot of stuffed specimen and samples, a globe and visual aids showing various natural phe-

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 23 The Songnim City Schoolchildren’s Hall. Brisk Extracurricular Circle Activities

HE SONGNIM CITY athletic departments. It usually them are now able to make pro- T Schoolchildren’s Hall, which opens in the afternoon. After grams as much as they want by was established in September school in the morning school- themselves. Members of my circle 1993, is making lots of achieve- children go there to receive varie- took first and second places in a ments in training local schoolchil- ties of basic education as they previous national program con- dren into persons of varied at- wish. test of schoolchildren’s palace and tainments. The hall is staffed Pak Hyon U, an instructor of hall circle members. One of them with instructors who received the IT circle, says, “The number of won first place in the individual special education. And it is pupils coming to our hall is in- event of the contest by making an largely divided into artistic and creasing day by day. Many of application program for solving ►

Schoolchildren develop their talent as they wish.

24 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► mathematical problems.” create new and original works. In fully expressing their joy of learn- That’s not all. Members of the order to train her charges into ing and singing to their heart’s mathematic circle won total first dancers of high artistic ability content as the happiest in the place at a provincial sci-tech con- dance instructor Kim Myong Ok world. test, and Choe Mi Ryong, one of created and employed new in- Different circles of the athletic the members, solved a problem structing methods capable of department are bringing about an with a novel idea on the basis of helping them develop their ability innovation in their teaching work her deep understanding of a cone of appreciating dances and mas- by retaining their own character- so that she became one of the first ter the basic knowledge and art- istics. The relevant instructors three finishers, which made a istry relating to dancing move- combined education with practi- great contribution to her team’s ments while imparting to them cal training in various forms and taking the total first place. deep knowledge of the Korean ways. As a result, members of the These achievements are the dance. Their works like A De- Taekwon-Do—traditional Korean outcome of the instructors’ im- lightful Torchlight Play ranked martial arts associated with the proved practical abilities. among the first three winners at a national spirit and soul—circle When Ju Chol was appointed national schoolchildren’s art fes- and those of basketball, volleyball as a director of the hall two years tival and an individual contest, and wrestling circles ranked ago, he understood that its condi- receiving the top prize for their among the first three winners in tion was far from that required by high artistry. many competitions. the developing reality. So he saw Sin Kwang Myong, a pictorial Last year alone, a female to it that the hall was managed art instructor, says, “I put pri- member of the Taekwon-Do circle, properly as required by the era of mary efforts in teaching the ABC at the then age of 11, performed knowledge-based economy and like sketching, rough drawing and main movements and technical that all the instructors created painting. Many of works by mem- factors of the martial arts cor- new instructing methods free bers of my circle were highly ap- rectly at a central competition, from the old ones. preciated at a national dexterity thus ranking among the first As a result, all the instructors exhibition held in August last three finishers to be promoted to a began to strive to invent innova- year.” higher grade. tive instructing methods. ABC Members of the instrumental The instructors of the hall are instructors produced in succes- music circle also ranked among now devoting all their wisdom sion teaching aids and devices the first three winners at several and energy to the work to train and reference books for intellec- rounds of an artistic contest, and their charges into fine future pil- tual development. the speech training circle put oral lars of the country. Vying with them, artistic in- narration plays and monodramas structors exerted themselves to on the stage at a central contest, Sim Hyon Jin

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 25 Mineral Enriched Beverage

HE DIGESTIVE ORGAN clinical test of the medicine patients and all other users. T laboratory under the Clini- showed that it enhances activity Besides, the researchers fo- cal Institute of the Pyongyang of digestion and protein syn- cused on kelp from the East Sea Medical College of Kim Il Sung thetase, stimulates appetite and of Korea while intensifying stud- University has conducted pathol- accelerates digestion and absorp- ies into marine products from the ogy on and studies into diagnosis tion. They intensified the study West and East seas of Korea. It of digestive diseases and relevant and confirmed again that the was already confirmed that kelp preventive and curative meas- mineral matter has many advan- contains over 50 sorts of nutritive ures, greatly contributing to the tages as a medicinal material. and medicinal substances. So people’s health improvement. The natural active combined they established a system of The researchers of the labora- mineral matter helps children treating gastric and duodenal tory paid special attention to the grow tall, improves physical ulcer using the seaweed. And development of medicines suited strength and energy and rapidly they developed a dozen kinds of to the constitutional peculiarity of relieves fatigue. It also can pre- medicines including kelp granule, the Koreans. In the course of vent obesity, retard the aging kelp tablet for ulcer, kelp com- studying into over ten kinds of process and improve complexion pound ulcer acid, kelp tea and wastes from ore dressing they by reducing subcutaneous fat, kelp pill. found out substances good to the thus being recognized as effective Ri Song Hwa, a resident in human body. Through scores of for beauty. And it is conducive to Neighbourhood Unit 49, Kwan- relevant experiments and tests the prevention and treatment of mun-dong No. 1, Rangnang Dis- they succeeded in developing the diseases relating to immune, trict, Pyongyang, says, “As I suf- “Natural Active Combined Min- digestive, circulatory, respiratory, fered from a stomach trouble, I eral Matter H (for man)” which urinary, cerebral nerve, endo- could not go to work regularly for can be used as a material for crine, sensory and motor systems two years. I stayed in the diges- mineral enriched beverage. as it enhances physiological func- tive organ laboratory under the The researchers made liquid tions as vitamins do. Now the Clinical Institute to get treatment medicine of the material. The medicine is popular with relevant for over 20 days. Thus I was completely cured of not only the dis- Research into digestive disorders intensifies. ease but also liver and pancreas troubles I had not known about.” Director of the laboratory Ri Yong Un says, “Many patients have recovered from their diseases at my laboratory. At first they entered it with anxiety, but they left it with a smile—it makes us feel happy. They send letters of thanks to us.” Now the researchers are engrossed in other research projects in order to perform their responsibility for the people’s health.

Sim Chol Yong

26 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 Developer of Mineral Koryo Medicine

ECENTLY THERE HAS APPEARED A NEW R mineral Koryo medicine capable of improving the treatment of obstinate wounds. Referred to as haemorrhoid ointment the medicine is very popular with the users as it is effective in the treatment of obstinate wounds, carcinoma of rectum, proctopoly- pus, ulcer of rectum, anal fistula, rectitis, internal haemorrhoid and external haemorrhoid. The developer of the ointment is Chon Chun Chu, a researcher of a unit under the Ministry of Railways.

Pioneer

Seven years ago Chon happened to read a medical science book part of which said that while the 20th century was the one of vitamin, the 21st would be the one of mineral matter. So he studied other similar books, but they had no data on any modern medicines made from mineral matter. And there were only very few mineral Koryo medicines while there researcher, bleeding from the wound stopped in- were scores of hundreds of kinds of botanical and stantly to my surprise, and I felt no pain around it. animal medicines in terms of Koryo pharmacy that Moreover, the wound was skinned faster.” widely uses different natural medicinal materials. That is not all. The ointment has brought about a It will be better to make medicines directly from radical improvement in the treatment of haemor- natural mineral matters, like Koryo medicine, Chon rhoid whose attack rate is high worldwide, and thought and unhesitatingly started relevant re- whose perfect cure is recognized as impossible with- search. First of all, he made painstaking efforts to out an operation. Kim Jong Ok, a woman resident of find out medicinal minerals which could be clinically Tongdaewon District, Pyongyang, says, “It was when applied without harmful after-effects. Recalling we reached the final stage in carrying out the annual those days his wife Ri Yong Ran says, “My husband plan that I was diagnosed as having anusitis that spent day and night to that end, so I once asked him might cause carcinoma of rectum unless I had an if he was confident of success. Then he said, ‘Rome immediate operation. I was disappointed. To find out was not built in a day.’” other solution I visited another hospital, where I luckily met the researcher Chon who was there for None of Drugs to Compare examination of clinical practice. Since then I began Through strenuous research Chon finally found to use the ointment. Previously it seemed that I had out five kinds of natural medicinal minerals strong in to get hospital treatment for a long time. But now I pharmacological action, and last year he succeeded in could go to work every day and finish my plan before developing ointment of strong anti-inflammatory others. One month later I was free from pain, and action. After enough clinical experiments the medi- completely cured of the disease which I had had for cine was administered to many cases of wounds. Ri In nine years after the first childbirth.” Chol, one of the cases, says, “I was born with exuda- The ointment was much debated in the academic tive diathesis, so even a small scratch on my skin was circle as it was a mineral Koryo medicine with noth- not cured well, and it went from bad to worse. Worse ing to compare with. But after reading a document still, I suffered severe side-effects from antibiotics relating to development of the medicine, the result of including penicillin. So, I was very worried whenever its clinical application and its efficacy, members of I carelessly hurt myself during work. But now I have the State commission of deliberation nodded in no worry. When I used the ointment made by the agreement. At the end of the deliberation they said in unison, “Of course there is no medicine similar to this one. However, judging from the fact that the first index to invention is originality, this ointment is a new kind of Koryo medicine with its own character in the true sense of the word. No one else has made such an amazing medicine from natural mineral matters.” They wrote on the relevant blank of the document on the deliberation as follows: “Comparison: It is a medicine to substitute for operation.” Ri Kum Chol

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 27 Orphan Grows to Be a Sports Ace

came to a central hospital for medical treatment of my mother. While I was helping my mother up the stairs of the hospital, I happened to pass by him. Looking at me carefully, he asked me whether I wanted to become a weightlifter, adding that I could HEN I WON VICTORY IN A GAME A be an athlete if I trained hard as I was well qualified W journalist asked me, “What are your father physically. Then he grasped my wrist, saying he had and mother?” He apparently thought that I had won found out a wonderful reserve athlete. In this way, I the game thanks to my parents. I answered, “I was became a weightlifter. After I was bereaved of my bereaved of my parents when I was young. I was mother I relied entirely on the coach. Later I heard brought up by my motherland.” To be frank, the that, while going to see my mother frequently, he question made me feel proud rather than sad, for I learned the state of her illness and promised to her started my successful career under the benevolent that he would take the whole responsibility for embrace of my motherland. bringing me up. He was my father in life, but he was I was born in Jangyon County, South Hwanghae too demanding in training; the level of his demand Province. I met Kim Myong Ho, weightlifting coach increased particularly after I achieved success in a of the April 25 Sports Club, in Pyongyang, when I competition. ►

Delicacies and Gold Medals

HEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE GOOD the main factor in promoting the taste of corn noodle W tastes of corn foods like corn pancakes, corn is its high quality after its modification: the modified noodle and corn pasta, they mention the phrase “from noodle is characterized by yellowish colour, moderate ► Moranbong District Corn Speciality Restaurant” after the food’s names, because its foods are well- known. Especially, corn noodle served at the restaurant is very tasty. Cold noodle, warm noodle, dried vegetable noodle in bean paste, noodle casserole and many other varieties of corn noodle attract people for their peculiar tastes. Those who once have had their meal in the restaurant become its regular visitors, and their number is on the increase every day. The restaurant began to serve corn foods exclu- sively five years ago. Pae Chun Hui, chief cook of the restaurant, says, “We wished to make popular foods of corn, which is in plentiful supply and one of the major grain crops in the country.” According to her,

28 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► In 2015 I took third place in the World Weight- whole country blessed my future, saying that a girl lifting Championships. All congratulated me for it warrior had appeared. was a success in my first participation in a world Recollecting those days, I felt I had failed to live championships for seniors. Rest was scheduled for up to expectations of the country. Since then I lifted the next day. However, the coach summoned me to a the weight with a dream of becoming a champion, as training room. I failed to concentrate on training. I well as glorifying the honour of my motherland. could not hold myself down when I reached physical Everything depends on one’s attitude and efforts. and mental limit. “You’re too hard. I thought you Motivated by the dream, I could achieve continuous would be glad when others congratulated me,” I pro- successes in competitions including the Asian tested. The coach grew stricter. “Not only did I but Weightlifting Championships held in 2016 and the the whole club and your motherland have brought 29th Summer Universiad held in 2016. Every time you up as a heavy weightlifter. You have to ask I achieved a success the motherland awarded me yourself whether you are proud of yourself before the official commendation; I was chosen as one of the top motherland before feeling thankful for me.” ten players of 2016 and awarded the title of Merited In 2009 when I was 16, I was unexpectedly Athlete. The change of career of an orphan—this is wounded with the first world junior weightlifting not related only to my life; everyone in this country championships ahead. When I was under treatment, translates their beautiful dreams into reality. officials of the club and my friends visited me every Whenever I grasp the steel bar in an interna- day, giving me a pep talk. When I started training tional competition, what I see first in my mind’s eye after recuperation, I was put under the charge of is not myself standing on the medal-awarding po- national-level coaches and a medical group, sup- dium but our national flag to be hoisted. ported by scientific nutrition. When I won victory in women’s plus 69-kg class of the championships, the Merited Athlete Kim Kuk Hyang

► thickness of strips, their smoothness and chewiness. bean paste soup, which gives national flavour, are Corn noodle gives its original taste when it is popular. The restaurant also serves green corn pan- served in cabbage kimchi juice with a garnish of fried cakes, corn pasta and corn tea, and other delicious cabbage, sweet potato runners, mushroom, green and nutritive corn foods. After having their meal in pepper and seaweed. It is good to have cold corn the restaurant the citizens in Pyongyang and other noodle served in cold cucumber soup in mid-summer. people, who were in the city on business, were struck And warm corn noodle and dried vegetable noodle in with wonder whether the foods were really made of corn, saying that they had tasted the genuine corn Chief cook Pae Chun Hui. foods in the restaurant. The chief cook of the restaurant won first place each year at different national cooking festivals, and her cooking skill broadcast on TV on those occasions drew the attention of married women. When I asked Pae, who has already won ten gold medals, if she were confident of winning the 11th medal at the cooking festival to be held in celebration of the Day of the Sun, she replied, “My concern is not the number of medals, but the quality of the dish. When I improve their quality and make the best of their characteristics, to the liking of all people, the number of the medals will increase naturally.”

Kim Un Jong

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 29

Their Dream to Be World Champion

N JULY LAST YEAR THERE WAS HELD Later So Myong Bom won the individual free I the Asian Cup 2017 of the FAI World Cup Event glider flying event of the DPRK championships held in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. The players from different in October last year. The aforesaid club holds undis- countries in the world competed fiercely, flying their puted command in the glider flying event not only at gliders in the blue sky over the wide steppe. home but also in Asia. It is not long after the club Some gliders soared aloft by an ascending air was organized. So it put primary efforts in develop- current while others dived down onto the ground ing the event which they thought they had a fair before the set time as they failed to escape from a chance of winning. Many problems arose in design- descending air current. The organizers of the contest, ing and making gliders suited to their characteristics umpires and participants, including the DPRK player of having to float on air currents, and in mastering So Myong Bom and his coach Kim Song Il, a Merited the skill of flying them. And only the size of glider Athlete, of the Kaesong Aero Club, looked up at the wings was fixed internationally regardless of their gliders flying at different heights. Though So and shape. So they conducted the research to make ideal the coach had rich experience and honed skills at wings. They studied not only the latest scientific and international and domestic competitions several technological data but also the relevant historical times, they were strained as they had to compete with documents of the country. the foreign players whose countries were said to be In the late 16th century the Korean people made the best in the development of the aero technology. and used Pigo (a flying vehicle) on a similar principle At last, the result of the match was announced. to making of today’s glider. While referring to the The Korean player So Myong Bom snatched first scientific and technological successes of the ancestors place at the several rounds of both F1H-class and they tried to make a glider in keeping with the trend F1A-class matches. The participants of the contest in the global development of gliders. It was not an congratulated So and his coach for their success, easy job. What mattered especially was to obtain saying that Korea was the best and that they had a necessary material and introduce a wireless control bright future. technique. To solve the problem they frequently vis- ►

The Kaesong Aero Club won the Asian Cup 2017 of the FAI World Cup Event in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.

30 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 computer simulation tests they finally made a glider of their own type. They improved their skill of flying the glider higher through steady training. Now the club puts efforts in developing other events including the power-driven glider event in which they are in- experienced. Besides, it pushes ahead with the work to arrange a popular aero sports service base. Jon Ju Bong, head of the club, says, “My club is merely in its initial step. But amidst the expectation and concern of many young and other people who want to have a chance of flying in the blue sky freely, our aero sports is developing day after day. In the future lots of people will enjoy themselves by aero sports at the popular aero sports service base to their heart’s content.” The structure and operational principles of Kim Ye Ryong the rubber-propelled model plane are taught.

► ited many scientific research institutes and the relevant factories and enterprises. When they had an opportunity to take part in an international competition, they would exchange opinions with foreign players. In the course of this, they secured different kinds of materials by themselves, and invented and employed a new wireless control technique superior to that of other countries. After conducting hundreds of

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 31 Couple of Doctors

N LATE 2015 THERE APPEARED THE the day when he became a university student, the I Mirae Scientists Street on the bank of the pictur- wife told us as follows: esque Taedong River in central Pyongyang. Not long Before Korea’s liberation from the Japanese im- ago we visited a doctor couple’s new flat of an apart- perialists’ colonial rule on August 15, 1945 his par- ment house on the street. The man is Kim Sung Guk, ents had slaved as hired hands for a landlord and the wife Kim Myong Hui. It was the wife who through generations without any opportunity to go to greeted us. In fact she was not strange to us. We had school. Only after that liberation he and his brothers known her by sight for she had won first place could go to school free of charge under a socialist ► several times at the national invention and new technology exhibition and the national science and technology festival. She led us towards their study, and we, on the way, saw the couple’s private room with a comfort- able bed, a kitchen and a dining room fully furnished with modern relevant utensils and a conveniently designed bathroom. The flat was furnished to suit teachers and researchers’ psychology and their way of life at the State’s expense, she said guiding us into the study. A bookcase filled with sci-tech books and a desk there in the room reminded us of the world of science. While looking carefully at the books associated with the couple’s enthusiasm one by one, we happened to see a faded photograph. Saying it was a picture all the family of the husband had taken on

32 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► education system. And after being discharged from their work, but they could steadily continue with the military service he was admitted into the then their work, thinking it was the way to bring up fu- Pyongyang University of Medicine. Thus his eight ture pillars of the country and repay the benevolent brothers and he all became university students. system that had brought them up. Her husband held the picture dearest and studied Their tireless efforts led to success, and they both hard at the university, the wife said. became doctors and associate professors with au- When we asked her what made them married, thority in the academic circles. The man, now a de- she avoided answering saying that her husband partment head of the Pyongyang Medical College of knew better about it. Then he entered the room, so Kim Il Sung University, pioneered the field of we decided to speak with him. Sturdy and high in pregnancy immunology by inventing the method of stature, he looked like an athlete rather than a treating habitual abortion in early pregnancy teacher. And he was broad-minded. We told him that through alloimmunization, and wrote Gynecology, his wife refused to answer the question of how they Clinical Gynecopathy and scores of other textbooks had been married, and he, with a smile, told us the and reference books, over 20 multimadia-based following story. teaching plans and hundreds of essays. The wife, It was 30 years ago when there was held a na- now a researcher of Kim Il Sung University, devel- tional university students’ foreign language conver- oped scores of kinds of cutting-edge technology-based sation contest. The final of the contest took place goods including a polypropylene synthesis catalyst, a between the man from the aforesaid university of thermal oxidation depressor for treble functional medicine and the woman from Kim Il Sung Uni- greenhouse vinyl sheets, solid alcohol fuel and a versity. The woman won the exciting match contrary systemic organosilicon water repellent. Their to the spectators’ anticipation. Then the man was the achievements are greatly conducive to the prosperity first to present a bouquet to the woman. “Today I was of the country and the promotion of the people’s well- very impressed by your ability of foreign language being. conversation. I congratulate you from the bottom of So people hold them in respect, calling them doc- my heart,” he admired her. Later, after graduation tor couple and theirs family of associate professors. from their universities, the man became a teacher They feel embarrassed to hear people call them and the woman a researcher. From then on they so, he said before adding, “How could we imagine our often met to have a sincere debate, motivated by family’s today apart from the benevolent system that their high ambition and spirit of inquiry, although took care of us, children of a landlord’s hired hands they were engaged in different studies and re- who were maltreated like roadside rubble stones in searches. In the course of this they fell in love with the past? We’ll do much more things for the good of each other and were married. the country and the people. My wife and I will be- After marriage they further accelerated their come one on the road forever.” education and research work while respecting and We left the flat hoping that the family would trusting each other out of warm affection. Of course produce more laudable stories. they often shed tears in agony because of failures in Kim Son Myong

The doctor couple make a tangible contribution to education of the rising generation and prosperity of the country.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 33 Secret of Successes

OME TIME AGO I VISITED PYONGYANG that those students who had learned quick reading S Foreign Languages School to meet Hwang Song improved their cogitative, understanding, judgment Hye, a quick-reading instructor and her students and memorization, reading and writing abilities—it who have taken first place seven times consecutively meant that quick reading is just like killing two birds at the annual national quick-reading contest, each with one stone. time breaking its former record. My curiosity about While I was listening to Hwang’s aforesaid story them quickened my steps. in the department room, two schoolgirls came in. The I met Hwang first. She said, “Quick reading is to instructor told me that they were Kim Hyo Jong and read, understand and memorize a bulk of informa- Yu Kyong A who won first place at the ninth national tion in the shortest time. The range of application of quick-reading contest. Kim had already taken first the quick-reading method is unlimited. Today infor- place at the eighth round of the contest. A girl of mation is increasing explosively. So learning to read steady and tenacious character, she was the best at fast is a shortcut to much knowledge to help you memorizing figures in abstract patterns and had top become a standard-bearer of the era.” scores at the memorization of playing cards and She herself mastered the quick-reading method binary numbers at the contest. She has a natural and began to teach it to students. She combined in an aptitude for mathematics, the teacher said. organic way a breathing exercise to enhance the When I asked her about her feeling at taking first ability of concentration, an exercise aimed at im- place two times, she said, “While learning quick proving the capability of combining visual sensation reading I came to know there is a point of limit in with the cerebral nerve, a depiction exercise to de- quick reading like in marathon. So it is called mental velop the right brain and a symbol visualization sport, I think. I never stopped training in quick exercise to improve the effect of memory in order to reading every day. My teacher said I could master it help students get the knack of quick reading. In the only when I found out my own way of learning, and course of this, their ability of quick reading improved encouraged me to find out the knack of quick reading remarkably. Her efforts enabled one of the students by myself. In the course of this I understood that I to win first place at the third national quick-reading would achieve a great success as I solved any prob- contest in which he took part for the first time. lem with my own effort. It is my determination to Those students who had thought quick reading take another win in the future competition.” mysterious volunteered to learn it as they saw their Yu was a girl who would delve into what she once classmate being placed on the first rank and doing wanted to do without sleep. A broad-minded and better at school. Hwang mapped out teaching plans imaginative girl she was peculiarly interested in in keeping with their preparedness and steadily reading, and demonstrated her excellent ability at made painstaking efforts to find out relevant teach- the relevant event of the contest. She said, “I was ing methods suited to their psychology. Hard work is eager to learn quick reading. When I took part in the never wasted, and the school won consecutive victo- contest, I was worried about my performance as I ries at seven rounds of the national quick-reading was told that the level of it was that of the interna- contest. Teachers in charge of different subjects said tional contest. But I was really happy when I won first place. Mathematics was difficult for me in the Hwang Song Hye (centre), and her students past, but now I have confidence in all subjects after Yu Kyong A (left) and Kim Hyo Jong (right). learning quick reading. It was not mysterious at all.” The girls told me that a period of one month was the hardest time for them when they started to learn quick reading. They said that they could overcome mental and physical limitations thanks to the teacher’s encouragement and exact demands on them (their voices were full of gratitude to their teacher). It was their determination to be an all- round person by assimilating much knowledge, true to their teacher’s expectation. Then I went to the room of the school’s head. Hwang had told me that the head showed great concern for the quick-reading education, that he was the very man who pushed ahead with it as part of the school’s affairs, and that it led to such successes. ►

34 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 New Kind of Saccharide Medicine Developed

ECENTLY THE BIOENGINEERING R branch of the State Academy of Sciences has developed a new kind of saccharide medicine, agar oligosaccharide nutritive liquid. Researchers of the branch came to know that there are many medicines whose main ingredients are protein and enzyme among those prepared through the bioengineering method, but few were containing saccharide, so they set about solving the problem. The research team led by Kim Myong Jo put primary emphasis on finding out a starting material which can be mass-produced and has new efficacy. In the course of this, they paid attention to aga- The researchers who developed agar rophyte which grows along the coasts of the country, oligosaccharide nutritive liquid. and intensified relevant studies on it. Through painstaking efforts they established a new method of nutritive liquid has gained public favour. For its high making low-molecular oligosaccharide with agar, level of antioxidation and anti-inflammatory actions which is high-molecular saccharide and extracted the medicine prevents cancer and sharply reduces from agarophyte, as the starting material. In this the rate of death from it. And it also improves the way, they made a breakthrough in making it ab- regulation of adaptation of organism to the internal sorbed faster in human body and overcoming the and external environment factors and the physical weak point of polysaccharide medicines which only activity, thus retarding the process of aging. Besides, perform immunoregulation. After repeated experi- it prevents liver fibrosis and sclerosis through ments and analyses they succeeded in developing unique action of cleaning, and is very effective in the agar oligosaccharide nutritive liquid, which is highly treatment of digestive diseases, gynecopathy and capable of antioxidation as well as immunoregula- skin diseases of women. tion, by activating different pharmacological func- The medicine is acknowledged to be highly safe in tions of oligosaccharide. administration and efficacious pharmacologically The result of clinical examination at several units among similar medicines developed so far, winning proved that its treatment efficacy is considerably recognition at the 15th national invention and new higher than other medicines. As it is prepared with a technology exhibition. natural material and has different functions, the Chae Kwang Myong

► He was a kind-hearted man, and when I told him cation. In a word, she is the apple of the eye. I want my purpose of visiting the school, he spoke highly of to always carry her on my back as she is making Hwang. From him I came to know that Hwang was strenuous efforts for the students. I hope you’ll give an October 8 Model Teacher. She, amidst the flames wide publicity to her,” the head said. of creating practical and advantageous teaching Now I could find out the secret of the consecutive methods as required by the universal 12-year com- wins—it is the teachers’ high sense of responsibility pulsory education, invented new education-aid pro- for the education of rising generations. With the grams and won first place at the 15th and 17th na- sense of duty that they are responsible for the future tional educational program exhibitions. The proof the country they redoubled their efforts, helping grams with teaching contents, exercises and refer- one another. And I came to have an understanding of ence books attached are now used for literature les- quick reading, and know that the clear conscience of sons at senior middle schools, helping the students the teachers who worked devotedly for the students improve their cognitive faculty. Not content with this while assuming a burden themselves and yielding a she is producing updated versions of the programs. success to another is kept in the mind of the students “Hwang is a model teacher in the country with as well. regard to professional ability and quick-reading edu- Kim Chol Hyon

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 35 Short Story Spring

By Ri Myong

(Continued from the last issue) the cellar, the old carter showed piece of meat after pouring up at the door. He looked strained whisky into his mouth. A scornful HO SAID SO?” OK and restless for some reason. smile played about the mouth of “W asked. “A little while ago I carted Kwon who sat sideways with a “The provincial police depart- Kwon to the Unhasu Teahouse,” walking stick in his hand. ment informed us. He is a core of said the old man. “That’s impossible,” Kwon partisan ‘bandits.’ This time he “Why there?” Ok asked. said. penetrated here for the purpose of “It’s the place where he prom- “Do you know you are like frustrating the Imperial Japanese ised to meet the detective, the carrying fuel to a fire?” Army’s secret project on the rascal.” “I know. The bums wandering northern coast and strengthening “Why then have you come there outside seem to be waiting their underground organization back leaving him alone there?” for your signal. But listen, I am network. There is an emergency “He was rather more con- here to give an opportunity to you order to arrest him without fail at cerned about you. He asked me to as well. In a word I don’t want you any cost. You shall soon see. I’ll tell you not to come here again to do such an ugly act as betray- catch him myself, and I’ll also because the Japs might dog him ing the nation any longer.” punish him for insulting you,” from now on.” “Nation? Where is our nation? Sang Gi said grinding his back Listening to the old man like You’re right. The shoeblack out- teeth, his eyes blazing with mal- in a dream Ok fell down ex- side also belongs to our nation. ice. This struck Ok dumb. Sang Gi hausted on the floor. So did he Ha! Ha! Old fellow, let us ex- was really of Japanese growth. refuse to get treatment from me change our intimate thoughts Ok now lost a shadow of ex- because he was worried about my instead of bickering,” U said, pectation she had tried to harbour personal safety? Suddenly the holding up his glass with an awk- on him, believing in his con- thought warmed her heart. And ward smile on his face. Kwon, science. This made her feel worn- she felt tears welling up in her however, slowly poured the liquor out in the whole body. And she eyes. Still she was anxious about out of his glass down to the floor realized that it was of the most his safety as he had gone to the and stood up relying on the walk- urgent necessity for her to dis- trap of his own accord. ing stick. He did not want to sit suade Kwon from going to meet At that time two men sat face to face with the absurd being Sang Gi as soon as possible. across a square table from each any longer. And U, without any She eagerly waited for sunset. other in a corner of the teahouse. response, drank one glass after As soon as darkness set in, she They were Kwon Yong Sok in a another, goggling his sleepy eyes hurried to the fish soup restau- darkish flat-woven coat with a beneath his darkish hat. rant. But the cellar was empty. cotton-fabric muffler around his The bedding used by Kwon was neck and U Sang Gi with his hat 5 put folded up in one corner. Ok pulled over his eyes. became impatient as if she had “Is he really a peasant from The following day Ok was told caught on fire body and mind. Jolla Province? What if I reject by the old carter that the previous When she was just about to leave the request?” U asked forking a night the wounded man from the ►

36 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► aforesaid province had passed by failed to do my duty as a disciple saplings scattered here and there cart through the gate of the walled of the teacher. Oh, that’s why you on the spot. Some of them were city without difficulty using a pass repeated the word teacher even in wet in the roots, and the others issued by U. She could hardly fever in the early evening of yes- trampled to no shape. Anger believe it as she had thought that terday.” gleamed in his eyes. U turned Japanese to the bone. “Did I? Indeed, how could I “Did you really do wrong like Then dose he have a bit of Korean forget him? It was him who im- this?” the teacher asked. blood and sympathy? planted the soul of the nation in “…” Things, however, still went us. You, too, must remember the Kwon only kept breathing bad. Kwon’s wound became seri- scene in which I was thrashed by hard, gnawing his lower lip. Un- ous again perhaps because he had the teacher. Ho…” able to control his temper the moved too much before the wound It was in early spring of a teacher stamped his feet shout- healed up. Bloody pus was flowing northern district. In the daytime ing, “You silly boy, plant them out of the wick in the wound, and green buds rose on the sunny side immediately!” his fever began to rise. Then he under the warm and cosy spring Then Kwon, who had re- was delirious from pain and fever sun, and when the sun set, every- mained silent with his head before losing consciousness. Ok thing was covered with white drooped before him, kicked hard a heard him repeatedly utter the frost. It was really a wicked sea- sapling newly planted a few steps word teacher in delirium. The son. ahead of him. The top of the tree teacher seemed to be a person he The school started tree plant- broke and fell away. It was an had never forgotten. ing at the proposal of Song. Boys unimaginable, ill-mannered be- Ok administered a strong were digging pits around the haviour. The teacher’s complexion sedative to him to be fast asleep. school. The soil was not good for instantly turned dark. In a rage Only at dawn he opened his eyes. rooting of trees as it was dry he bent hastily, raising his trem- Beads of sweat broke out on his mixed with small stones. So girls bling hand and slapped the boy forehead and temples. For a while were busy fetching water. hard across the face. he remained absent-minded, and When Ok entered the school “You bad boy!” then he looked disappointed and ground carrying two buckets of Kwon staggered at the slap for struggled to sit up. water on a yoke she heard a moment and straightened him- “Oh my! I had lost conscious- screams from where the boys self again. Tears welled up in his ness… Sorry I gave you only trou- were working. Then she saw eyes that glared at the teacher. bles,” he said in apology. Kwon and U turning round while “Mr. Song, why should we “Don’t mention it. And you clutching each other. Strong- plant trees? You told us that this have to lie down still,” Ok dis- looking U easily hurled sturdy land has no spring and is a land suaded. Kwon to the ground and straddled where strangers live,” Kwon pro- “What’s the time now?” and struck the latter with his tested. “It’s dawning.” fists. Kwon was wriggling with “?!” “So today must be the 5th of the desperate efforts and then rose Kwon’s words were as good as lunar month. It’s March 5. Well, abruptly. This time he quickly a thunderbolt that fell on not only Ms Ok, I already had something to threw himself, strongly butting the teacher but also Ok and other ask you… How’s Mr Song?” U’s face with his high forehead. U classmates. The teacher and all Ok was at a loss for reply to writhed covering his nose with his the children stood as still as a his abrupt question. She had long hands. Then they seized each rock. For a moment there reigned forgotten Song, their teacher in other by the collar. silence that worried the little their private school days. Back “You stop immediately!” minds. home after graduating from Sev- stormed Song who had showed up The teacher first took a few erance Medical School she visited just at the time. The two boys trudging steps. Then he turned the teacher’s house only once. parted. Kwon was breathing round and looked up at the sky Later she had no news from him. heavily, covering the bruised with tears in his eyes. And he At the time he could hardly sit up brow with his hand. U wiped the abruptly embraced Kwon closely on his bed because of fatigue from blood flowing from the nose and crying in sobs, “Listen! We should the hardships of prison life. Now gave vent to his anger, “Mr. Song, plant our trees because we are she knew that the teacher was he pulled out all the trees we deprived of the land. Every one of writing a Korean reader even in planted.” us has to plant their soul into the his sickbed. She was only struck “What?” land… Then they will have a with admiration at his invariable Deep lines appeared across mind to take back the land.” patriotic devotion. the teacher’s brows and forehead. “I beg your pardon. I have He then saw over his spectacles (To be continued)

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 37 Eight Scenic Spots in Kwanso

It was the pavilion attached to the Songchon Inn in Songchon Town, Songchon County, South Phyongan Province. It was used as a venue of banquets for officials of the feudal government and foreign envoys staying in the inn. Its layout was characteristic, and the variation in the height of the floors matched well with its architectural and spatial changes. With its front open wide, the pavilion blended well with the crystal-clear Piryu River, and one could enjoy a view of the 12 peaks on Mt. Hulgol across the river. The pavilion and several buildings of the inn were damaged during the Japanese imperialists’ military occupation Ryongwang Pavilion in Pyongyang. Paeksang Pavilion in Anju.

HYONGAN PROVINCE P was called the Kwanso area in the period of the feudal Joson dynasty (1392–1910). There are eight scenic spots in the area, namely, Ryongwang Pavilion in Pyongyang, Kangson Pavilion in Songchon, Paeksang Pavilion in Anju, Yaksandongdae in Nyong- byon, Tongnim Falls in Sonchon, Thonggun Pavilion in Uiju, In- phung Pavilion in Kanggye and Segom Pavilion in Manpho. During the Japanese imperialists’ military occupation of Ko- rea (1905–1945) and the Korean war (1950–1953) the old buildings in the scenic spots were severely destroyed. Later, they were re- mand post in the east of the inner of Korea. Though the pavilion constructed, and now they are fort of the Walled City of Pyongy- was rebuilt for cultural recrea- turned into cultural recreation ang. The pavilion was built again tion after the country’s liberation resorts. in 1111, and called Sansu Pavil- on August 15, 1945, it was burnt ion. It was reconstructed in 1670 to ashes by the US bombing dur- Ryongwang Pavilion in the period of the feudal Joson ing the Korean war in December in Pyongyang dynasty, and was renamed Ry- 1951. ongwang Pavilion. From of old the The pavilion stands in Tae- scenery around the pavilion was Paeksang Pavilion dongmun-dong, Central District, so beautiful that it was also called in Anju Pyongyang. It was first built in Jeilrudae (Excellent Pavilion). the mid-6th century in the period The pavilion in Anju, South of Koguryo (277 BC–AD 668). At Kangson Pavilion Phyongan Province, was first that time it was used as a com- in Songchon built during the Koryo dynasty ►

38 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► and rebuilt in the period of the ern valley of Thae Peak in the Thonggun Pavilion feudal Joson dynasty. It was northwest of Kogunyong-ri, Tong- in Uiju burnt down by the indiscriminate nim County, North Phyongan US bombing during the Korean Province. Its another name is Ok It is located in Uiju Town, war, and only its cornerstones Falls as crystal-clear water falls Uiju County, North Phyongan were left. It was reconstructed in down like a bead. Above the falls Province. It was built as a north- the 1970s. Built as a northern there are the Ryong (dragon) Rock ern command post of the Uiju command post of the Anju fort, it and Pyongphung (folding screen) fort. The pavilion was first built commands a fine view. The name Rock, and a rock looking like a in the first half of the Koryo days, of the pavilion means a pavilion horse saddle is seen below the and underwent repair several that affords a hundred sights. falls. Pine, oak and maple trees times later. The present one was grow around the rocks with their rebuilt in 1478. The pavilion is Yaksandongdae roots struck deep in the crevices of associated with the history of in Nyongbyon the rocks, adding beauty to the struggle of the Korean people falls all the year round. Though who valiantly fought against for- Yaksandongdae is a scenic not so large, the falls was widely eign invaders including Khitan. place in the central part of known not only for its beautiful Nyongbyon County, North scenery but also as a good place Inphung Pavilion for douche. Phyongan Province, which rises in Kanggye

The pavilion is situated in Inphung-dong, Kanggye, Jagang Province. It stands on a cliff along the Jangja River which meanders round the northwest- ern part of the city. As a command post in the northwest of the wall around the town of Kanggye, the pavilion was widely used for training and inspection of soldiers. It was built in 1472 and rebuilt in 1680. It reflects the outstanding wisdom and artistic skills of Koreans—every building material and painting agree with the characteristics of the pavilion ►

Inphung Pavilion in Kanggye. Yaksandongdae in Nyongbyon.

near the Kuryong River, two kilo- metres west of the county seat. Yaksan means a mountain abundant in medicinal herbs and mineral water, while dongdae repre- sents an observatory in the east when viewed from Muju (the mountain was divided into Muju, Yonju and Wiju in the past). Luxuriant foliage in summer, red tints in autumn and snowscape in winter present beautiful scenery, and more charming is full-blown, light-pink azalea blossoms covering the whole mountain in spring.

Tongnim Falls in Sonchon

The waterfall is in the south-

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 39 Hyecho and His Travelogue

YECHO (704–787) WAS A seen all night. Part of it reads: until a Tang Chinese made a sim- H scholar who trekked the “Many are poor and few are rich plified book about three of longest ever way in the early 8th in this land. Seldom could I see Hyecho’s travelogue books. The century. A professional student of people— whether they are the simplified edition was discovered Buddhism, he was eager to visit king or commoners—using hawks by a Frenchman in 1910 in a cave India, the birthplace of Bud- or dogs for hunting. There are a at Qianfoudong, Mingshashan, dhism. He crossed the sea and lot of thieves along the road, and Dunhuang County, Gansu Prov- travelled a number of Southeast they take things and don’t kill ince, Qing China. Asian countries and Sri Lanka people. The people here eat cake The finding was published for before he arrived in India. made of rice powder and oil made its first edition in China as soon What he saw first on landing from milk. They have no soy sauce as it was discovered. It was also was dozens of people clothed in but salt. All that they use for issued in Japan in 1911. At the grass leaves running in haste to cooking is earthenware. They pay time of discovery some of the first, catch rhinoceros, a tropical ani- only five sacks of cereals they middle and last parts of the origi- mal, in the woods in a nearly grow in their field for the sake of nal were found missing or dam- fallen walled area. Months later the king. The king looks after aged, so only some of the second he, after a strenuous plodding in official affairs, when he sits out to and third volumes are now avail- the sultry weather, got to the hear of them and gives decisions able. The book gives records of temple he had longed to visit. without showing any sign of an- meticulous observations of nearly Excited to accomplish his old de- ger.” all matters of human life, includ- sire he wrote a poem at the en- Later Hyecho toured the five ing each country’s socio-political trance to the temple, which said Indian kingdoms (north, south, systems, physiographical condi- that he was satisfied to fulfil his east, west and central ones) and tions, economic situations and wish and that he could see the some neighbouring countries, cultural activities, morality and temple with his own eye that day. visited Persia (Iran) and east customs, religious and supersti- Paying homage, he went Roman Empire before setting out tious beliefs. Details are given round the place where Sakyamuni on the return home journey. In about the governmental organiza- was said to have guided the world November 727 he arrived in tions, cities, names and geo- to Buddhism before dying there, Changan (Xian at present), capi- graphical environment of all the and the one where Sakyamuni tal city of Tang China, but he countries he travelled, natural had cultivated his moral sense to failed to return home and resources and special products, become Buddha. Now he felt sat- breathed his last there. There he modes of production and everyday isfied telling himself that he could wrote a travelogue titled Record life of the local people. style himself as Buddhist since he of Travel to India which was a There are some incorrect de- had personally seen the place. general compilation of the notes scriptions Hyecho made from the The next leg of his journey was he had made about what he had religious view, but his travelogue a walled city where the monarch seen and heard and experienced serves as valuable material for of the central Indian kingdom plodding a long distance of 40 000 studies of India and other Asian lived. After sightseeing around km for ten years. countries in the 8th century. the place he returned to his lodg- For ages Hyecho’s writing ing and wrote down what he had remained in oblivion, though, Sim Hyon Jin

► and it blends well with the sur- (100 metres above the level of the on the spot and named Segom. It rounding natural landscape. Amnok River) facing the river in is said that enjoying a bird’s eye Manpho, Jagang Province. In view of the area on the pavilion Segom Pavilion 1636 Korean soldiers, who had was marvellous. The pavilion was in Manpho routed foreign aggressors, washed burnt down by the Japanese im- their blood-stained swords there. perialists in 1938. The pavilion stood on a cliff Afterwards a pavilion was built Choe Sol Mi

40 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 Trump’s Question to Answer

RUMP IS GOING EXTREMELY CRAZY that Trump is mentally abnormal, adding that other T about his attempt to strangle the Democratic Republican MPs agree to his opinion and that Trump People’s Republic of Korea. Last September, ad- is absolutely in need of the assistance from mental dressing the UN assembly, he made such a reckless medicine. statement that he would totally destroy the DPRK The international community, to say nothing of and exterminate the Korean people. Then, he issued different sectors of the US, is ratcheting up denun- an executive order aimed at bolstering sanctions ciation and criticism against Trump who is breaking against the DPRK and instigated Congress to pass peace and security in the Korean peninsula and the an act that extends the force of the “north Korean rest of the world through an extremist DPRK policy. human rights act” for another five years. Washington Post and other American mass media Moreover, claiming regular deployment of the denounced Trump for having increased the threat to American strategic nuclear means in the Korean the American mainland by talking of his intention to peninsula, he saw that the American military pres- exterminate the Korean nation at a UN general as- ence was built up massively in and around the Ko- sembly. They expressed their hopelessness and dis- rean peninsula while a joint infiltration drill was appointment over the fact that the American end is conducted to attack the rear of the DPRK. His ac- coming at a very high speed because of Trump. For- tions were accompanied by his remarks that the mer US high-ranking officials and other personali- DPRK would cease to exist before long, that the ties concerned with Congress feared that Trump’s [American] military choice would be terribly de- remark would make the US much more uneasy and structive and that he would straighten up the issue entail terrible results, that is, sacrifice of the Ameri- of the DPRK which had been mangled by his prede- cans in the homeland. cessors. Some 60 Democratic representatives asserted Many people around the world consider Trump’s that the nuclear bag should not be entrusted to acts reckless, for he could hardly recognize the seri- Trump as his recent words might cause the night- ousness of the touch-and-go situation in the Korean mare of nuclear war, and even Republican senators peninsula and the possible catastrophic consequence. rose up in revolt claiming for cutting Trump’s power They know that the DPRK is capable of dealing a to use the American forces. military blow to the US mainland, to say nothing of The public criticism and denunciation of Trump Guam, far from being afraid of a war with the US. have touched off a campaign for his presidential Even American military experts assert: Imagine impeachment, which is now sweeping the country. that the US and south Korea launch a preemptive Some 58 500 holders of psychiatric degrees of the US attack out of a misjudgment—though it might be drew up a petition for making Trump resign from very rare. Then, the DPRK will, for its primary presidency as he is in a serious state of psychiatric counterattack, attack the capital city of south Korea illness, and had it released in the press. Meanwhile, with its long-range guns and multiple launch rocket the American journal Time asserted that it is neces- systems deployed near the Military Demarcation sary to remove Trump from presidency without any Line and fire missiles of 300-500 km ranges. South impeachment procedures using the paragraph of Korea will be scorched immediately. The GIs and incapability of the Presidency stipulated in Article 25 their families in south Korea are unlikely to escape of the amended American Constitution. Voice has from the sweeping volley. For its second counter- been heard from Congress that it is doubtful whether measure the DPRK will devastate the American Trump is fit for presidency as he is mentally abnor- military bases in Japan and Guam. The next target mal. On October 15 last year Washington Post, Fox will be the American mainland. A preemptive attack News and other media carried the ad that a prize of against the DPRK may come as a desk theory, but up to US$ 10 million is offered for information useful not a solution of the nuclear issue of the DPRK. It is for presidential impeachment. surely a self-destructive idea. All this is a due outcome of the reckless war pol- Nonetheless, Trump is driving the situation of icy of Trump who is destroying global peace and the Korean peninsula to the brink of war, shutting security without hesitation. His madness is also to be his eyes to the landscape of confrontation between found in the public confusion of the US which has the DPRK and the US. This is no more than a fit of been caused by Trump’s unpredictable management mental disease that neutralizes the ability to think of the administration, typically his dash-this-way- logically and approach the reality properly, over- and-rush-that diplomatic and security policy, arro- whelmed with self-complacency. gant policy of Americanism, and Twitter politics of Some American medical professors diagnosed caprice and anger. him as a case of mental disorders like a delusion of Trump had better cool himself down and review grandeur, hypersensitivity to criticism and defi- his words and behavior. Is he capable of leading a ciency of the ability to make distinction between country? This is the question he has to answer illusion and reality. A Democratic senator argued himself.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 41 Back Street Villain

N JANUARY 23, 1968 A was an armed spy ship of the US. It was not because the US O ship of unknown nationality The US made a great fuss lacked warships and fighting stealthily infiltrated the DPRK about the incident, saying that its equipment in the region that it territorial waters 7.6 miles away navy’s history had not known its mobilized such a huge-scale mili- from Ryo Island on the East Sea spy ship captured by other coun- tary force to take back the ship of Korea. The ship was marked tries, and took a measure to and its crew. It is because the GER-2, but its real name was launch “military retaliation” “pride” of the extremely arrogant Pueblo. Naval vessels of the Ko- against Korea. An aircraft carrier US as the “Great Empire of rean People’s Army, on a regular along with a destroyer, an atomic- America” would not allow it to patrol duty, instantly captured powered submarine and supply recognize its crime. the ship of over 1 000 tons and its ships was dispatched to the East But the result was tragic. The crew of over 80 men. (One of them Sea of Korea, and varieties of US surrendered to the Korean died on the spot trying to resist.) fighters flied into south Korea people’s firm declaration that Then it was revealed that the ship from US air bases in Japan. they would retaliate for ►

The crew of the American armed spy ship Pueblo surrender and the US dele- gate signs the document of apology.

42 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► “retaliation” and return an all-out war for an all-out war, and signed a letter of apology recognizing the spy ship’s espionage and hostile acts and guaranteeing that any other warship would not intrude into the DPRK territorial waters. Dwelling on the fact Washington Post said in a leading article that the Pueblo incident that easily made a fool of the US and its government’s apology were very dis- tressing and that it might be a more correct expression to say that their country which had boasted of being the strongest in the world was bleeding at the nose, knocked by the small country of Korea, like a clumsy back The Pueblo on show at the Victorious street villain. Fatherland Liberation War Museum.

The British newspaper Time the most important official diplo- reported that the allegedly al- matic arena of the world, Trump mighty US, too, was revealing its was so unprecedentedly rude and inability and that through the hysterical as to talk about “total Pueblo incident the US actually destruction” of Korea beyond a surrendered to the Democratic “change of its government” and an People’s Republic of Korea in all “overthrow of its system.” Then aspects. the global press and analysers A recent issue of a Bangla- described Trump as a president deshi newspaper reported that whose hatred reached an unbe- the US’s armed spy ship Pueblo is lievably dangerous stage and a put on display on the Pothong psychologically retarded presi- River in Korea, that at the ques- dent speaking and acting at ran- tion of how such a small number dom instinctively and out of a of soldiers could capture the ship sudden impulse. Even Congress of in such a short time the lecturer the US voiced doubt whether said it was the very fighting Trump is fit for the post of presi- mode of Korea and that the re- dent as he is mentally abnormal. mains of the American planes and A mentally deranged person tanks on display at the Victorious ought to be sent to a mental hos- Fatherland Liberation War Mu- pital, and a mad dog ought to be seum clearly prove that the US clubbed. will never be able to win the con- The US should know that it frontation with Korea. was a mercy that the Pueblo It is well-advised for one to turned into a trophy after daring find out his mistake in time. to infringe on the sovereignty of Historically the US has never the DPRK and finally was put on won the confrontation with Korea display at the aforesaid museum. in terms of the mode of battle, Fifty years ago the US could write war or politico-diplomacy. The a letter of apology, bleeding at the US underwent only a bitter de- nose like a clumsy back street feat in the Korean war (1950– villain, and now the DPRK has 1953), in the Pueblo incident and become a nuclear power. So the in the nuclear confrontation with US should know exactly that if it Korea. insanely keeps trying to deprive Because of ignoring the his- the country of its sovereignty and tory of the Korea-US confronta- the right to existence and devel- tion, the present American ruler opment, there will remain alive has earned a title worse than a not a single aggressor to write a clumsy back street villain even on similar letter. the UN arena. At last year’s session of the UN General Assembly, Kim Ye Ryong

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 43 Sanctions Resolutions— Unwarranted

war on June 25, 1950, and sanc- nuclear-powered carriers, strate- tioned America’s armed invasion. gic nuclear bombers and nuclear After the war it stubbornly con- missiles to wage military exer- nived at and encouraged the US’s cises of all names, trying to force a moves of nuclear war against the war on the peninsula. country. After the Cold War the But so far, the UNSC, instead UNSC, following Washington’s of remaining faithful to its func- scheme to stamp out the DPRK, tions and obligations, has neither the bulwark of socialism, rail- picked a quarrel with the US’s roaded many sanctions resolu- hostile policy towards the DPRK OME TIME AGO A KOREA tions on the pretext of the coun- and moves of war, which threaten S Today reporter had an inter- try’s nuclear test and launches of peace and security on the Korean view with Dr and Associate Prof satellites and ballistic rockets. peninsula, nor made any effort to Hong Chol Hwa who is director of Adoption of Resolution 825 in restrain or prevent them. These the Law Institute under the Acad- May 1993, which was aimed at circumstances forced the DPRK to emy of Social Sciences. suspending the DPRK’s decision defend peace and security on the on withdrawing from the Nuclear Korean peninsula on its own, and I know the United Nations Non-Proliferation Treaty and the country possessed nuclear is the biggest international forcing it to restore its cooperation weapons and finally ICBM. governmental organization with the International Atomic The reason why another war whose aim is to keep global Energy Agency, constituted a has not broken out amidst the peace and security. watershed in its scheme to isolate continuous moves of war by the Established in October 1945 and stifle the country. Last year, US since the Korean war is that the UN assumes it as its mission instigated by the US, it abused the DPRK has invariably main- to maintain international peace the DPRK’s self-defensive H- tained peace-loving policies and and security, promote economic bomb test and the detonation test possessed powerful self-reliant and cultural relations between of a nuclear warhead as a “threat” defence capability. Despite this, peoples of different countries and to international peace and secu- the UNSC does not squarely in- solve international problems in a rity, and adopted a series of reso- terpret the issue of “threat to peaceful way, and regards respect lutions against these measures. peace” on the Korean peninsula; of sovereignty, inviolability of The sanctions resolutions the rather it handles it one-sidedly, territory and noninterference in UNSC, manipulated by the US, toeing the line of the US, breaker other’s internal affairs and faith- passed against the DPRK in the of peace. The UNSC’s resolutions, ful implementation of the duties new century number nine. which are falsifying the reckless stipulated in its Charter as prin- Those resolutions are to- nuclear blackmail as moves for ciples in its activities. tally unwarranted in view of “safeguarding peace,” and the However, the United Na- the legal ground, aren’t they? DPRK’s corresponding measures tions Security Council, which Those resolutions are all for military buildup as “threat to has historically sided with the based on the view that the peace,” are none other than ram- United States in its ambition DPRK’s measures for securing pant violation of the UN Charter. for the aggression on the De- peace are a “threat to global peace Generally, the absolute major- mocratic People’s Republic of and security.” In retrospect, the ity of threat to and break of peace Korea and for world suprem- United States has doggedly ne- presupposes violation of interna- acy, resorts to moves to put glected the DPRK’s peace propos- tional law. So, when the UNSC is sanctions and pressure to als to transform the present ar- to decide on “threat to peace” and bear upon the DPRK, tarnish- mistice agreement into peace “destruction of peace,” it has to ing the image of the UN. treaty and establish a durable first judge whether the relevant You’re right. The UNSC peace mechanism on the Korean action of a certain country consti- adopted resolutions 82, 83 and 84 peninsula; instead, it has enlisted tutes an infringement of the obli- consecutively in coincidence with its vassal states as well as its gations to international law or the US’s unleashing of the Korean means of nuclear strike including not. If it can not prove a violation, ►

44 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► the UNSC cannot take forcible rules to check it. It, however, unwarranted, the DPRK repre- measures for it. yielded to the US’s high- sentative to the UN has sug- In 2003, the DPRK, in order to handedness, and railroaded gested several times holding cope with the US’s ever-growing brigandish sanctions resolutions, an international panel discus- nuclear blackmail and thus de- branding the DPRK’s possession sion to make clear of it. But it fend its supreme interest, with- of nuclear weapons and ballistic has not been realized owing to drew from the NPT fairly and missiles, which it possessed as a the moves by the US, hasn’t it? squarely, thus declaring that it measure for lawful self-defence, When the United States vocif- did not assume any obligation to as a violation of international law. erates that the DPRK is commit- international law on the issue of Those resolutions are a violation ting new “provocations” and manufacture of nuclear weapons of paragraph 7 of Article 2 of the threatening security in the region and prohibition of their posses- UN Charter which stipulates that with nuclear test and missile sion. In view of the fact that it had “Nothing contained in the present launch, the UN and other inter- not ratified the Treaty Banning Charter shall authorize the national organizations, without Nuclear Weapons Test in the United Nations to intervene in confirming who is the culprit of Atmosphere, in Outer Space and matters which are essentially the current tense situation on the under Water of 1963, and the within the domestic jurisdiction of Korean peninsula, accept it at its Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban any state,” and it means the face value, stir up public opinion, Treaty of 1996, the DPRK has no UNSC abused its authority. and try to adopt relevant sanc- obligation to international law as The DPRK’s nuclear test and tions resolutions without hesita- to nuclear test. The one that has launch of ballistic missiles are tion. So, they railroad resolutions violated the obligation relating to lawful measures aimed at defend- at random as the US instigates nuclear weapons is none other ing its sovereignty and right to them to do, infringing upon the than the United States. existence in the face of the US’s sovereignty, and the rights to The DPRK has assumed no nuclear blackmail which has existence and development of its duty of prohibition with regard to lasted for over a half century. And member countries, in defiance of the possession of ICBM. At pre- they do not run counter to Article the UN Charter and other inter- sent there is no international 51 of the UN Charter or any in- national conventions. treaty or international rule that ternational law. The damage the The international law circles prohibits the development, pos- Korean people have suffered ow- have already concluded that the session and launch of ballistic ing to the economic sanctions and sanctions resolutions passed at the missile. The UN Charter, whose blockade, product of the US’s hos- UNSC are a rampant violation of mission is to maintain peace and tile policy toward the DPRK, the legitimate right of a sovereign security, and other international spanning 60 years until 2005 state and principles of the interna- agreements which clarify forbid- totals US $ 13 729.964 billion, tional relations stipulated in the den weapons do not expressly when it is calculated based only UN Charter, and they lack any prohibit the possession and use of on issues that were made public. legal ground. As the US and its ballistic missile. For that reason Now the Sanctions Damage In- vassal forces have disowned their there is no legal ground which vestigation Committee of the previous claims that the economic could label the DPRK’s test DPRK is investigating the dam- activities relating to the people’s launch of ICBM as a violation of age the country has suffered since life are exceptions, and are com- international law. These facts 2005, and the damage and losses mitting criminal acts aimed at show that its possession of nu- inflicted upon the development of mercilessly crushing down the clear weapons and launch of the country and its people’s life rights to existence and develop- ICBM do not constitute a viola- are enormous. ment of a sovereign state, it is tion of obligation to international The reality vividly shows that natural for the DPRK to take any law, and that they are not illegal the sanctions resolutions of the resolute measure for initiating in view of international law. UNSC are illegal documents action of justice on its own terms. If the UNSC had a concern, adopted through high-handedness In the future, too, we will even to a slightest degree, for and arbitrariness, devoid of any make efforts to verify the invalid- maintaining peace and security in elementary legal deliberation of ity of the sanctions resolutions the Korean peninsula, it ought to violation of international legal fabricated by the US and its fol- have judged the US’s threat of obligation and verification of exis- lowers and work in close relations nuclear war to be illegal from the tence of illegality and legitimacy with progressive countries, politi- viewpoint of international law of self-defensive measure. cal parties and social organiza- and applied relevant peremptory As these resolutions are tions in the world.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 45 Result of Sycophancy and Treachery

OTS OF PEOPLE ARE NOW SEEING IN THE cation and so on. And mentioning that it was “not a L New Year full of joy and optimism, except the situation to counter only by a statement,” he ab- Korean nation that is entering upon the year with surdly had a south Korea-US joint ballistic missile the pain of its division. launching drill staged. The puppet military of south Last year the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea announced a “statement” and incited war Korea (DPRK) called for the whole nation’s concerted hysterics, daring to pick fault with the supreme dig- effort to open up a broad avenue to independent nity of the DPRK and talking viciously about reunification in the year which marked the 45th an- “provocation” and “destruction.” Besides, they, in niversary of the July 4 Joint Statement and the 10th collusion with the US, spent the whole of last year anniversary of the October 4 Declaration. The DPRK staging anti-DPRK nuclear war exercises in an at- also stated that it would take positive measures to tempt to plunge fellow countrymen into a crisis of improve inter-Korean relations, avoid acute military nuclear holocaust: they threw lots of their puppet confrontation and remove the danger of war between troops into Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 17, Ulji north and south. Freedom Guardian and other military rehearsals; But the anti-reunification force, hand in glove and they made a great fuss, extending the range of with the US and its vassal states, ruthlessly ignored missiles to strike the DPRK and importing weapons the DPRK’s sincerity. The present ruler of south of American make. Korea, during the “presidential” election, conceitedly The Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exer- said that if he was elected he would go to Pyongyang cise is an extremely dangerous nuclear war drill first and that they should become able to say “No” aimed at “neutralizing in the shortest time” the even to the US. After being actually elected, how- DPRK’s military commanding system and its war ever, he hastened to Washington first to admire his potentialities, especially, the nuclear and missile master as a “benefactor” and so on. And he said that bases and “invading” it with ease by dint of high- the “great south Korea-US alliance” was his “root” strength preemptive strikes that rely on all striking and that the existence of the “root” ensured his to- means of land, sea and air. The joint military exer- day. And he went so far as to say that he would not cise involved the entire human and material re- take any step for improvement of the south-north sources of south Korea including lots of GIs and relations without the US’s approval and that they puppet troops, the puppet regime and local autono- would engage in any dialogue only with the US’s mous entities, thousands of institutions and busi- approval. nesses and hundreds of thousands of civilians. It was A national joint ceremony that north, south and also joined by mercenaries from Australia, Canada, overseas Koreans planned to hold on the 17th anni- Colombia, Denmark, New Zealand, the Netherlands versary of the publication of the June 15 2000 Joint and Britain, all satellites of the United States. Declaration failed owing to the south Korean au- Even the Trump administration, afraid of the thorities’ undetermined and uncertain attitude. DPRK’s military counteraction, was reluctant to talk From the outset the south Korean authorities as- about the scale and movement of strategic nuclear sumed a disagreeable attitude saying that the open- assets to be thrown into the drill. The puppet mili- ing of the ceremony before a south Korea-US summit tary of south Korea, however, was engrossed in fan- meeting was burdensome and that they would ex- ning up war hysterics, spreading such opinions as amine it within the framework of international “There is no reduction of the drill,” and “The scale of sanctions. Worse still, they laid artificial obstacles to the US’s overseas dispatch of troops has rather in- the opening of the ceremony finding fault with Py- creased.” ongyang’s fair measures to strengthen their self- Despite opposition from at home and abroad, the defence capabilities to cope with the US’s ever more south Korean authorities enforced the deployment of undisguised lunatic scheme to start a nuclear war an additional THAAD launching pad by mobilizing against the country. thousands of police to use violence. In July last year, too, the south Korean authori- Their reckless moves toward confrontation did ties revealed their true colors: On the 4th of that not ease but worsened the inter-Korean relations. month the DPRK succeeded in the first test fire of an When the whole Korean nation was intending to ICBM capable of striking the heart of the US. This celebrate the 10th anniversary of the publication of was a great auspicious event to be hugely celebrated the October 4 2007 Declaration significantly, they by all the north, south and overseas Koreans. But at ignored it and fanned up war hysterics by starting the news of the test fire the ruler of south Korea together with the US a joint maritime military exer- hurriedly called a general meeting of its “national cise that targeted the DPRK’s ICBM. This treacher- security council” to state that they repeatedly and ous act cannot be justified in any way. strongly denounced the north’s irresponsible provo- Even the south Korean people described the au- ►

46 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 ► thorities’ “north Korea policy” as “wandering policy with no clear goal,” “policy to curry favour with the master,” “policy with absurd and impudent asser- tions,” and “policy that rejects the nation’s aspiration and requirement.” It is the DPRK’s constant intention to defend the safety of its fellow countrymen and the peace of the country without fighting against them. The reality demands that the south Korean authorities do not heedlessly aggravate the situation in league with foreign forces, finding fault with the DPRK’s self-defence measures but respond to the latter’s earnest efforts to prevent inter-Korean military collisions and defuse the tensions. The south Korean authorities would be well advised to assume a stand of national independence, join hands with the fellow countrymen and take the road towards improvement of the inter-Korean relations as required by the intention of all fellow countrymen and that reflected by south Koreans’ candlelight demonstrations. They should bear it in mind that Park Geun Hye, who had been only engrossed in dependence on outside forces and confrontation, was impeached pun- ished by the candlelight demonstrators’ intention.

Rim Hye Gyong

1. Protesters form a human candlelight protesting against war and claiming elimination of deep-rooted evils. 2. The public urge is rising for thorough investigation into the Sewol disaster. 3. South Koreans cry for peace and no war in the Korean peninsula, shouting anti-Trump slogans.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 47 Invariable Wild Ambition

ERHAPS THERE MAY BE never changed, and they are talk- the US. It is also planning to be- P no country that matches ing about somebody’s “threat” in gin to mass-produce supersonic Japan in greediness. The succes- an attempt to start to realize the air-to-ship missiles this year to be sive rulers of Japan set it as a ambition with invading Korea. introduced in F-2 fighters of the goal to invade others to accumu- Not long ago the Japanese Minis- Air Self-Defense Force and going late wealth and occupy the counter of Defense overtly said that to deploy three unmanned recon- tries. A typical example was Ja- they were weighing the possibility naissance planes in the Misawa pan’s old plan of the "Greater of developing their ability of at- base from the end of the year East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere," tacking overseas missile bases, 2019. And it intends to establish which it is said had been com- and the special advisor to the an “amphibious corps” like the US pleted by an institute under the president of the Liberal Democ- Marine Corps provided with new- control of the Japanese military. ratic Party emphasized that the type armoured amphibians so as The plan consisted of three Self-Defense Forces should be to strengthen the Self-Defense phases. The first phase was possessed of medium-range bal- Forces’ ability of attack. Besides, aimed at establishing a “core listic missiles and cruise missiles it spends days waging powder- sphere” of the "Greater East Asia in order to safeguard Japan’s reeking war exercises insisting Co-prosperity Sphere” that would “peace and prosperity.” that they should have an early cover Korea, Manchuria, north At present no other country warning satellite and an ability of China, the region on the lower threatens Japan. Rather, peace cyberattack. Yangtze River and the Maritime and security of Asia is seriously The international community Province of Siberia of the former jeopardized by the US that seeks is sharply watching the insular Soviet Union, the second phase at to realize the strategy of domi- country that is gradually coming establishing a “small co- nance over the Asia-Pacific region close to the status of a military prosperity sphere” by adding to and by Japan that toes the US power. Even the Western press the “core sphere” eastern Siberia, line. Even a mere child knows disclosed that the Japanese de- the whole territory of China, In- that medium-range ballistic mis- fense minister’s mention of their dochina Peninsula and islands on siles and cruise missiles are nec- weighing the possibility of devel- southern Pacific and the third essary to attack. What then is the oping their ability of attacking phase at establishing a “greater real intention of Japan’s extreme- overseas missile bases meant that co-prosperity sphere” by linking rightist politicians who are talk- they had thrown off even the the “small co-prosperity sphere” ing about a threat and advocating mask of “defense” they had so far with Australia, New Zealand, expansion of their military force? advocated somehow. The BBC India and different islands on the It is nothing but a scheme to real- reported: Abe knew well that a Pacific. And the Japanese impe- ize their ambition of militaristic daily increasing number of people rialists had an illusion about reinvasion. among the Japanese citizens were using the third sphere as a step- Their sinister intention is also worrying about militarization of ping stone to establish a “greater revealed by Japan’s annually their country; and in that sense east Asia commercial expansion increasing war expenditure. In magnifying the “threat” from sphere” covering the Middle and August last year the Japanese Korea was beneficial to him. Near East, Africa and America. Ministry of Defense, talking about In Japan as well voices are They, however, failed to realize a “threat,’ decided to apply for ringing out reproaching the pre- the ambition because of their ¥ 5 255.1 billion as a war expen- sent ruler for causing a terror- defeat in 1945. Their wild dream diture out of the budget for the charged atmosphere using incor- of occupying other countries re- fiscal year 2018. It is said that it rect information. sulted in such a defeat. will be the highest record in his- History proves that avarice Still, Japan has spent last 70- tory. Japan intends to use the makes a man bereft of reason and odd years preparing for making tremendous sum of money to de- results in ruination. If Japan up for the past defeat instead of velop a ground radar capable of unreasonably keeps seeking to feeling guilty about its history of watching anti-missile bases and realize the wild ambition it will invasion. Their ingrained wild purchase a new-type ground- meet with a greater disaster. ambition of the “Greater East based combined anti-missile sys- Asia Co-prosperity Sphere” has tem Aegis Ashore developed by Kim Il Ryong

48 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 National Intangible Cultural Heritage (14) Korean Embroidery with Time-honoured Tradition

Land of Roses of Sharon by the anti-Japanese war heroine Kim Jong Suk is handed down so far. After national liberation on August 15, 1945, the Central Em- broidery Works was established, and the embroidery, which had been confined to feudal house- holds, expanded and developed into a national undertaking. The works developed into the Pyongy- ang Embroidery Research Insti- tute and became a national hub of not only creating and studying the embroidery but training skilled embroiderers. The institute has created many excellent works of embroi- OREAN EMBROIDERY, world already in the period of dery like White Pheasant, which K which originated as an ar- Three Kingdoms. Nobilities of won a gold medal at an interna- tistic form through the aspira- Koguryo (277 BC–AD 668) wore tional handicrafts exhibition held tions and demands of the Korean embroidered silk clothes and in Bulgaria in 1974. women, developed as one of their dancers of Silla used embroidered Korean embroidery requires living customs from olden times. fans as their hand props. delicate artistic skills and is At the time of origin, it was a With the unprecedented acti- strong in national characteristics kind of handicraft, but later it vation of the domestic industry as it is created through various developed into one performing and foreign trade in the period of techniques on original drawings. with cloth, thread and needle. Koryo (918–1392), embroidery It is divided into manual and Korean embroidery can be reached a high level of formative mechanical embroidery by which said to have developed along with and artistic beauty. In the period it is done and practical and deco- the history of silk because it was of the feudal Joson dynasty rative embroidery by their mis- convenient to embroider on silk (1392–1910), it developed with sion. The techniques of doing it cloth with silk thread, producing typical characteristics of the number over 20. a highly decorative effect. The royal court and commoners. Korean women decorate not first relic embroidery was discov- In the days of the anti- only their clothes but bedding ered in the Pyongyang area, the Japanese armed struggle, women like pillow and quilt with embroi- capital city of Ancient Joson soldiers of the Korean People’s dery, enjoying their life in a cul- (early 30th century BC–108 BC). Revolutionary Army created tured way. This proves that Korean embroi- many embroideries, representing Korean embroidery is develop- dery started with Ancient Joson their desire for national libera- ing as required by the practical as the centre. tion and people’s freedom and reality. It was well known across the liberation. Three-Thousand-Ri Kim Chol Hyon

Some embroidery works.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018 49 50 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2018