In the Mallima Speed 10 Times

Happy New Year

EAR READERS, dynamically as they had in earlier years. Many DSeeing out last year that witnessed signifi cant people in Yangdok County, South Phyongan Prov- events with historic traces, we have greeted the New ince, moved to new homes furnished with all liv- Year of 2020 full of hope and dream. ing conditions free of charge. And the grand mass We extend our sincere thanks and New Year gymanstics and artistic performance The Land of the greetings to our readers who have provided fi rm sup- People vividly showed the high level of the country’s port and solidarity to the Korean people while ac- cultural development. quiring a deeper understanding of Korea and trust Last year the Korean people further developed in it through Korea Today. friendly and cooperative relations with the world Last year was the one fi lled with unforgettable progressive peoples aspiring to justice and progress events for the Korean people who are implementing under the ideal of independence, peace and friend- the fi ve-year strategy for national economic develop- ship. ment. Industrial establishments completed projects In the New Year 2020, too, the Korea Today edi- for domestic production and supplies, and modern torial board will keep the same pace with the pro- scientifi c, educational, cultural and welfare facilities gressive peoples in the world who are striving to at- came into existence, demonstrating the inexhaust- tain social progress and development, and peace and ible strength and potentiality of development of the justice, and make efforts to give interesting news. Juche Korea. We sincerely wish you success in your work, and Gigantic construction projects accelerated as your family full of love, hope and happiness. ‰ Monthly Journal (763)

C O N T E N T S

3 From Mt Paektu

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un is a Paektusan-type

general possessed of the personality and qualities of

a brilliant commander.

6 Driving Force of Socialist Economic Construction 7 Emulation Drive for Increased Production Gets Fervent 10 New Grand March 11 We Are Mallima Riders 12 Seventy-fi ve Years of WPK (1) DIU, Historic Root of WPK

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

1 13 Relying on Science and Technology 15 Treasure from Waste 16 Leading the Workers 18 Secret of Growth in Production 20 By Its Own Strength 22 Profi table Greenhouse 24 For Improvement of Cognitive Faculty Front Cover: General Manager Jo Song Gu (left) 25 Teacher’s Desire of the Wonsan Power Station Construction Com- 26 Future Heroes Grow pany, a paragon in the era 28 At Sori Primary School of Mallima Photo by Ri Song Ik 30 Note of Visit to Ryonghung Pharmaceutical Factory 32 Pioneer of New Subject 33 Victory after Victory 34 Dream of Women Footballers 36 True story I’ll Remain a Winner (4) 38 Conscience of Survey Team Members 39 Remains of Altar Unearthed 40 Mineral Water Bathhouse 42 Army-People Cooperation in Construction Projects 44 Forty-nine Years with National Flower

Back Cover: Inhabitants 45 National Intangible Cultural Heritage (38) of the Yangdok Hot Spring Resort move to new houses Basics of Korean National Dance Photo by An Kang Rim 46 Victory in Store for Cuban People 47 Dangerous Policy of Territorial Occupation 13502 ㄱ – 1980321 48 Mt Kumgang (11) Edited by An Su Yong Address: Sochon-dong, Sosong District, Pyongyang, DPRK E-mail: fl [email protected]

© The Foreign Language Magazines 2020

2 From Mt Paektu

TERNAL GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE to be handed down through generations, and the EWorkers’ Party of Korea Kim Jong Il said, source of ideological and spiritual strength that “Comrade Kim Jong Un is a Paektusan- guarantees the victory of the Korean revolution. type general possessed of the personality and Out of this consideration, Kim Jong Il, as a qualities of a brilliant commander.” student, pioneered the path for a study tour of revo- Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has an unusual lutionary battle sites in the Mt Paektu area. love for Mt Paektu. This is not merely because it is On May 31, Juche 61 (1972), when he climbed the the ancestral mountain from which all other moun- mountain, he said: I am here on Mt Paektu today in tains of Korea stretch. He regards the mountain as the face of a snowstorm because I want to grasp more witness of history to the immortal revolutionary deeply, though in my mind, what trying ordeals had ideology, leadership exploits, indomitable spirit to be overcome to establish the revolutionary spir- and noble qualities of President Kim Il Sung and it of Paektu that prevailed in the thick forests of Chairman Kim Jong Il. Mt Paektu. Only when we look back upon the course It can be said that the history of the Korean of arduous march while facing the harsh snowstorm revolution started just in Mt Paektu. of Paektu and walking through a rough snowy path Mt Paektu (2 750 metres above sea level) locat- like this can we fully understand how diffi cult it ed in northern Korea came into being when torrents was for the Korean revolution to cut its way by of lava poured forth about a million years ago, and bloody battle. Only then can we overcome with ease it is the highest mountain in the country. any obstacles in the way of our revolution. We have It earned its name as it looks like the white a long journey of revolution to make. To make the head of a giant supporting the sky and observing long journey of revolution without vacillation, we the universe below his eyes. It is soaring and mag- should not forget the past even for a moment. Let nifi cent, and its weather changes several times a us live and fi ght in the revolutionary spirit of Paek- day. In the ancient times they said the weather of tu for ever—this is my fi rmer determination today the mountain did wonders. on Mt Paektu, and what I want to tell you. Kim Il Sung, eternal President of the Demo- Whenever he made a great plan and decided it cratic People’s Republic of Korea, organized and and whenever he was exhausted from work and had waged an anti-Japanese armed struggle with to make a diffi cult decision, the Chairman climbed Mt Paektu as its base in order to take back the Mt Paektu to think of the President and make up country from the Japanese imperialists. Thus the his mind to carry on the revolution well. mountain became a sacred place where the Korean To Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Mt Paektu revolution started. is the strategic stronghold for the Korean revolu- During the anti-Japanese armed struggle, tion and the source of the inexhaustible strength Kim Il Sung, based in Mt Paektu, often crossed of socialist Korea that stiffened his revolution- the Amnok and Tuman rivers to conduct a brave ary resolution to carry on the intentions of the struggle in the wide area of Korea and Manchu- President and the Chairman without fail. ria. In the course of this he won fame as general of It was over 20 years ago that the Supreme Mt Paektu and tiger of Mt Paektu, and thus the Leader climbed Mt Paektu for the fi rst time. He mountain began to attract the attention of Koreans. did so motivated by the Chairman’s instructions The glorious revolutionary traditions of the that revolutionaries of Korea should know about WPK were established through the anti-Japanese Mt Paektu and that they should bear in mind the war waged with Mt Paektu as its base. During the revolutionary spirit of Paektu in order to accom- unprecedentedly arduous struggle, the fi ghters pro- plish the revolutionary cause of Juche pioneered in tected their leader at the cost of their lives, and car- the mountain through generations. ried out without fail the revolutionary tasks given On October 27, Juche 103 (2014) the Supreme by the leader, through thick and thin. Leader climbed Mt Paektu. The anti-Japanese revolutionary fi ghters’ That day he said: The Great Paektu Mountains boundless loyalty to the leader, ardent love for the start in Mt Paektu, and if the mountain leading country and the people, burning hatred for the class thousands of mountains makes a big movement, enemy and indomitable fi ghting spirit constitute the whole country will follow suit. Standing on the the revolutionary spirit of Paektu. This spirit is re- top of Mt Paektu, I feel more fi rmly determined and garded as the most precious revolutionary wealth willing to carry through the revolutionary cause of ►

No. 1, 2020 3 ► Juche pioneered in Mt Paektu. calm, breaks on Mt Paektu. Only when you climb ► The song encouraged the people to visit the old Korean revolution at each stage of its development Saying that the Korean army and people should Mt Paektu against a snowstorm and face the anti-Japanese battle area, and intensifi ed the fl ame in the course of working legendary miracles and always live and fi ght in the revolutionary spirit of blizzards of Paektu can you really know about of education in the revolutionary traditions across heroic wonders and where a new great plan is Paektu, the spirit of the blizzards of Paektu, which Mt Paektu and get more fi rmly determined to carry the country. decided. he pointed as the noble spirit the Korean army and through the Korean revolution. The path of climbing Thus the zeal to visit Mt Paektu prevailed in Seeing the Supreme Leader on the white horse people should bear in mind for ever, and the most Mt Paektu is the one of getting a precious spiritual the whole country. Lots of offi cials, working people, on the top of the mountain looking down at moun- precious spiritual wealth never to be bartered for pabulum not to be compared with the might of any youth and students set out on a study tour to the tains lying range after range, the Korean people any great sum of money or valuables in the world, nuclear weapon, and the way to glorify the revo- revolutionary battle sites in the area. keenly realized his great determination to turn so- he added that if they lived in the spirit they would lutionary traditions of Paektu and fi rmly maintain On November 24, 2016 when the whole land cialist Korea into the strongest socialist power to be have nothing to fear or diffi cult to carry out. the lifeline of the glorious Korean revolution. was covered with unprecedentedly heavy snow, the envied by the world. One early April morning in 2015 the Supreme The day after it was reported that the Supreme Supreme Leader climbed Mt Paektu again in de- His climbing of Mt Paektu imbued all the Leader climbed Mt Paektu together with fi ghter Leader climbed Mt Paektu together with fi ghter fi ance of the severe cold. Seeing the brilliant sun people with confi dence in and optimism about pilots of the Korean People’s Army who were on pilots, Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the Central rise over it while dyeing the sky and the earth red, their victory, and made the entire country over- a study tour of revolutionary battle sites in the Committee of the WPK, carried a song, titled We he said Korean revolutionaries should emulate the fl ow with revolutionary enthusiasm and a zeal Mt Paektu area. Standing fi rmly on the summit Will Go to Mt Paektu. strong mettle of Mt Paektu if they were to complete for struggle. And it further stiffened their confi - of the mountain in the face of a cutting wind that their march that had started in the mountain and dence that they will surely win under his leader- was blowing at 25 metres per second, he observed We’ll go whether it is spring or winter accomplish the cause of the Songun revolution suc- ship. the sunrise over it. Looking at the magnifi cent To Mt Paektu, the place dear to our heart, cessfully. The Korean people love to climb the moun- sunrise, he said: It’s really wonderful. The more I The revolutionary battle area, In October last year the Supreme Leader tain. The sacred mountain serves as a good place see the mettle of Mt Paektu, the more magnifi cent That stiffens our will not to be broken by a storm climbed Mt Paektu on a white horse in defi ance where they learn about the strong root of the it looks. The sunrise of Mt Paektu is something And confi rms us in our faith. of the fi rst snow of the year in the area. This was revolution. fascinating and beautiful to be found nowhere We’ll go to Mt Paektu defi nitely. recorded as an event of great historic signifi cance else. The day in Korea, the country of morning The mountain calls us always. ► since Mt Paektu is the place where they review the Yom Song Hui

4 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 5 Driving Force of Socialist Emulation Drive for Increased Economic Construction Production Gets Fervent

HE KOREAN PEOPLE ARE NOW it is possible to bring about a continuous leap for- RE YOU A MALLIMA RIDER?—THIS IS A annual national economic plan ahead of schedule. Tvigorously conducting the Mallima speed move- ward when a vigorous mass movement is under way Aquestion which can be heard in all sectors and Thus he became a Labour Hero the whole country ment in response to the call of the Workers’ Party to create a new-age speed however high the goal units of Korea where socialist construction is in full knows. Everyone follows and respects the miners of Korea (WPK). may be and even if there are trials and diffi culties. swing. To answer yes to the question the working who connect the workteam’s increased production At the Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Seventh At present socialist construction in Korea is ad- people in the country are redoubling their efforts. with the destiny of their unit, sector and country, Central Committee of the WPK held in April last vancing in a very important and decisive stage. It is a traditional mode of leadership of the and render distinguished services. year Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un said that of- It is the WPK’s fi rm resolution and will to bring Workers’ Party of Korea to put forward the para- Another example is Labour Hero Kim Myong fi cials and working people should be inspired to rise about a turning point in socialist construction up unanimously in the grand march to create the based on self-reliance by conducting the Mallima gons of the era so that others actively follow their Hwan, general manager of Pyongyang Kim Jong Suk Mallima speed with a strong sense of national dig- speed movement vigorously the way they broke example. Today it has put forward ten paragons of Silk Mill. The mill is a leading silk production base nity and with patriotic enthusiasm. through diffi culties and kindled the fl ame of work- the Mallima era in the van. Among them is weaver in the country. It had produced Kil Hwak Sil, a Chol- In order to attain a high goal of the effort to ing miracles by dint of the great Chollima march in Ri Myong Sun of Weaving Workshop No. 1, Weav- lima rider in the 1960s, and now it has given birth to build a socialist power that has entered a new radi- the postwar days. ing Division, Pyongyang Kim Jong Suk Textile Mill. a paragon of the Mallima era. cal stage, the WPK called upon all sectors and units Having realized in practice that they can win The distance Ri has run round her looms under As Doctor of Economics the general manager to launch a vigorous drive to create the Mallima victory when they support the guidance of the Party the banner of a multi-loom tending campaign for 25 gives priority to science and technology in the op- speed. in every stage of the revolution and construction, years is equivalent to travelling around the earth eration of the mill. Recently it turned the processes It is the Party’s traditional way of work to pro- the Korean people are all out in the Mallima speed 10 times. The total length of fabrics she has weaved for removing the surface of cocoon and selecting co- mote the revolution and construction through a vig- movement. is 2 400 km. She is not yet satisfi ed with the work coons into a fl ow line, and established a silk spin- orous mass movement. They are striving to promote the development of she has done. To the question Are you a Mallima ning process which can treat inferior cocoons and The advantages and vitality of mass movement the economy by relying on their own strength and were clearly proved in the practice of the Korean technology. rider?, she answers Give me more looms. The work- leftover fi bre at 100 percent, and a sanitary goods revolution. The main motive force for economic develop- ers of the mill are trying to follow the example of the production process. The mill also planted tens of After Korea’s liberation from the Japanese im- ment is the spiritual strength and creative power of woman who is always in the van. thousands of trees, including fruit trees, around its perialists’ military occupation on August 15, 1945, the people who want to go ahead of others. Workteam leader Ko Kyong Chan of April 5 compound. an emulation drive for increased production took The Korean people are fully displaying their Pit, Kumgol Mine, Komdok Mining Complex, is In June 2016 Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un place in the country for the purpose of fulfi lling and strong spirit of making their way without relying regarded as pacesetter of the collective in the van visited the silk mill. He then said that the mill as a overfulfi lling tasks of the national economic plan on others, and their unusual creativity by which to of the grand Mallima march. The workteam was whole was replete with the Party’s policy and love and ensuring a continuous upsurge in production solve all problems by relying on their own wisdom organized with those born in 1961, the year when for the factory, and that it was the best one among by giving full play to the creative zeal and enthusi- and technology. The country regards able personnel President Kim Il Sung inspected the complex for those he visited until then, and referred to its gen- asm of the working people. Then followed the Chol- and science and technology as the main strategic the fi rst time. eral manager as an offi cial with great attachment lima Movement, the Three-Revolution Red Flag resources and means for making a great leap for- With the passage of time there is a shift in gen- to the mill and an enterprising man whose example Movement and the movement to create the speed ward in socialist construction. of the 1980s, through which Korea developed from On the increase is the number of units which eration in the workteam. Most of its members are should be followed by everyone. scratch into a socialist state independent, self-suffi - pioneer the shortcut to their development by dint of ex-soldiers who began to work as miners merely a Those who are held in respect and affection by all cient and self-reliant in defence, opening up an era science and technology true to the Party’s policy of few years ago. Ko, however, led all the members people for a distinguished contribution to the pros- of great prosperity in creation and construction. attaching importance to able personnel and science of his workteam to help one another to fi nish their perity of the country out of patriotism include Yun ► A typical example is the Chollima Movement and technology. that started as an all-people drive in the 1950s re- They are paying primary attention to the work fl ecting the requirement of the law that guided so- of strengthening their own technical force, a force of cial development at that time. competent personnel. ► units to advance and develop altogether. All sectors perfect enough to become a contemporary model At the time the internal and external situations Efforts are made to fi nd out and appoint to right and units of the national economy in the socialist and benefi t the people practically. of the country were very complicated and tense, and positions those who are capable of taking jobs by society are closely connected with one another, thus In the country everything is done in such a way there were not a few diffi culties. their own brains, challenging limits and putting forming an integrated organism. The movement as to ensure both speed and quality thoroughly pro- Then Kim Il Sung kindled the fl ame of the forward new ideas, and scientists and technicians makes it possible to boost not only central indus- ceeding from the opinion that anything for the peo- Chollima Movement, a great all-people forward are provided with all conditions to give full play to tries but also local industries, and rapidly acceler- ple should be perfect enough to be wonderful even in movement, with a determination to break through their merits. ate the development of not only important economic the distant future. the diffi culties by relying on the strength of the pop- And it’s become an undertaking of national im- sectors and units but also all others, thus bringing And efforts are being made to not only produce ular masses. As a result, old formulas and norms portance to turn all working people into intellectual about joint innovations and changes simultane- famous goods but also renovate the national econo- were smashed and all reserves for increased pro- type, those responsible for the development of sci- ously. While efforts are being made to create new my as a whole with advanced technology and put all duction and economization were mobilized. This led ence and technology. records and new norms, a drive is under way to ex- sectors onto an advanced level. to miracles and innovation in succession. All sectors and units are pushing their work in change achievements and experience and overtake The Korean people’s zeal to bring about a turn- Through the great Chollima upsurge the Kore- accord with a scientifi c perspective while establish- one another. ing point in socialist construction through the an people accomplished the historic cause of social- ing the manner of work based on digital accuracy. The WPK initiated the movement not with the Mallima speed movement is growing stronger day ist industrialization in a short period of 14 years. The advantages and viability of the Mallima aim of accelerating the economic construction alone. by day. The history of the Korean revolution shows that speed movement lie in that it enables all people and ► The true intention is to create even a single thing Ri Jong Nam

6 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 7 ► Ryong Sok, leader of Workteam No. 1 of the Pukji ► ple’s living standards. “Suit the characteristics of Cooperative Farm in Jaeryong County; Han Sung our region!” With this stand the workers of the Chan, head of Pit No. 9 of the February 8 Jiktong farm solved the problem of electricity by using Youth Coal Mine; Doctor Jo Su Gyong, Merited small-size wind-driven generators, and are devel- Scientist of the Resource Development Mechanical oping animal husbandry while reducing the pro- Engineering Faculty of the Pyongyang University portion of grain fodder by using grain straw richly of Mechanical Engineering; Jo Song Gu, general available at workteams. They plant mulberry trees manager of the Wonsan Power Station Construc- on the hillocks to produce cocoons and cultivate tion Company; Kim In Gyu, department head of perilla and bean between fruit trees to increase the the Metal Engineering Faculty of Kim Chaek Uni- yield. They take great pride in sprucing up their versity of Technology; Pak Pyong Jun, manager home village by themselves. of the Sepho County Forest Management Station; The Chonnaeri Cement Factory is one of the and Kim Myong Wol, senior ophthalmologist of the units in the van of the endeavour to implement North Hwanghae Provincial People’s Hospital. the target of the fi ve-year strategy for national eco- Besides, the Meritorious Persons of Social- nomic development through the drive for increased ist Patriotism are on the increase, including Pak production. The factory further adjusted and im- Hyang Ok, director of the Sunam District Com- proved its energy-saving production process with mercial Management Offi ce in Chongjin; Sim Jun its own effort and technology, thus raising the ca- Il, leader of the main body workteam of the tur- pacity of cement production two times. And it has bine repair shop of the Pyongyang Thermal Pow- made another leap forward in putting cement pro- er Complex; Ri Sung Chol, head of the mainte- duction on a scientifi c and IT basis; it developed nance workshop of the February 8 Jiktong Youth and introduced a new kind of refractory brick for Coal Mine; and Ri Jong Su, general manager of limekiln; established a system for wireless control the Wiyon Timber Processing Company. And a and monitoring of calcination process; introduced campaign to follow their example is going on dy- a device for measuring the oxygen concentration namically. of exhaust gas; and applied a device for real-time Prosperity of one’s hometown and unit depends The workers in Korea are bringing about miracles and measuring of the temperature of the section where on one’s own effort, and one should pioneer one’s innovations on all fronts of socialist construction. clinker forms in the limekiln. way to live by oneself. Based on this spirit, a col- “When we invariably adhere to the work to cre- lective emulation drive for increased production ate two or three things from one while taking sci- is being waged vigorously across the country. It is The Ryangdam Cooperative Farm in Unchon ence and technology as a treasured sword, we can aimed at making one’s own native place and unit County has rather a small acreage of fi eld though discharge our duty in the building of an economic prosperous and making continued innovations and it is a rural area on the west coast. Hillocks rise power. Giving priority to science and technology advance onwards with one’s own effort. scattered in the area, and most of their soils indicates the shortcut to revitalization of produc- The Sinchang Workers’ District along the east are weathered gneiss, so they are not good for tion”—this is the unanimous feeling of the workers coast of Korea has the Sinchang Fishery Coop- farming. And the farm has no special natural re- of the factory. erative counted as a leading unit not only in the sources. Not a few successes were made in other units. east coastal region but also under the Ministry of It, however, has its own clear strategy to in- The Namap Cooperative Farm in Yomju Coun- Fisheries. It has a tangle farm of 20-odd hectares, crease agricultural production and raise the peo- ► ty developed and actively introduced a Korean- a resource multiplication ground of over 30 hec- style organic farming method, and the Samchon tares, scores of motorboats and sea culture boats, Catfi sh Farm increased the production of catfi sh to a processing shop and a cold storage. Though it is 200 kg per ㎥ on average or 270 kg at maximum, a cooperative, it has a full set of facilities to be the by ensuring a technical guarantee for increasing envy of fi shing stations. the weight of fi sh while reducing the production Ten years ago the situation of the coopera- cost. And the Mangyongdae Chicken Farm, with tive was not good. Its workers, thinking that they its scientifi c stockbreeding strategy, is making con- should rely on their own strength, tended a tangle siderable successes in production and business ac- farm of 0.5 hectare, and now it has increased to tivities, and the Songchongang Electric Appliance 20 hectares. Tangle farming had been regarded as Factory is consecutively developing different mo- diffi cult in the east coast, but they succeeded in it, tors of great economic signifi cance, regarding the and made all the farming facilities by themselves. capability of developing new products as a motive More than that, the cooperative started mixed force for its development. cultivation of tangle, mussel and Undaria pin- Meanwhile, the Kwangmyong Pit in the Unpha natifi da. Now they are striving to attain a goal of Mine is well known as the one devoid of the heaps breeding and stocking trepang, abalone and other of mucks, and Taehung County, the highest area non-migratory aquatic animals so as to enrich the under the sky, is benefi ting from the electricity marine resources annually. its hydropower stations generate using mountain ►

8 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 9 We Are Mallima Riders New Grand March

N THE MALLIMA ERA 1 900 000 km2, the improvement workers of the Osoksan Granite I unfolded by the of rivers covering scores of kilo- Mine can be cited. In the course Workers’ Party metres, and the reconstruction of waging a mass technical in- N KOREA TODAY THERE IS UNDER WAY Birthplace of Mallima Speed Let’s run forward like the of hundreds of kilometres-long novation campaign, the mine in- the Mallima speed movement that propels the wind towards a new victory. railways and roads and dozens troduced many technical innova- I We are Mallima riders who of bridges. So many victims, who tions, making it possible to carry building of a socialist power under the leadership of On January 25, 2017 the Supreme Leader surmount all diffi culties had lost their houses in the fl ood, on stone processing in winter Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. inspected the construction site of Ryomyong Street. believing in our strength. moved to new houses better than breaking the established concept Looking with a bright smile at the buildings the previous ones before winter that the work was impossible in Are You a Mallima Rider? that had mushroomed, he said with great satisfac- This is the verse of the song came. the season. It also established a tion that Ryomyong Street had made a magnifi cent We Are Mallima Riders which The Pupho Offshore Culture modern extraction process based One day in January Juche 105 (2016) the appearance distinctly in less than a year, and that was produced in Juche 105 Station fulfi lled its annual ma- on a self-propelled cutter which Supreme Leader visited the Pyongyang a legendary speed of construction was being cre- (2016) when a new upsurge was rine products plan at 100.1 per- makes it possible to raise the Kim Jong Suk Textile Mill. He saw a variety of ated by the builders of the street who were making brought about in the building cent till June 2017. This means it quality and actual extraction school bags the factory had made with the canvas of a great leap forward to translate the Party’s grand of a socialist power. In Janu- produced dozens of thousands of rate and increase the productiv- ary that year Supreme Leader tons of more fi sh as compared to ity more than 60 times. its make, and said with great satisfaction that they construction plan into reality through their ardent Kim Jong Un visited the Pyong- the output of the same period in The Rangnang Disabled Sol- were fl awlessly made to suit the users of different devotion and unyielding struggle. yang Kim Jong Suk Textile Mill, the previous year, and surpassed diers’ Plastic Goods Factory had ages and physiques. In fact, it was the Supreme Leader who initi- and said: Now our Party mem- that of two years ago by 1.8 times. its employees enrolled at the Looking round a new canvas production pro- ated the project. He had examined a thousand and bers and working people should The zeal of competition to cre- study-while-working system to cess, he said that the production line enables the several hundred mock-ups relating to the project. follow the fi ghting spirit of the ate the Mallima speed prevailed further improve their technical mill to produce canvas using domestically produced And he gave detailed instructions about the con- former generation who per- across the country, with a drive knowledge and skills and train tetoron rayon, and the fl exible shaft looms and struction. formed miracles and feats while to overtake and learn from oth- them as masters of invention. high-temperature and high-pressure roller dyeing The builders newly built 44 blocks of skyscrap- answering the question of Are ers and swap experience under The factory applied latest sci- machine made with their own effort and technol- ing, high-rise, and multistorey apartments for more you a Chollima rider? and live way. Thus many units developed ence and technology to old-fash- ogy, and spoke highly of the mill’s researchers and than 4 800 families and over 40 blocks of public es- and struggle in such a way as to into model ones in the era of ioned machines and used them answer the question of Are you a Mallima. in production together with new workers for their remarkable success in putting the tablishments including nursery and kindergarten Mallima Rider? The Mallima speed is the one ones. It also waged a drive for production process on a domestic basis. in a wide area of over 90 hectares, and renovated In the summer of 2016 a gale at which the building of a social- increased production, and thus After looking round the rayon workshop, the over 70 blocks of apartment houses and public fa- and heavy rain, unprecedented ist power is progressing with overfulfi lled its plan. weaving division, the dyeing division and other cilities in a matter of nine months. They fi nished in the meteorological observa- miraculous victories effected fre- Different sectors and many places, he specifi ed important tasks to be tackled the framework of a 70-storey apartment in 74 days, tion history of Korea after its quently and successively even in units are producing a lot of Mal- in operating the mill, especially to increase the pro- and the tiling of its exterior in 13 days, thus creat- liberation from the Japanese im- the worst adversity. lima riders who have surpassed duction of quality cloth and fabric of different sorts ing a legend of construction in the Mallima era one perialists’ military occupation on the peak year level of maximum including the cloth for school uniform and to keep after another. August 15, 1945, hit the Tuman Opening up the short road production. striving to improve supply services for the employ- On April 13, 2017 Kim Jong Un participated River basin in the northern part to happiness It is the fi ghting mettle of ees. in the inauguration ceremony of the street built of the country, infl icting severe We perform miracles the Korean people to boost pro- damage on Hoeryong City and with innovations and duction even in diffi culties with He said: Now our Party members and working as a model and standard of modern architectural fi ve counties. increased production. everything in short supply, and people should follow the fi ghting spirit of the former street and a fairyland in the era of the Workers’ At that time an all-people Let’s give full play to make continuous innovations and generation who performed miracles and feats while Party. general offensive was waged to science and technology advance towards a new victory answering the question of Are you a Chollima rid- Thanks to the heroic struggle of the builders remove the damage as early as To reach an earthly paradise without resting on their laurels. er? and live and struggle in such a way as to answer the street has been known as the birthplace of the possible. On the debris of the faster. In the spirit of Mallima, a legend- the question of Are you a Mallima rider? Mallima speed. ‰ great calamity single-, three- and ary horse dashing 4 000 km at fi ve-storey apartment houses for Today the grand Mallima a gallop, the Korean people are over 11 900 families and more advance in Korea is a campaign bringing about miracles and in- than 100 nurseries, kinder- of self-reliance and self-develop- novations consecutively day after ► streams. Besides, the Pukjin Workers’ District, experience of those units is widely introduced gartens, schools, hospitals and ment to achieve rapid develop- day, reducing ten years to one. Unsan County, has turned the stony mountains across the country, and a nationwide campaign to clinics were newly built and the ment by its own strength, tech- The aforementioned song is with sparse trees into “mountains of gold,” and the overtake or learn from them is in full swing. The houses of 15 000 families were nology and resources. The Kore- further encouraging the Korean Pyongyang Condiments Factory develops Pommaji- enthusiasm of the working people of Korea who are reconstructed in a little over two an people fi nd the successful way people in the struggle to make a brand functional products frequently and succes- unanimously endeavouring to build a prosperous months. Meanwhile, the restora- of the campaign in the indomita- greater and faster leap forward in sively. country while helping and leading one another is tion projects were done including ble mental power and scientifi c the building of a socialist power. Many other units are also developing them- growing stronger day after day. the project to protect the Tu- and technological strength. selves with their own effort and technology. The Yom Song Hui man River bank covering over The manner of work of the Rim Ok

10 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 11 Seventy-fi ve Years of WPK (1) Relying on Science DIU, Historic Root of WPK and Technology

OW IN KOREA THE emy of Coal Engineering devel- process, thus laying a scientifi c This year marks the 75th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). NMallima speed movement is oped a pneumatic rotary boring and technical foundation for in- The founding of the WPK was a historic event for the Korean people to begin to lead an inde- in full swing. The movement re- machine, a continuous wet gunit- creasing its power generation. pendent life to their heart’s content. And the wise leadership of the Party has brought the great his- fl ects the strong spirit of national ing machine, and a mortar grout- They also made a positive contri- tory of socialist Korea, and enabled the people to advance along the road of victory full of confi dence. independence and national self- ing machine for building bolt bution to the normal operation reliance whereby the country supports, and sent them to coal of oxygen-blast furnaces and intends to achieve its prosperity mines. And coal miners applied the Juche-oriented iron produc- and economic development with an effi cient coal-mining method tion by establishing a slag prop- TH N THE EARLY 20 The development of mass move- cated by the communist ideology its own strength and technology. to realize the comprehensive erty measuring system at the Icentury Korea turned into an ments like the labour movement if they were to smash the Japa- The country’s scientists are mechanization of underground Hwanghae Iron and Steel Com- exclusive colony of the Japanese required a strong political lead- nese imperialists and achieve very eager to propel the move- work and the diversifi cation plex. Last year they produced imperialists under their military ership force capable of leading it the independence of the country ment with science. of conveyance, thus laying the hundreds of valuable research occupation. They had a monopo- in a coordinated way. and the freedom and liberty of Scientists of the Electric- foundation for increase in coal successes. ly of all political power in Korea, To meet the historic require- the people. ity Research Institute under the production. Teachers and researchers enforcing unprecedented coloni- ment there was founded the Ko- Starting the struggle to pio- State Academy of Sciences went Those successes became of Kim Chaek University of al repressive policies. They sta- rean Communist Party in April neer a new path of the Korean to hydropower stations to get a the motive force for the Mal- Technology played a key role in tioned huge occupation forces in Juche 14 (1925). The party, how- revolution, he fi rst obtained com- deep understanding of their ex- lima speed movement to make constructing a modern copper the country, and established lots ever, gave up its existence three rades. While secretly spreading isting equipment and, based on a greater upsurge and advance annealing furnace, and estab- of repressive organs. years after its founding owing to the communist ideology among it, buckled down to the work to faster in all sectors and units lishing an anthracite gasifi ca- Under the colonial rule Ko- the Japanese imperialists’ bru- students, he trained young peo- equip them with new facilities of the national economy. This tion-based fi re-brick production rea was reduced to a colonial tal repression and a factional ple, who yearned for new ideas in keeping with the developing brought about a great improve- process at a fi reproof materials semi-feudal society, and the life strife within itself. and who he believed would reality. In the course of this they ment in production at industri- factory, rendering a great ser- of its broad masses of people, The Korean revolution that share one idea and purpose and developed and introduced in the al establishments, and pushed vice to their completion at one including workers and peas- had experienced diffi culties in life and death with him, into his relevant power stations a digi- projects in the fi eld of the grand stroke. ants, became extremely miser- the early days of the communist revolutionary comrades, and tal automatic control device, an construction on schedule. The Sunchon Chemical Com- able. This resulted in the daily movement badly required a mili- made efforts to rally them in an electrohydraulic digital control The zeal to support the move- plex is solving sci-tech problems worsening national and class tant party capable of leading the organization. device, a comprehensive digital ment with science and technol- arising in establishing C1 chemi- contradictions between the ab- revolution to victory through all On October 17, 1926 he device for protecting genera- ogy is also sweeping through col- cal industry with its own raw solute majority of the masses ordeals. called a meeting for the forma- tor and transformer, an electric leges and institutes under them, materials and technology. First including workers and peasants The requirement was tion of the DIU. At the meeting braking device and so on. All of and factories, enterprises and of all, the research team of the on one side and the Japanese im- successfully realized with he gave a report entitled Down them were greatly conducive to complexes across the country. complex intensifi ed the research perialists, landlords, comprador Kim Il Sung beginning to lead With Imperialism in which he ensuring the stability of electric Teachers and researchers of to transform anthracite, which capitalists and pro-Japanese bu- the Korean revolution in the announced the formation of the power production in the sector of Kim Il Sung University went is necessary for gas generation reaucrats on the other. darkest period of Japanese im- DIU. hydroelectric power generation. to the Pukchang Thermal Pow- in the process for production of The gloomy socio-economic perialist rule. The DIU was a pure and Meanwhile, researchers of er Complex and established a methanol, a starting material of situation, the serious national In order to pioneer a fresh political organism of new the Mining Engineering Re- desalted water production pro- the industry, into suspension. In and class contradictions, the new path of the revolution, type that the young people of a search Institute under the Acad- cess and a hydrogen production the course of this, they came to ► formation of the anti-Japanese Kim Il Sung decided to form the new generation created through consciousness of workers, peas- vanguard of the revolution that throes of history for the purpose ants and other broad masses of would wage the anti-Japanese of realizing the national and people and their revolutionary national liberation struggle with class liberation under the ideals ► DIU became the backbone of organizations such as those of revolutionary vanguard organi- aspiration constituted an im- a correct fi ghting programme of anti-imperialism, independ- the Party. youth and students were rapidly zation that gave unifi ed guid- portant condition for a vigorous and by relying on the masses. ence and sovereignty. Later the DIU rapidly on the increase, and the revolu- ance to mass-based anti-Jap- anti-Japanese national libera- To this end he formed the Down- The formation of the DIU strengthened and developed or- tionary advance of the people, anese organizations assuming tion struggle. with-Imperialism Union (DIU) became the starting point of the ganizationally and ideologically. especially young people, intensi- the responsibility to pioneer the The anti-Japanese national in 1926. struggle to found a Juche-type Kim Il Sung put in efforts fi ed with each passing day. This path of the Korean revolution liberation movement waged in While reading avidly preced- revolutionary party, and the to awaken young people to polit- required that a new vanguard in the prevailing condition that the form of anti-Japanese patri- ing classics and revolutionary organization served as the root ical consciousness and organize organization be formed to give a new generation was emerging otic volunteers’ movement and books, he deeply studied the of the WPK. The programme of them in order to raise commu- unifi ed control and guidance to in the communist movement of patriotic cultural enlightenment principles of revolution in close the DIU became the basis of the nists of the new generation. To all the organizations and strong- Korea. movement could not avoid fail- connection with the actual con- WPK’s programme; the princi- this end he formed the Anti-Im- er leadership to the people’s With the formation of the ure owing to its own class limi- ditions of Korea and analysed ple of independence put forward perialist Youth League, a secret anti-Japanese struggle. YCLK a new progress was made tations. the historic lessons of the anti- by the DIU became that of the anti-imperialist and mass youth To this end, Kim Il Sung in the struggle to found a revo- With the beginning of the Japanese struggle. In the course WPK in its building and activi- organization that carried for- formed the Young Communist lutionary party, the one started 1920s the working class took of this he became convinced that ties. And the communists of the ward the programme of the DIU. League of Korea (YCLK) on Au- by the DIU. more active part in the struggle. they had to take the road indi- new generation trained by the ► At that time revolutionary gust 28, 1927. The league was a Ri Jong Nam

12 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 13 ► know that it was of importance An offi cial of the factory says, Jenam Coal Mine made 5- and to raise dispersibility in solution “Frankly speaking, making a 10-ton electric cars with its own Treasure from Waste in order to change anthracite new type of motor by ourselves strength and technology, and into suspension. Now they di- was too much for us. So we once designed and manufactured in a rected their attention to chemi- intended to rely on other units short span of time a hoist more cal material coming from the ex- for talents we lacked, or waited convenient to convey and install HE KANGSON VINYL isting production process. They for good talents to be appointed than the existing one, thus mak- buckled down to the research to to our factory. But we could not ing a great contribution to the TSheet Factory in Chollima make a dispersing agent with strengthen our own talent force increase of coal output. The hoist District, Nampho, is not so large, that material. At fi rst, they ana- that way.” they made was highly appreciat- but it produces different prod- lysed one by one the character- Then the factory started to ed at the 34th National Sci-Tech ucts by recycling waste vinyl istics of anthracite produced strengthen its own talent force. Festival held in April last year. and waste plastics which were in different regions. Through In close contact with teachers Last year over 40 exhibitions thrown away uselessly during repeated experiments based on and researchers of a national- and presentations took place in the people’s daily life. In the the analysis, they succeeded in level college, it chose a dozen the country, including the na- products exhibition room of the enhancing the dispersibility of persons to learn in practice, and tional sci-tech presentation and factory there are over 90 varie- anthracite with the aforesaid technical knowledge and skills. exhibition in the sector of ma- ties of products of 9 kinds includ- material at last. This greatly And the offi cials of the factory terials, national presentation of ing vinyl sheet of different col- encouraged the workers and assigned one research task re- sci-tech successes in the sector offi cials of the complex in the lating to development of new of agriculture, and national ex- ours and for different purposes, Mallima speed movement, and products to each of its techni- hibition of university students’ raincoat, plastic tubes of various provided a precious asset in es- cians and skilled workers so achievements in information sizes and vinyl hose. When peo- tablishing C1 chemical industry. that they could improve their science and technology. ple look around the room, they The Songchongang Electric practical ability and technical This shows the Korean peo- are amazed to know that all of Appliance Factory made by it- knowledge and skills stage by ple’s fi rm will to make a great the products are made of waste self a motor which is of signifi - stage in the course of carry- advance in socialist construc- vinyl and waste plastics. cant importance in realizing the ing out their tasks. This made tion by supporting the Mallima It was in 2009 that the fac- At the products exhibition room. domestic production of tramcar. it possible to fully guarantee speed movement with science tory began to pay attention to This is also attributable to the the quality of newly developed and technology. the waste vinyl. At that time factory’s effort to strengthen its products. work to establish a process for ees to encourage their creative it was pushing ahead with its own technical force. The maintenance shop of the Sim Chol Yong recycling the waste vinyl. It col- activity. In the course of this, a modernization in keeping with lected the waste vinyl and buck- new cutter capable of cutting The national exhibition of university students’ achievements in the requirement of the new led down to the work to manufac- waste plastics lengthwise and information science and technology held in September 2019. century. ture its processing equipment. crosswise simultaneously was One day, when U Jae Myong, The management offi cers of the invented followed by other novel manager of the factory, was factory went to those units in technical inventions such as a working with workers on the Ryonggang County and other water-cycling washer and a kind shop fl oor, he heard by chance places, who they were told had of conveyor. what they were talking about. waste plastic processing equip- The workers set to and man- “It will make a mountain if we ment, but to no avail. ufactured a new combined waste pile up the vinyl goods our fac- One day they were told that plastics washer by themselves. tory has produced since its in- Songnim City, North Hwanghae The factory also made 13 ma- auguration in 1995,” said one of Province, had a waste plastics chines of 5 kinds, repaired 9 im- them. processing equipment it made ported machines with the acces- Their words made the man- by itself. So they went there and sories they made, and developed ager feel pride of his work, but brought the equipment to their an anthracite gas-based genera- there was something that urged factory. The equipment was not tor. In this course many offi cials him to think again and again. the one for processing raw ma- and workers of the factory were Whatever will become of those terials for producing vinyl sheet awarded certifi cates of inven- vinyl products when they become but the one for processing raw tion, certifi cates of the national useless? If we recycle the waste materials for producing plastic sci-tech festival, and certifi cates vinyl…he thought. tubes and containers. Through of new creative idea. If the waste ubiquitous eve- repeated failures, the factory U says, “Of course, it was rywhere were recycled and used fi nally succeeded in renovating not an easy job to make treasure in production as raw materials, the machine in eight months. from waste, but it was a worth- it would be like killing two birds Now the workers of the fac- while job. We came to under- with one stone as the sources tory began to establish a process stand that we can do whatever were unlimited and it would help for washing waste plastics. To we are determined to do.” reduce environmental pollution. this end the factory organized a Now the factory started the prize contest among the employ- Pak Yong Il

14 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 15 ► Jo said, “What is important is to Leading the Workers believe in your own strength. You should have self-confi dence that you can make anything with your hands if there are air and water.” which was no better than a lump Actually, he has no brilliant of iron, to be as good as a new academic career. But he keenly one to run at a construction site. felt in reality that he should And when there was no bed- have the ability to be responsi- rock-breaking device, he made ble for the management of a unit a mobile stone saw. Once the and to inspire the workers to the excavation for the foundation implementation of the Party’s of the generator room of Kosong policy. The apparatuses and Army-People Power Station No. implements of value in the com- 1 was delayed owing to insuffi - pany such as the wall and ceiling cient supply of necessary materi- grinder and a machine for cham- als. The workers were struggling fering artifi cial stone prove how with a natural rock with ham- much importance he attaches to In an optimistic way of life. mers and gads. Isn’t there any Jo Song Gu science and technology. (left). tool to break the bedrock?—this Jo always keeps between replied that if he was backward from A to Z, without asking for was what he always thought of. the fi rst leaves of his notebook in ability, his company, too, help from the superior since he Then he thought of a stone cut- a certifi cate of science and tech- would lag behind others. began to be responsible for the ter used in professional stone nology he was awarded for the He is well-informed about unit, which anybody else would ENERAL MANAGER JO scratch—this is what he always processing factories. He de- fi rst time after he was appointed the variety and quantity of fi nd diffi cult to do. In the course GSong Gu of the Wonsan emphasizes to the administra- signed a stone saw himself and as the general manager of the materials needed for any pro- of this his company played a Power Station Construction tive staff of the company. started to make it. Several days company. Now the certifi cate is ject, technical innovation tasks, pivotal role in the construction Company in Kangwon Province His company is responsible later he succeeded in making the fuzzy, but he steadily disciplines and the organization of build- of power stations and major pro- is known as an able person. It is for the diffi cult job of construct- stone saw. It made it possible to himself while seeing it. One day, ing work and the relevant con- jects. his steadfast principle to solve ing power stations in the prov- save many materials and much when he was reading a book av- struction method, so he easily He was given the honour of everything with the company’s ince, so Jo is faced with many labour and ensure speed in bed- idly at home, his wife told him to points out even a single wrong paragon of the Mallima era. own strength and by relying on bottlenecks. He, however, never rock excavation. take care of himself, asking him number in plans worked out by science and technology. An of- expected help from the superior. Seeing the general manager for what he studied so hard at the technical staff. He has led Article by Sim Yong Jin fi cial should overcome diffi cul- When the company was short invent anything easily, a worker his advanced age. The husband his company to develop by itself Photos by Ri Song Ik ties and create something from of lorries, he repaired a lorry, asked him about the secret, and ►

Jo encourages his workers to make innovations

16 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 17 Secret of Growth in Production ► Our Life Is the Best The factory is also character- ized by its mass sports activities and varied cultural life. It hap- HE HUICHON SILK MILL ence and technology as none of device in the aging machine, pened 10 years ago. At that time is situated in Huichon, their concern. and the making of an automatic T the factory was in a poor condi- Jagang Province. Pak decided to start his thread packing machine. Not tion. Poor supply service and pro- The factory produced a lot work with doing away with long ago a new automatic device duction made all the workers lose of silk thread, making a great the old way of confi ning the was made and introduced to the heart. Then the factory organ- contribution to the economic responsibility for the factory’s aging machine, increasing pro- ized volleyball, basketball, table growth and improvement of the business activities and the de- ductivity four times. tennis and other sports games. people’s living standards in the velopment and introduction of The quality of silk thread Its offi cials called upon the work- province. new technology to some techni- was improved from previous lev- ers to build up their physical Recently it has changed for cians alone. Thus its e-reading el A to 4A. strength, work optimistically the better by speeding up its room, book reading room and As the zeal of the producer and break through ordeals. modernization. Last year it ex- sci-tech learning space were masses to learn science and Such sports activities took ceeded the peak year level of closely connected to the shop technology was growing strong- place not only during the spare production like in 2018. fl oor. er, the number of university time but also on Sundays and place a recreation party, and creased the silk thread produc- And the factory highly ap- students remarkably increased public holidays. And the factory every Saturday young women’s tion more than forty times com- Factory with Lots of preciated a worker who had among them. Over one hundred awarded considerable prizes so cooking show was held in the pared with what it was at its University Graduates made a profi table invention and of the four hundred workers as to heighten the workers’ will workers’ dormitory. Thus the at- inauguration, and its products of technical innovation while pub- have graduated from university, to work. mosphere of the factory changed high quality are in great demand The factory is characterized licizing his endeavour. In this and 180 are learning in the on- Later the factory consolidated for the better. The compound of abroad as well. by enthusiasm for study. process the workers’ zeal for line course of Pyongyang Han its material foundation by build- the factory more frequently re- As a result, the life of the It was several years ago that learning science and technology Tok Su University of Light In- ing a barn, a greenhouse and a verberates with the cheers and workers grows rich as the days Pak Chol Hun was appointed as grew stronger, and thus a lot of dustry. mushroom cultivation house delightful singing. go by, and their zeal for work is general manager of the factory. inventions were introduced in The general manager says, with its own effort. The workers’ growing pride in growing stronger and stronger. At that time its technical force production. The technical in- “Our goal is to make all the Meanwhile, the factory or- their work leads to innovations numbered only more than 10 in- novations introduced last year workers of the factory univer- ganized a varied cultural life. In in production. Article by Kim Son Myong cluding some technical offi cials. numbered 84 including the mak- sity graduates in the near fu- the evening after work there took Today the factory has in- Photos by Hwang Jong Hyok Most of its workers regarded sci- ing and installation of a new ture.” ► Technical innovations are done to increase production.

18 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 19 By Its Own Strength

HE ONCHON GRANITE parts were all imported ones. helped them, and the workers of TMine in Onchon County, Now the management of the mine joined the endeavour. Nampho, was developed on Oc- the mine determined to solve At last they newly developed tober 15, 1952, when the Father- the problem with its own effort. their own oil separator, not in- At the quarry. land Liberation War (June 25, They discussed the matter with ferior to the imported, at a re- 1950–July 27, 1953) was at its their scientists and technicians, markably low cost. height, in order to produce gran- and the latter agreed. Some offi - It sparked off a technical in- ite goods needed for the postwar cials, however, shook their heads novation campaign among the rehabilitation. After the war the doubting whether they could workers. Jang Won Nam, head granite products from the mine make an oil separator, because of the production and technology made a great contribution to the technology of its manufac- department, updated the con- hastening the rehabilitation pro- ture had not been known so far, trol program of the compressor jects such as the reconstruction so it was a hard job to develop it to suit the fi eld condition, and of Kim Il Sung University, the by themselves. But the problem worker Kim Myong Jae newly revetment of the Taedong River should be solved without fail in developed an alloy bearing bush bank, and the construction of order to put the production on a used for the contraction of the the Friendship Tower. Pak Yong normal basis. compressor. Other workers, too, Nam, general manager of the The scientists and techni- made a lot of valuable inven- mine, says, “At fi rst my mine cians of the mine thought that tions conducive to the normali- made the products by manual the only way out was to make zation of production. methods. Today we produce var- the oil separator by relying on The mine also succeeded in ious kinds of granite products their own technology, strength producing decorative blocks of with modern equipment.” and resources, and buckled high quality with stone powder The fi rst production process down to the research at once. from granite processing. of the mine starts with rock They collected basic data and Now the mine keeps normal drilling. The full operation of set up stage-by-stage plans to production thanks to the grow- compressors was needed for solve the relevant scientifi c and ing creative power of the produc- the maximum operation of rock technical problems. And the er masses. drills. But insuffi cient supply of researchers of the State Acad- spare parts of the drills caused emy of Sciences, who were at Article by Pak Thae Ho diffi culties in production. Those the mine at that time, actively Photos by An Yong Chol

20 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 21 ► temperature was considerably and cooperative farms.” produced different species of the warm. Different kinds of fresh Recently they have done the Aeguk grass, Pacifi c azolla and so vegetables were growing in it, experimental breeding of date on, and that some of the species and cucumbers, tomatoes and tomato several times in the were awarded state certifi cates other fruit vegetables were hang- greenhouse, thus obtaining a of registered sci-tech achieve- ing in clusters. new species of date tomato that ment, certifi cates of introduc- Ri said that the temperature is highly productive and contains tion, certifi cates of invention and of the greenhouse was automati- much sugar. It also cultivated certifi cates of contrivance. He cally controlled, and led us to the a simple species of big tomato continued to say that with the automatic control device. It was pretty in shape and colour from greenhouse the university could not so large, but when it stored the Wonsan big tomato using a fi nish the scientifi c and techno- different data including the loca- method of separative cultivation. logical researches in a short span tion, latitude and longitude of the It also cultivated a new species of time, which would have taken greenhouse, time difference with of watermelon with high sele- three decades otherwise. the Greenwich Astronomical nium content from big-seed wa- Seeing the good species of Observatory, light, air tempera- termelon. And it bred a new spe- seed-production plants, we envi- ture and humidity of soil, it con- cies of fertilization-free cucum- sioned future bumper harvests trolled the interior temperature ber which can yield 70-90 tons from all greenhouses across the automatically. Vegetables were per hectare in ordinary green- country. grown divided into sections, and houses. Article by Sim Chol Yong the irrigation was done automat- Ri said that the greenhouse Photos by Ri Chung Guk ically to suit the specifi c features of each species. In the evening a large-size vinyl sheet covered the greenhouse automatically, keep- ing it warm. The researcher said that they had newly cultivated scores of species of vegetables and grain crops and established the rel- Profi table Greenhouse evant cultivation techniques for a decade in the greenhouse. He added, “The greenhouse is equipped with a scientifi c seed- HE WONSAN UNIVERSITY fall” that fell on the 7th of Decem- and a researcher of the Vegeta- production system, so there is Tof Agriculture is situated in ber last year. The weather was ble Science Department of the a crop which can be cultivated a thick forest, and the soil-based very cold as if we were in the university’s Horticulture Fac- three times a year. And here are pollution-free greenhouse (intel- midwinter days on the coast of ulty. Guided by him we entered high-yielding industrial crops Researchers ligent greenhouse) is in the cen- the East Sea of Korea. the greenhouse whose interior ► widely known in the world. We are engrossed tre of the campus. In front of the greenhouse acclimatize them to the climatic in the cultivation We visited the greenhouse we met Dr Ri Yong Su, a candi- and soil conditions of the country of new crops. the day before the “heavy snow- date academician sand professor and grow them on trial to send them to many research institutes

22 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 23 For Improvement of Teacher's Desire Cognitive Faculty AST APRIL A MEETING TOOK PLACE TO N APRIL LAST THE 34TH Now he thought that if he made to completing the main design Lcongratulate honour students of Anak Primary INational Sci-tech Festival was an experimental apparatus and and started the drone making. School in Anak County. A schoolboy was the fi rst to held in Pyongyang amid the con- used it to explain its theory to Yun took charge of designing make a speech, and he had done so for three years. cern of scientists, technicians the students rather than relying and making a central processing He talked how he, who had been crippled for con- and many other people. In the on different multimedia and vis- unit, and creating and inputting genital infantile paralysis, got on the platform. He festival a drone presented by ual aids, it would improve their control algorithm. Researcher was all a smile and tear. the Electronic Automation Fac- cognitive ability. Paek Su Yong smoothly solved When people celebrated him, he said, “I owe my ulty of Kim Il Sung University He made up his mind to the sci-tech problems arising in honour to my teacher.” His teacher was Jong Hae drew the special attention of make a drone, which is an inte- programming the control algo- people. gral whole of automatic control. rithm. Suk, and the schoolboy was Ki Nam Ryong. Doctor and Associate Profes- The other teachers of his depart- The drone was completed sor Yun Jong Nam, a depart- ment supported him actively, in a few months, and they con- Hae Suk got acquainted with Nam Ryong three ment head of the faculty, said, helping him with the relevant ducted the fi rst trial operation. years ago—several days before the school year be- “We developed a drone which research. Actually, his drone The drone, which fl ied well in- gan. When she was making a list of would-be pri- can give the students a vivid research had begun long ago. doors, nosedived on the ground mary school children she saw Nam Ryong wander- idea and visual image of control Because when Yun studied at outdoors as it failed to maintain ing about the school on his mother’s back. theory and control engineering the then Automation Faculty of its balance. Through repeated and after four months he could overtake and out- From his mother she knew that Nam Ryong was in educational practice. Drones Kim Il Sung University, he experiments they found out er- strip others in all subjects. there at the school because he wanted to see the are widely used in education and wrote a graduation thesis relat- rors in controlling the drone, Hae Suk poured kinship care on the boy’s treat- school gate at least although he decided he could many other fi elds.” ing to drone control. and accelerated the research to ment and physical development. Then he told me the follow- Afterwards, he continued solve them. While studying the not go to school as he was crippled. Looking into the At that time, the most painful time for Nam ing story. to work on it while working as program to have the drone main- clear apples of his eyes, the teacher felt the sense Ryong was the physical education lesson. The rea- One day a few years ago Yun a teacher of the university. In tain its stable posture in the of her duty. was faced with a knotty prob- the course of this he made pub- rapidly-changing open-air condi- son was that he was alone in the empty classroom That evening, Hae Suk visited Nam Ryong’s lem while giving a lecture on lic many papers in scientifi c tions the researchers developed because he could not move an inch though he was home. To her surprise the boy’s grandparents and the automatic control sector. He magazines at home and abroad. the robust control technology. in the playing age. The one who understood his even his parents disagreed with her about Nam Ry- explained to the students about In 2013 he published the paper The teachers of the depart- anxiety was just his class teacher, Jong Hae Suk. ong’s going to primary school because they thought the posture estimation related Robust Disturbance Observer for ment contrived a posture control When she heard exercise was good for his cure, she he would be a burden to his class even though he to how to fi nd out the inclining Two-inertial System in the IEEE balance beam to fi x the drone on led him to do walking exercise, holding him in her angle of bodies in the air, but it Transactions on Industrial Elec- it to test its performance, thus went to school, as he could not keep the balance hands. was hard for them to understand tronics, drawing the attention of making it possible to save mate- of his body. But Hae Suk would not give up. She Some time ago she brought the boy to the Okryu it. They had to know it to have a many people. rials, time and effort a lot while decided she had to pave the way for the boy’s correct understanding of posture So the theoretical prepara- intensifying the research. Short- Children’s Hospital in Pyongyang. learning. control. So he took much trou- tions had been done. Based on ly afterwards the drone they And she visited different places for consultation She knew she would become his limbs. ble to have them understand it. it, the department buckled down developed became able to fl y in about his problem—the local county people’s hos- Day after day she headed for Nam Ryong’s the sky in any circumstance and pital, the provincial people’s hospital, several fa- home. Thus Nam Ryong entered the school on his conditions. They also developed mous hospitals and medicinal herb gardens in deep other experimental apparatuses teacher’s back on the school opening day. mountains. for education one after another All teachers, parents of students and schoolchil- Finally, thanks to Hae Suk’s sincere care, Ki such as a reversible pendulum dren congratulated the boy. Since then Nam Ry- Nam Ryong, once a deformed boy, could walk and control testing device. ong’s voice of reading ABC reverberated clearly in Kim Yong Il, head of the fac- take part in the physical education lesson which he the classroom. ulty, said, “We educators shoul- had longed for so much. Hae Suk made redoubled efforts for him be- der the future of the country. In Three years have passed. In those days he had cause she knew the boy had not received preschool keeping with the ever-develop- grown up to be a fourth-year student, an honour education. She spent all day for Nam Ryong—dur- ing science and technology we and model student his school is proud of. will massively introduce in edu- ing lessons, on the way to and from school with the Hae Suk said when Nam Ryong went on to his cation research fi ndings capable boy on her back, and even after school. She kindly fourth year at the school, “You could hardly think of further improving cognitive taught Nam Ryong how to hold a pencil and ele- faculty and promoting economic of your development without the benefi cial social- mentary spoken and written Korean language and construction in the future so as ist educational system. I hope you will continue to basic calculation method. The teacher guided the to prepare the students into sci- keep honour of top student by working harder. This boy to improve his ability to make an analysis and tech talents.” is my earnest wish for you.” application and to present his ideas. Her steady ef- Pak Un Yong forts were a great encouragement to Nam Ryong, Kim Son Myong

24 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 25 ► growing well.” Future Heroes Grow Whenever the students of the school enter the schoolyard, they stand in front of the bust of the hero and confi rm their determination to live creditably for the country and people as the hero did. The school always sees that its new students put bundles of fl owers before the bust of the hero and are told about his feat. This serves as an important op- portunity for the students to take pride in learning at the alma ma- Proud of their hero. ter of the hero. Every national holiday the Fatherland Liberation War (July trees round its compound on the students visit the hero’s home to 27) and the anniversary of the Tree Planting Day (March 2) and see his wife Ri Son Ok, who al- hero’s death (November 19). And the graduation day. ways says, “You cannot perform it often organizes a meeting for That’s not all. It is well known a heroic feat merely on impulse. reading compositions and an ora- as the best in academic ability It comes only when you love even torical contest under the title of across the district. a tree and a blade of grass of the Hero and I. Its teachers are of the opinion country and your friends from Through these meetings the that the students should study childhood.” students understand that patrio- hard fi rst of all in order to follow Meanwhile, the school makes tism is not an abstract concept the spirit of the hero. In front of the bust of Hero Ri Pok Jae. it a rule for its students to have but it springs from the love for As a result, the rate of its a memorial ceremony in front one’s family, friends and school, graduates’ admission to schools I POK JAE TECHNICAL security man. One November pital. But for Ri, the boy’s life of the hero’s bust on the found- says Pang Il Hwa, headmaster of of higher grade is very high. RSenior Middle School is day in 1994, in the face of an would have been in danger. ing anniversary of the Korean the school. situated in Sopho-dong No. 3, emergency while on duty, he “During his school days and People’s Army (February 8), the The school also makes it a Article by Sim Hyon Jin Hyongjesan District in suburban sacrifi ced himself to rescue lots before leaving school, he planted anniversary of the victory in the rule for its students to plant Photos by Ri Chung Ryol Pyongyang. of passengers. good species of trees a lot around Originally its name was Looking back upon the days the school. The trees are now ► Students improve their ability. Sopho Senior Middle School. Ac- when Ri was attending the cording to the February 2, 1995 school, teacher Sim Song Hui decree of the Presidium of the says, “Hero Ri Pok Jae was good Supreme People’s Assembly, at both studies and organiza- the name was changed into tional life. He had an unusual the present one after Hero Ri love for his mates and school. Pok Jae, and soon his bust was One day, during a sports lesson, erected in front of the school one of his classmates suddenly building. collapsed due to a stomachache. After graduating from the Ri immediately took the boy on school Ri served as a train his back and rushed to the hos-

26 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 27 At Sori Primary School

Y SCHOOL WAS BUILT A DOZEN ► order to make it possible for the pupils to have an “Myears ago, so it is rather unknown than idea of the bottom of the sea and its creatures at known across the country.” This is what the a look. headmaster of Sori Primary School in Sariwon, Also vivid was the model of the woods with North Hwanghae Province, said after welcoming life-like models of a raccoon dog coming out of its us. Invited to tell us about her school, she mod- cave, a cat staring at a prey, a goshawk perching estly declined, saying they had nothing special to on a pine tree, a moss-covered oak tree, a brook speak of. Still, we wanted to look round the school. meandering round a rock, etc. and it reverberated We went to the teaching garden fi rst as its with chirping of all sorts of birds. We felt as if we red signboard had caught our eyes when we en- were in a forest. tered the school compound. In the garden we met In the room there were fourth graders practis- teacher An Jong Ae who was tending a tree. The ing observation of nature to know what animals teacher told us a story. live in mountains. They gladly clapped shouting It was not easy to create the teaching garden. there were pheasants and badgers from Mt Jong- In order to obtain all the plants the pupils should bang, the pride of their home town. learn about as required by the curriculum, teach- The ceiling of the room was dedicated to the ers of the school took the trouble to climb moun- depiction of planets and the galactic system. Spec- tains to transplant relevant trees, and carefully tacular was the position of the Great Bear chang- selected high-yielding vegetables and fruit trees ing along its orbit. and planted them with great sincerity. Thanks to An said practice in the room was most eagerly the teachers’ strenuous efforts the garden turned looked forward to by the pupils. Last year there into a “treasure grove” where hundreds of sorts of was a provincial demonstration class in the room. plants were growing. Besides, we looked round multifunctional When we entered the building of the school to- classrooms. And the walls of corridors were cov- gether with An, chirping of different sorts of birds ered with various visual aids introducing what came from somewhere to our amazement. Saying the pupils should surely know about. it came from a nature room on the ground fl oor, Unlike what the headmaster said I found the An guided us to the room arranged for the sky, school’s educational conditions and environment land and sea to be observed. well arranged on a high level. An said, “We concentrated our efforts on mak- The pupils from the school, I was told, had ing the model of the sea vivid. As inland area, our always won municipal and provincial academic province has no sea, so our pupils lack an idea of school contests. the sea. And we made efforts to give them a visual What we realized through our visit to the panorama of not only sea creatures described in school is that quality of education does not de- the textbook but also the ecological system of the pend on the history of a school but on the efforts sea so that they could have a vivid idea of the sea.” of teachers. The teachers, she added, went to the sea to Article by Rim Sang Jun collect shells of shellfi sh, abalones and so on in ► Photos by Ra Phyong Ryol

28 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 29 OT LONG AGO WE process, the sci-tech learning treating diseases by activating Nvisited the Ryonghung space and other places I dropped the immune system of the hu- Pharmaceutical Factory located in at the product show room full man body. Especially, the Koryo Appraisal of medicines. in a picturesque place of Kwang- of popular medicines, household Insam, the main ingredient of bok Street in Pyongyang. The medicines and other kinds of the pill, has strong pharmaco- factory’s buildings were cosy and medicines. logical actions such as immunity clean, and good species of trees When I said there were ap- restoration, anticancer and an- were growing in its compound. proximately over 150 kinds, the tibacterial effect, strengthening General Manager Sin Kum Rye, general manager said that there of invigoration and retarding of 50, welcomed me gladly. were more than 190. She added ageing, so it is called “king” of Sin said that her factory, that 60 of the kinds were newly Koryo medicines. through 20-odd-year-long de- produced last year to my sur- She continued to say that velopment, has changed into a prise. With curiosity I asked her many medicines including the technology-intensive type that how they could produce them in aforesaid pill, Angunguhwang- produces effi cacious medicines of a year. She told me she could hwan and Cnidium offi cinale the highest quality with produc- not forget the days when they thrombus injection were highly tion processes of the GMP level produced them, and said, “It is rated at home, and at interna- stipulated by WHO, and led me our duty to develop and produce tional trade fairs and exhibitions to the shop fl oor. more kinds of medicines badly held in China, Mongolia and Vi- Guided by her we looked needed by the people and practi- etnam. round several production pro- cally conducive to the promotion Seeing us off, the general cesses including those for produc- of their health. We only tried to manager said, “It is a growing tion of Koryo medicines and mod- fulfi ll our duty.” desire of the people to live a long ern medicines. Different kinds of When we looked around the life free from diseases. To meet medicines were being produced products, Jo Un A, a technical their desire we will develop more in a germ-free and dust-free en- preparation instructor, kindly effi cacious medicines in the fu- vironment, using automatic and explained about the Koryo Insam ture, too.” fl owline equipment. After look- activated pill. According to her Article by Kim Tae Song ing round the medicine-packing the pill has unusual effi cacy in Photos by Ra Jin Hyok

Note of Visit to Ryonghung Pharmaceutical Factory

A medicine production line.

30 KOREA TODAY Pioneer of New Subject Victory after Victory

the conclusion that in the fi eld of obstetrics and INHUNG SENIOR MID- determination to form an excel- schoolchildren’s games for the gynaecology the physiological course of women, dle School in Moranbong lent circle to train promising re- fi rst time, Ko, not content with the cause and pathogenesis of their diseases, and M relevant prevention, diagnosis and treatment are District, Pyongyang is widely serve players. Things, however, the success, put the students to related to immunology. known across the country for its did not go smooth as she desired. intensive drills so that they ac- Pregnancy immunology, the combination of good operation of the basketball She selected students, but some quired through steady training obstetrics and immunology, was a fi eld still unex- plored at that time. circle for over 20 years. Female of their parents did not allow varieties of high skills used much Though faced with failures and lots of diffi cul- members of the circle have never their children to join the circle. in basketball, including fast no- ties, Kim unyieldingly managed to pioneer the un- failed to take fi rst place in na- Only when they came to know step shot, jump shot, both hands- trodden path step by step. In the course of this he completed a method of treating habitual abortion tional competitions. about the sincerity of the teacher used pass and deception. in the early stages of pregnancy by means of isoim- The circle won its 23rd trophy who intended to train better the While using the method of munization, thus developing the fi eld of pregnancy at the 45th Sobaeksu Prize Na- students, the future pillars of the match-mode training, she set immunology. This earned him a doctorate. tional Schoolchildren’s Games country, did the parents join her leading students a higher goal, Soon afterwards, he developed a new method of Kim Sung Guk (centre). diagnosing cervical cancer in its early stage. The held last year. Kwon Su Jin, Kim effort. and the laggards a goal of catch- method was simple and could be widely used, thus Kum Jong, Kim Su Jong and oth- Ko painstakingly guided the ing up with the leaders, and saw IM SUNG GUK, HEAD OF THE winning popularity with doctors and patients. er female players from the circle students through training in or- to it that they carried out their Kobstetrical and gynaecological department of It is already 20 years since Kim began to work Pyongyang University of Medicine, is unusually as department head. Over the years he has written fully displayed their ability in der to make them interested in daily tasks without fail. busy. scores of textbooks and reference books, including every match by combining well basketball as soon as possible. As a result, the circle pro- Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Clinical Treatment Almost every day Kim shuttles from his uni- swift dribbling and fast breaks. She drew detailed plans one by duced basketball masters every versity to Pyongyang Maternity Hospital to give of Women’s Diseases, and hundreds of essays, and lectures and treat patients, and conduct research made experimental apparatuses and obstetrical When they held up the trophy one in a way suited to the age year. without knowing the passage of time. He does twice and gynaecological models. again congratulated by all the and psychological qualities of Ko says, “The successive vic- or thrice as much work as others do for the develop- He won the special prize at the national sci-tech audience, Ko Jong Suk, instruc- the students. While intensifying tory of my team is the fruit of ment of obstetrics and gynaecology, and he is proud achievements exhibition of the public health sector of the way he lives. held last year and was rated as excellent at sci-tech tor of the circle, looked back with her guidance to them in training, painstaking efforts. I’ll provide It was 29 years ago that Kim began to work as festivals and exhibitions, and he has received lots deep emotions upon what had she put the main emphasis on more scrupulous instruction and teacher of obstetrics and gynaecology. His work, of certifi cates of registered sci-tech achievement, happened during the formation mapping out practical training training guidance so as to keep however, covered not only lectures but also treat- introduced science and technology, invention and ment of patients. He knew only the lectures based ingenuity. of the circle 20-odd years before. schedules and making use of sci- our honour.” on a teacher’s rich clinical experience as well as his Many of his books are those obstetricians must It was in 1997 that Ko was entifi c devices such as measuring Basketball players from the or her wide knowledge could be vivid and profound read, and he has become an authority in his realm. appointed a teacher of physical instruments. circle are now displaying their enough to arouse the interest of students. He has a lot of disciples, including those with In the course of treating patients, he grasped a doctorate, who are promoting the development of culture at the school after gradu- Thus the ability of the stu- ability to the full at different a point. It was related to habitual abortion. At obstetrics and gynaecology together with him. ation from university. dents improved day after day. sports clubs. that time relevant research was under way in Though over 60, Kim is still enthusiastic. Not She started her work with the After winning the 1999 national Rim Hye Gyong different aspects, but there was not still a prop- long ago he completed an image transmitting sys- er remedy. Hormonotherapy was in general use. tem linking operating theatres to practice shops, The treatment, however, failed to ensure a high and modernized the teaching contents of the obstet- rate of pregnancy maintenance, and furthermore, rical and gynaecological subjects. had negative effect on the health of women. He Kim says, “I have more things to do than what was very sorry whenever he heard the earnest I have done. To develop obstetrics and gynaecology complaint of those who were sad about their fail- is an important job related to the health of women ure to have children. There were not a few such and the future of the country. Our country grants women, so he decided it was a problem that had preferential benefi ts to the promotion of women’s to be solved without fail in the fi eld of medical health. Whenever I see a plane and a strong medi- science. cal team mobilized to save even a single pregnant He thus tried to fi nd a new solution. His goal woman in a secluded village, I renew my sense of was to fi nd a highly effi cacious and safe method of responsibility for the development of the nation’s treatment that would have no negative effect on the obstetrics and gynaecology and redouble my ef- health of women and foetuses. forts.” In the course of repeated research he reached Rim Ok

32 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 33 Dream of Women Footballers

AST YEAR THE means and methods.” LNaegohyang women’s The team has graduates of football team defeated all its the Pyongyang International rivals by making the most of Football School, and those its tactics, and through left selected from the football schools and right breakthrough and across the country. Though they counteroffensive and close are different in age, character cooperation between forwards and habit, they move as one on matches with the teams of ► helped and led one another, and and it is not an easy job. We run When the other girls of their and backs at third-class the fi eld under the control of the the juvenile sports schools in thus they achieved good results and run for the purpose.” age are out in fi ne clothes, the women’s football (Group A) coach. different regions, which ended in matches. Half-back Song Chol Sun footballers of the team run in event of the Paektusan Prize When Choe began to in favour of his team. Later, his Now the coach is making says, “Our coach says that sportswear on the green fi eld Games in celebration of the Day take charge of the team, he team had a match with third- effort to grasp the trend in scientifi c play is more important towards victory. This makes of the Shining Star (February thought a lot—he worried class players of the Naegohyang women’s football, fi nd out the than physical preparedness. them grow mentally and 16, Chairman Kim Jong Il’s about cooperation between Women’s Football Club, and proper mode of play and apply it Though we are young, we are physically and their dream grow birthday—Tr.), thus winning graduates of the aforesaid they lost it by 5-0. to training. making an effort to carry out the stronger. fi rst place. It also distinguished international football school On the matter of the defeat Centre forward Jon Sun Sim, training tasks of high intensity itself at the 2018-2019 fi rst-class and other members of the team. the players of his team had a who is the team’s captain, says, and master various tactical Article by Kim Il Bong women’s football league of the All of them kept an admirable serious argument; some blamed “Every footballer aims to win, systems and methods.” Photos by Yun Song Hwa DPRK. wish to display the honour of the backs; and some said that It was organized a few years the country with football, so passes were not correct. Then At a break. ago, but it has ranked among they were inclined to do single Choe said, “The match gives the top three at several domestic dribbling rather than passing us a serious lesson. Of course competitions, thus becoming the ball to their colleagues only each of you has high skills. a strong team, drawing the to be tackled frequently. But you should understand attention of the experts and So the coach put primary that those skills are useless amateurs. effort into achieving the unity of without collective help.” Then Coach Choe Kwang Hyon the team. What was important he pointed out demerits of some says, “We analysed and was to pool their intention. To players. He added, “I know all of synthesized in detail the this end he had them deeply you are different in native place experience and lesson we had understand through matches and age. But I think we can win previously achieved in training that victory depends on the when you think of the honour of and matches, and enhanced unity of the team although skills the team and the country before the effectiveness of training by of each player are important. yours.” introducing scientifi c training First of all, he organized Since then the players ►

34 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 35 True story ► a member of the national team. tional team to participate in the It was an irresistible temp- At fi rst she was involved in 26th Olympic Games to be held in tation and her inward pitiful the national team without her Atlanta, the US. cry. Then she would remem- I’ll Remain a Winner old coach Pak Chol. Pak Chol, Sun Hui’s old ber a variety of things that had Her new judo coach, who coach, was to go together with happened in the past. Once she (4) was temporarily in charge of her. remembered what had hap- Sun Hui, made her do training “There is no alternative for pened when she had just begun Kang Ho Jin against four rivals—who he had us, Sun Hui. You should win to learn judo. At that time she trained himself—in turn for the the gold medal at this Olympics was absent from class for over DAY OR TWO PASSED supply, so they had to make and purpose of understanding Sun without fail,” the coach said, two months as she was prepar- A like that. The coach, howev- have substitute foods. Sun Hui, Hui’s physical and technical pre- encouraging Sun Hui. (He had ing to take part in the national er, still seemed to be paying no too, had boiled maize or noodle paredness. been transferred to the national games of juvenile sports schools. heed to Sun Hui. With a strong for lunch. Her family managed Sun Hui wore the greatest team.) One day Sun Hui was in class determination she pertinacious- to give her at least grain all the training burden, and yet she He’s right, Sun Hui thought. after a long absence, and her ly asked her colleagues, to whom year round one way or another. encouraged herself, saying in- I have no other way but to win class teacher, who taught math- the coach taught techniques, to Aware of her grandmother and It was Sun Hui’s goal and wardly, “I won’t be Kye Sun Hui victory. ematics, asked her to come to act as her training rival. Each parents’ care the girl strove to habit to always beat and go if I lose even once. Wait and see With the determination Sun the blackboard and use a newly of them would avoid her as she train herself without grumbling ahead of others in either train- who will win!” Hui started a more intense train- learned formula to solve a prob- approached the drill fi ercely re- at her food, and was more en- ing or competition. The four rivals took a rest ing course under Pak’s guidance. lem. garding it as a real competition. grossed in her drill. Quite often From then on she always in turn, but Sun Hui had to The coach made sure that Sun Hui, who had taught Sun Hui never failed to throw she felt faint with hunger when won the national games of the fi ght against them without any Sun Hui adopted the strength- herself in her spare time, could them onto the ground, and that she fi nished intense training. kind held every year. breathing spell. She, however, pointed mode of fi ghting to make solve the problem with ease. using the techniques the coach Still, hardly a day passed with- It was when she won the showed no signs of tiredness at the best of the physical merits Then the teacher gave vent had taught them, under his nose. out her training. women’s 48kg-category judo all. of the girl who was strong in to a sigh of a hidden meaning. It was quite interesting to her. Sun Hui mastered tech- event of the Mangyongdae Prize Pak Chol had often told Sun balance maintenance thanks to After class she called the girl to And this never did harm to her niques unusually fast through Games held in Nampho in Juche Hui about the training of danc- her unusually strong legs and the room of her department. relations with her colleagues. her painstaking training, and 85 (1996) that she attracted the ers, saying that whatever dif- in avoiding falling at her oppo- “You’re of intelligence, Sun fi culty they might have, they Sun Hui attentively studied a year after beginning to learn attention of judo experts, who nent’s shoulder throw and leg Hui. Wouldn’t you like to stop always smiled while dancing lock. It was an appropriate mode sports and study? It’s really a the techniques Pak Chol taught judo, she made her debut in the were struck with admiration at on the stage. And he stressed of competition for Sun Hui who pity that you should waste your to the others, and soon mastered women’s 40 kg category judo the way she skilfully used differ- that athletes, too, should never was still wanting in technique. talent,” the teacher said with them. At last the coach gave in event of the national games of ent techniques including arms- reveal any signs of tiredness in She put great efforts into her sincerity. to the way she strove to acquire juvenile sports schools, win- based shoulder throw and stom- training or in competition. technical and physical training. Her words made Sun Hui techniques by herself. ning her fi rst gold medal. She ach throw, and never wavered in So Sun Hui deliberately After doing knee bends, shoul- think a lot. In her childhood, Thus, in 15 days, the coach still values the medal as well as her position even when attacked, strove not to reveal any signs of dering barbells—that weighed Sun Hui hoped to study at began to teach Sun Hui again. those she later won at the Olym- while wonderfully maintaining tiredness at all. over 20 kg—for more than one Kim Il Sung University like At the same time he made efforts pic Games and several rounds her balance. A month passed like that, hour, her throat was parched her father. Then she remem- to help the girl turn her unusual of the world championships. Sun Hui became a DPRK and it was not Sun Hui but her with thirst, her legs trembling, bered Pak Chol saying she self-respect into persevering Standing on the podium she was master athlete when she was 15. rivals who fell down exhausted. and she had diffi culty in breath- should become an athlete to dis- pluck because to a sportsperson more pleased to beat her rivals Later she developed into an At last the coach gave in to ing. play the honour of the country the spirit of fi ghting unyielding- than to win the gold medal. Most invincible domestic champion by her perseverance and outstand- Sometimes she felt like when she had joined the judo cir- ly and confi dently is more impor- of her rivals had begun to learn always winning victory in differ- ing physical and technical abil- throwing away the barbells that cle. At the time she made up her tant than techniques. judo earlier than her and they ent domestic competitions such ity, exclaiming, “You’re a lump weighed on her shoulders. Then, mind to become such an athlete The entire nation was under- had already made some achieve- as the DPRK championships, of iron, not human. Hard steel. she thought, her body would feel without fail. She knew it would going the unprecedentedly hard ments. But she, as a novice, de- the junior championships and I like you.” so light as to be able to fl y and not be easy, but she started her time of Arduous March when feated all the opponents success- the technical innovation games. Thanks to her unusual per- she would be able to breathe career with a determination not Sun Hui was learning judo at fully, who had assumed an air In the course of this she was severance and high physical and easily. to give it up for anything. the juvenile sports school. At the of importance, thus winning the transferred to the Moranbong technical ability, Sun Hui was How about stopping this time even maize was in short medal. Sports Club, and soon chosen as ► selected as a member of the na- once, only this time? (To be continued)

36 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 37 ► bridge was about to be built to link Koam and Tap- chon situated in the Wonsan Bay, and the team was tasked with drilling holes for piers of the bridge. It was not an easy job to do so over a long distance in a short span of time, and that in midwinter. Remains of Altar Kim Song Thaek, head of the team, and other members pooled their wisdom and invented new Unearthed drilling methods, and thus they successfully fi nished their task, making a great contribution to bringing earlier the completion of the Koam-Tapchon railway HE KOREAN PEOPLE HAVE LONG project. Besides, they conducted the geological sur- Tregarded and worshiped Mt Paektu as vey of sites for over 100 facilities such as hotel, pub- their ancestral mountain representative of lic service amenities, apartment blocks and amuse- ment parks to be built in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal the dignity, mettle and soul of the nation. Resort, and found out the underground water and A research group consisting of the History geothermal water, thus helping solve the problems of drinking water and heating. And the Kosong Ar- Faculty of Kim Il Sung University and the my-People Power Station and the Hoeyang Army- Mt Paektu’s Lake Chon general surveying People Power Station built in the province are in- team unearthed in a small basin of Hyangdo conceivable apart from their effort. The structures recently built in the province are Peak on the shores of Lake Chon the remains associated with the sincere efforts of the offi cials of an altar which dates back to the period of and members of the survey team. the feudal Joson dynasty (1392–1910). Article by Sim Yong Jin Shaped like a small hill it is almost square Photos by Ri Song Ik with its base being 36 metres long and wide Conscience of Survey A geological survey. and its surface being 15 metres long and 12 Team Members metres wide. And it is 9 metres high. On the top of the altar is a stone slab 140 cm long and 80 cm wide. On the stone are ANY PEOPLE OF KOREA ARE INCREAS- struction of the Koam-Tapchon railway, the Won- Ming the country’s wealth, and the offi cials and san Kalma Coastal Resort and the army-people inscribed 24 letters which say that the fi rst survey team members of the Kangwon Provincial power stations in the province. king of the feudal Joson dynasty performed Survey Management Bureau are among them. One day they were exploring the Kwanphung sacrifi cial rites there praying to the heaven In recent years they discovered rich deposits area of Wonsan City for a spring water source. of coal and valuable minerals and the source of a While exploring the Masikryong Mountains hun- and earth for power, and that a man discov- hot spring, secured an inexhaustible deposit of dreds of metres in height together with some mem- ered the relic in 1927. natural fi nishing materials, successfully carried bers of the survey team, Jon Chol Gu, director of the A stone 26 cm long and 20 cm wide was out the ground-base drilling exploration and the bureau, saw one of them break some regulations barrage-wall fi xation drilling necessary for the con- in drilling. As a man with experience of over ten also discovered there. On the stone are in- years as a surveyor, he said that scribed in ink 26 letters which say that peo- A consultation to apply advanced technology. the spot was relatively simple in geological structure. Jon, howev- ple performed sacrifi cial rites there to pray er, did the drilling again together to the heaven and earth for good health of a with him, saying, “We should be princess. responsible for the geotechno- logical safety of all buildings and The relics tell that the Korean ancestors structures going up on this land. would perform sacrifi cial rites in the small This means that we should leave basin of Hyangdo Peak. no twangs of conscience to feel.” Later spring water supply The new fi ndings prove more clearly that stations appeared across the city the Koreans have regarded Mt Paektu as the thanks to the unknown efforts of the survey team. sacred ancestral mountain of their nation. The following story came from the hydrogeologic survey team Kim Hyon Ju under the bureau. A railway ►

38 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 39 ► go to this bathhouse. So I receive and diet, I have not used any had said that they only recog- Mineral Water Bathhouse treatment here with the kind medicine.” She continued to say nized the Kangso mineral water help of doctors and guides, and that several days before a woman as drinking water, and that they my condition gets better.” with obesity had returned home found it really good to get bath- UNDREDS OF YEARS lism, cholagogic and diuretic ac- old man who had gotten a bath- Kim Ok Hui, a woman who after successful treatment. ing treatment using the mineral Hago a peasant in Kangso tions, and hematogenesis. And ing treatment at the bathhouse came to the bathhouse for treat- According to An Hye Ran, a water at the bathhouse. area saw a crane doing strange it is effi cacious for internal dis- for ten days, said, “I felt heavy ing her diabetes, said, “I knew doctor of the bathhouse, thou- The doctors and guides of the behaviours near a paddy fi eld. eases, especially for gastric dis- for chronic heart failure and au- that insulin should be used in sands of people received bath- bathhouse are putting effort into The bird was limping, and it dug order. The water enjoys popular- tonomic nerve disturbance sev- treating diabetes, but since I ing treatment at the bathhouse raising the quality of their ser- the ground with its long bill, and ity for its good taste and quality. eral months ago. At that time begun to get bathing treatment and they favourably commented vice to the customers. drank the water which gathered Recently the Kangso Mineral my section doctor advised me to ► along with appropriate exercise upon it. She said some people All of the customers say that they could drink the clear and pure mineral water to their heart’s content in the past with modernization of the factory and that they now receive the bath- ing treatment using the water, which is good for long life. Today more and more people are visiting the bathhouse of the A lot of people factory. come to drink the mineral water and receive Article by Kim Il Bong treatment. Photos by An Jong Min in the hole or applied it on its in- Water Factory has begun to use jured leg. Several days later the the water in bathing for treat- crane fl ied high in the sky. Now ment. Kim Yong Sun, head of the the peasant ran to the spot and bathhouse, says, “When bathing, dug it. When he dug about 50 the free carbonic acid gas pene- cm, a gush of water spouted out. trates into the body through the He scooped and drank a hand- skin or the respiratory organs. ful of it—it had a metallic taste The redistribution of blood is but was refreshing. Since then caused by its action. Quick cir- he drank it frequently. When he culation and redistribution of had indigestion, he drank it, and blood help the blood fl ow into it helped digestion well. This is peripheral blood vessels, reduce how the Kangso mineral water the burden of the heart and big was discovered. blood vessels, and improve the As the water of weak acid- function of the coronary blood ity, it contains calcium, sodium, vessel and the nutritive function magnesium, sulfuric ion, carbon of the heart.” dioxide and other ingredients The bathhouse has a warm good for human health. It nor- water bathroom and a hall where malizes gastric secretion, and people bathe only their legs for promotes absorption, metabo- treatment. Pak Kun Song, an

40 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 41 ► Kim Jong Un.” hind the Party. Coastal Resort and the Yang- In December 2016 the Later the soldiers played an dok Hot Spring Resort in South Supreme Leader visited the active role in constructing power Phyongan Province. completed power station. Look- stations consecutively in the ar- Thanks to the devoted efforts ing it round he said that the eas of Hoeyang, Ichon, Kosong, of the soldiers who consider the dam of the power station felt Kumgang and Phyonggang. work of defending the country like a demonstration of all the Under the slogan Let us take and creating the people’s happi- soldiers and people’s determina- upon ourselves both national ness as their duty, socialist con- tion to throw in their lot with defence and socialist construc- struction is making headway at the Party even if the sky falls tion! the People’s Army is now an ever higher rate and the ar- over and over again and the in- playing the vanguard role in the my-people creations are increas- vincible might of the army and construction projects of Samji- ing uninterruptedly. people who are fi rmly united be- yon County, the Wonsan Kalma Sim Hyon Jin

Inhabitants of the Yangdok Hot Spring Resort move to new houses.

The Kumyagang Army-People Power Station. Army-People Cooperation in Construction Projects

VERYWHERE IN KOREA eas, and thus made a contribu- er, the soldiers, who volunteered Ethere can be seen many tion to the campaign to restore to undertake the work, cut their buildings bearing the “army-peo- the areas in a short span of way through the distance of over ple” phrase in their signboards, time. At the time a new bridge one kilometre and fi nally opened including army-people street, was built thanks to their sincere a valve of the tunnel in the tem- army-people hall, army-people effort, and the local inhabitants porary structure. A roaring cur- gymnasium, army-people reser- call it Army-People Bridge. rent of water burst out raising a voir, army-people fi shing farm The Wonsan Army-People great spray. and army-people power station. Power Station in Kangwon Prov- The man who was the head They are named so because they ince, too, is associated with the of the death-defying team said, are the result of joint efforts of devotion of the soldiers. They “The moment we opened the the army and the people. participated in the construction valve we could not help shedding The Korean People’s Army is of the power station together tears remembering the image of not only discharging its mission with the provincial people, al- one of our commanding offi cers. as defender of the country but ways carrying out diffi cult tasks Even though he had been diag- also playing a role of artist of the in the van. When the construc- nosed with an incurable disease, people’s happiness. tion was nearly completed, they he never left the construction When natural calamities were given a task to pull down a site to lead the project. At the hit Yangdok County, South temporary structure set to con- last moment of his life he asked Phyongan Province, the soldiers trol the fl ow of water. It was an us to complete the power station turned out in the struggle to underwater job as dangerous as at an early date and bring pleas- help people in the disaster ar- life-staking adventure. Howev- ure to Supreme Commander ►

42 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 43 Forty-nine Years with National Intangible Cultural Heritage (38) National Flower Basics of Korean National Dance

Then Sun Hui got busier. The trees require much moisture in the blooming season. If they lack OVEMENTS OF KOREAN sleeves all hanging down. So it main movements of national moisture, the roots are retarded in growth with the Mnational dance already can be said that “Dance in Long- dance, and systematized them on leaves and fl owers becoming small. As a result, the began to form in the period of sleeved Clothes” of Koguryo con- a more scientifi c basis. fl owers fall soon. So Sun Hui, even after her col- Ancient Korea. sisted mainly of such movements Thus the book Basics of Kore- leagues went home from work in the evening, wa- According to Samgukji (Ro- as raising and lowering arms an National Dance that systema- gently to the music. tizes each movement of dance tered the trees with great sincerity. Yet she knew mance of the Three Kingdoms), the people of Ancient Joson, in “Tabor Dance” of Koguryo was in detail and in depth was pub- no physical exhaustion. She took great pride in October ever year, enjoyed them- the one in which dancers danced lished, and a relevant documen- making the fl owers bloom. They say interest out- selves dancing and singing over while beating tabors hanging tary was created. does fatigue. varieties of dishes they prepared, from the neck or held in hand. Relevant educational institu- Not content with tending the trees, she took an pleased to have a good crop that This can be seen on a mural of tions are using the book to train active part in propagating them. year and hoping for another good the aforementioned mausoleum. dancers, and all art troupes are She says, “I planted the seeds of the trees I had crop of the following year. Danc- The movements of the dance are creating varieties of dances on gathered for the fi rst time, but none of the seeds ing, it is said, was the main part now adopted by tabor players in the basis of the basics. sprouted, so I sank to the ground and wept all day of the celebration called muchon. traditional peasant dances, and And national dances are NE MAY DAY IN 1971 A 17-YEAR-OLD long.” The main dance movements used in creating dances on mod- spread to the public, and people ern themes. enjoy dancing on holidays and girl, fresh from secondary school, stepped into Realizing that she could not obtain what she in the ancient period included O drawing, shouldering, winding, The movements of time-hon- red-letter days. the compound of the Central Botanical Garden. It wanted with a desire alone, she visited botanical treading and stamping. oured national dances have now The book Basics of Korean was the fi rst day of Kim Sun Hui’s work at the gar- researchers to learn detailed information about the In the period of Koguryo, the improved in taste and charm in- National Dance, a collection den. She found her workplace just to her liking— growth of the plant, and studied relevant data at fi rst feudal state in Korea, there herent to the nation. of gentle yet powerful Korean thick groves and plots with various plants in bloom. libraries. were further developed dances The once-famous dancer dance movements, is a precious The following tells why Sun Hui volunteered to At last the seeds she planted the next year all that refl ected the feelings and Choe Sung Hui (1911–1969) treasure of the nation. work as horticulturist. sprouted. Then she more enthusiastically strove to emotions of the nation. travelled every nook and corner The book that helps any Ko- As a child, she unusually loved fl owers. She propagate the plant in different ways, which were Murals of the dance tomb and of the country to fi nd out all of rean to learn and dance national liked playing with wild fl owers. In spring and au- successful. She then found out the most rational the Mausoleum of King Kogug- traditional dance movements, dances with ease and that serves tumn she would climb up hills and mountain in methods of propagating and cultivating the plant. won show dancers with all their arranged them properly and as a solid foundation for the de- synthesized the dance move- velopment of national dancing her village to plant and tend fl owers and trees to- In the course of this she was promoted to leader of arms raised in front or sideways, and the height of the arms is not ments which correctly preserve was registered as No. 72 on the gether with her friends. After her family moved to the workteam. beyond their shoulders. the inherent characteristics of list of the national intangible cul- Pyongyang from Ryanggang Province where she It is over 30 years since then, and she has propa- Almost all pictures of dancers national dance. Choreographers tural heritage. was born, she would tend fl owers in pots at home. gated more than 10 000 magnolia trees. She was in long-sleeved clothes show the and entertainers integrated the Rim Ok Therefore she chose to grow fl owers though she was awarded the title of Merited City Caretaker in offered the job of hairdressing and the like. 2012, and participated in the Fourth National Con- At the time when she started to work at the ference of Mothers and the functions to celebrate botanical garden, there was going a project to lay the 70th birthday of the Workers’ Party of Korea. a magnolia plot. Sun Hui wanted to take the lead “The national fl ower symbolizes a country and in tending magnolia which is the national fl ower of nation. I feel my heart clean and fresh whenever I the country loved by all the Korean people. So she see magnolia, our national fl ower. It has the quali- led the others in fi nding out hundreds of magnolia ties of elegance, fi rmness and simplicity that refl ect trees in mountain valleys in Yangdok and Maeng- the spirit of us Koreans. I don’t think my job is san and transplanting them safely in the botanical merely the one of tending fl ower trees. I regard it as garden. the work to imbue our people with ardent love for Later she hardly left the fi eld, tending the our country.” This is what she says whenever she is plants. Nobody knew when she went to and back advised to retire and enjoy the rest of her life, look- from work. Every morning she was the fi rst to go to ing after her little grandson. the plot and examine the condition of the saplings. She has lived faithfully for nearly 50 years And she felt satisfi ed only when she had carried out while fi nding great pleasure and pride in propagat- a twice or thrice greater task than others in apply- ing magnolia across the country. ing fertilizer. People fi nd the truth of patriotism in the way Her strenuous efforts bore fruit: The saplings she is devoting even her late years to the cultiva- took root fi rmly, and large, white and fragrant fl ow- tion of the magnolia trees. ers bloomed on them. Rim Ok

44 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 45 Victory in Store for Dangerous Policy of Cuban People Territorial Occupation

HE ECONOMIC, TRADE the Cuban government. Owing main way to revitalize its econo- HE AMBITION OF however, are insisting that the policy of territorial occupation, Tand fi nancial blockade of to the US’s persistent fi nancial my under the condition that it is Ttaking Tok Islets from Korea historically and internation- as policy of invasion accompa- the United States against Cuba blockade and trade embargo short of fund and fuel due to the is daily growing stronger in Ja- ally recognized, sacred territory nied by war, is driving the situ- pan. The Japanese Minister of of Korea is theirs. This enables ations in and around Korea to a is continuing for 60 years, but Cuba is suffering huge eco- US’s economic, trade and fi nan- Defense made an absurd remark anybody to judge without diffi - serious stage. the Cuban people, as they have nomic losses. According to the cial blockade. that the islets are “surely the culty how vicious, immoral and Japan is a past war criminal, shown until today, will thor- data available the damage the Despite the US’s tenacious native territory of Japan in the shameless they are. and now quite likely to commit oughly smash the US’s blockade country has suffered totals US$ blockade Cuba put a great ef- light of both historical facts and What is more serious is that war again. and sanctions. They frustrated 922.63 billion. fort in the development of tour- international law,” and a mem- such gangster-like insistence is Though it is 75 years since the sabotage of the terrorists and In coping with the hostile ism, and thus the tourist income ber of the Diet overtly said that not merely the opinion of indi- its defeat, Japan is still stub- the “Self-Defense Forces” should vidual Japanese fi gures but the bornly refusing to sincerely the aggression of mercenaries, forces the Cuban people, with in 2018 increased to 17.6% as be dispatched to drive out the “il- standpoint of the Japanese gov- apologize and compensate for its and are staunchly overcoming confi dence in the victory of compared to that of the previous legal occupants” and that there ernment. past crimes. On the contrary, its the economic blockade. Though revolution, are united to break year. is no other way but to retake Tok Last year the government, in politicians visit Yasukuni Shrine some of the US authorities are through all diffi culties. Another public health facil- Islets through war. the name of the Ministry of Edu- that houses the name tablets of persistently resorting to vicious Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel ity for promotion of the patients’ Tok Islets are the territory cation and Science, published war criminals, vindicating and the Korean nation explored and primary school textbooks of so- praising them. And the constitu- moves while inciting a hostile Bermudez, President of the Re- health opened in Havana. It is a began to live in before Christ, cial subjects that claim “Japa- tion adopted to prevent another atmosphere, Cuba will emerge public of Cuba, in a national centre for treating Alzheimer’s and the territory is nothing to nese dominium over Tok Islets,” war crime in Japan has already victorious in the showdown with conference of administrative of- disease. The World Health Or- do with Japan that came into be- thus imbuing the students with been reduced to a shell, and the the US. fi cials, called on them to solve by ganization has announced that ing after Christ. Geographically, the distorted historical and ter- government is trying to revise This is part of a speech deliv- themselves the problem caused over ten million people are suf- the islets are 218 km northeast ritorial idea that “Tok Islets are it to legalize war. The Japanese ered by Raul Castro, First Sec- by the shortage of fuel, and fur- fering from the disease in the of Cape Ryongchu of Uljin Coun- native territory of Japan which “Self-Defense Forces” formed ty, North Kyongsang Province, are now illegally occupied by a solely for defence has expanded retary of the Central Committee ther consolidate the unity. Add- American region alone, and that Korea, but remarkably farther foreign country,” and that “Ja- into an offensive armed force of the Communist Party of Cuba. ing that they should solve all the number of the relevant pa- away from Japan. pan is continuously protesting equipped with modern weapons, In the early 1950s an armed problems creatively and think of tients increases every three sec- That Tok Islets belong to Ko- about it.” and it is practising war methods unit was organized with work- the country fi rst, the President onds. The inauguration of the rea is clearly recorded in not only Meanwhile, the Tokyo Olym- through steady overseas activi- ers, peasants and intellectuals, asserted that it was important to centre gives hope to the cases in the old Korean documents His- pics Organizing Committee had ties. and preparations were made for understand well the prevailing the region. tory of Koryo, Chronicles of King the impudence to put on its Thus Japan has accelerated Sejong: Geography and Chroni- homepage a map that marked the preparation for reinvasion an armed uprising on a nation- complicated international situ- Today the Cuban people are cles of the Three Kingdoms but Tok Islets as “territory” of Ja- without admitting its war crime wide scale. The Cuban revolu- ation caused by the US’s hostile conducting many-sided coopera- also old Japanese documents. A pan and the East Sea of Korea unanimously recognized by the tionaries, under the command of policy and the fl unkeyism of tion with a lot of countries in the confi dential document opened to as “Sea of Japan.” In this regard international community. It has Fidel Castro, established a guer- some countries that are follow- fi elds of education, culture, pub- the public in Japan in 2015 con- the Cabinet Chief Secretary now completed the preparation, rilla base in Sierra Maestra, and ing it. He also stressed that the lic health, sports and the arts. tains the fact that when the Jap- made a naïve argument that which is already in the state of anese Cabinet asked the chief they took into consideration Ja- practice. This can be proved by expanded the armed unit. In the unity, discipline and control Like they won victory in the of Oki Islands of Japan what he pan’s dominium over “Takeshi- the way the country is promot- course of this the Cuban revolu- should be intensifi ed in order to struggle against the hostile forc- thought of Tok Islets in the early ma (Tok Islets)” and its position ing the aforesaid policy on a full tion developed into an all-people tide over the diffi culty whereby es in the past, the Cuban people 1900s, he replied that “both Ul- in the “Sea of Japan.” scale. resistance movement to over- the supply of fuel is being cut off, are continuing their struggle to lung Island and Tok Islets are Besides, there are going on An absurd dream cannot throw the Batista dictatorship. and that it is needed to raise the bring about victories by over- originally located in Korea’s undisguised attempts in Japan come true, but only results in a On January 1, 1959 the Cu- comprehensive analytical abil- coming the tenacious sanctions East Sea.” to seize Tok Islets, such as the serious aftermath. This is sub- The legal status of Tok Is- designation of the “Day of Take- stantiated by the tragic end of ban revolution won victory. The ity and make exact demands in and blockade by themselves lets as territory of Korea was shima,” under the active patron- the old Japan that embarked hostile forces, however, have work. and further strengthening their confi rmed in international docu- age and involvement of the gov- on overseas invasion with the consistently pursued the hostile Now the Cuban government unity. ments such as the Cairo Decla- ernment. absurd ambition of the “Great- policy against the country. is focusing its efforts on imple- The Korean people are ex- ration, the Potsdam Declaration And the Japanese govern- er East Asia Co-prosperity Last year the US invoked menting 30 items of investment tending enthusiastic support to and memorandums Nos. 677 ment regards Kuril Islands of Sphere.” notorious Helmz-Burton Act plan on tourism including repair the Cuban people who are strug- and 1033 of the Supreme Head- Russia and Diaoyu Island of Japan is, however, still on a quarters of the Allied Nations China as objects to seize, and headlong rush to its more seri- against Cuba and appropriated of roads and bridges, on special gling with confi dence in the vic- signed and made public during is desperately insisting on their ous ruin, oblivious of the lessons tens of millions of US$ for ex- development zones and on major tory of socialism. and after World War II. dominium over them. of history. penses of the plan 2020 to topple projects until 2020. This is the Kim Il Ryong The Japanese politicians, The Japanese government’s Kim Il Bong

46 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2020 47 Mt Kumgang (11)

Sea Kumgang it was a lake in deep mountains. about the size of a house, but Sea Kumgang provides a walking along the shore in a wet EA KUMGANG IS A scenery of sea at Mt Kumgang. fog while getting your feet wet in Sscenic spot situated on the From of old, it is said that with- the sea water. east coast of Outer Kumgang. It out seeing Sea Kumgang one can To see its mysterious natural divides into Samilpho (Lagoon never know the beauty of Kum- scenery, you’d better see it from Samil) and Haegumgang (Sea gang. a ship on the sea. Then you can Kumgang) districts. Sightseeing in Sea Kum- see Chottae (candlestick) Rock, The lagoon was named so af- gang starts with seeing sunrise. Kumgang Gate, Jwi (mouse) ter a story that in olden times a Breathing fresh morning air Rock and Koyangi (cat) Rock. king went there to have a rest for carried in the sea breeze on a Sea Kumgang also has Sea a day but stayed for three days white sandy beach, you can see Manmulsang, including small (samil in Korean), fascinated by a spectacular scene of the sky, and big peaks rising up to make its wonderful scenery. As its wa- sea, clouds and islets reddening low hills and deep valleys, vari- ter is so clear and calm that the under the rising sun. ous shapes of fantastic rocks, ancestors said it looks like a mir- Sightseeing in Sea Kumgang waving seaweeds such as tangle ror dropped by a fairy. When you needs no trouble to cross a high and varieties of fi shes. are on the lagoon, you feel as if and steep peak or climb a rock In the Chongsokjong area ► Chongsokjong.

Sea Kumgang in glow. ► cliffs consist of hexagonal or over ten cottages on a sunny hill ful woman standing in front of octagonal pillars and other ba- upside Chongsokjong. One of the the husband and a handsome saltic ones, which are vertical cottages was in an isolated place gentleman approaching the wife or slightly slanting, covering a of the village, whose couple was slowly. At last they promised to distance of 1 000 metres along on bad terms. They often quar- be new couples and returned to the seaside. reled and fi nally decided on di- their native village. When they The caves in the stone pillars vorce. They packed their things woke up the next morning, they are very conspicuous along with and left home. Just as they were saw that the new husband and their legendary tales. Exam- going to step apart on the hill wife were themselves. Then ples are Sason (four spirits) Pil- of Chongsokjong, they suddenly they heard the sound of rough lar where it is said four spirits heard ice bursting into the sea waves and the voice of the Cou- had been to play; a stone bridge along with a voice shouting, ple Rocks, saying, “Listen care- with a story that a powerful man “Stop, there!” They looked back fully. You’re the couple blessed cut the Chongsok pillar to lay a and saw a couple of rocks—a by heaven. You’ll be happy when bridge to the Palace of the Sea husband rock facing the wife and you live in harmony with each God, but gave up attracted by a wife rock faci ng the husband. other.” the charming scenery of Chong- They said, “I know you’re in dis- Afterwards, they lived on sokjong; Pupu (couple) Rock and cord. Then what about living good terms and there was no Kobuk (turtle) Rock. with me from now?” When the couple on bad terms in the vil- Pupu Rock has a legendary couple looked up carefully at the lage. tale: In olden times there were rocks again, there was a beauti- Pak Thae Ho

48 KOREA TODAY