KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 51 Happy New Year

EAR READERS, into favourable conditions. D Greeting in the new year 2017, the Korea Having opened the door to 2016 with the inaugu- Today editorial board extends congratulations to all ration of the Sci-Tech Complex, they built a lot of our readers. model, standard factories befitting the era of the Last year we Korea Today staff did all we could to knowledge-driven economy in various parts of the give wide-ranging information about the reality of country by making the most of science and technology the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the principle of self-development first. and to promote the relations of friendship and The Korean youth erected the barrage of the co-operation with the peoples of all countries who Paektusan Hero Youth Power Station in a short span are advancing along the road of independence and of time even in the rigorous natural conditions, and peace. displayed once again their might as masters of the Last year was a proud one of victory and glory for youth power on the occasion of the Ninth Congress of the Korean people. They elected Kim Jong Un Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League. Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and Amidst the fervent enthusiasm for sporting ac- Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the tivities sweeping the whole country, the Korean Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and pushed sportspeople exalted the honour of their country by ahead with the building of a socialist power under winning gold medals in international competitions. A his wise leadership. Celebrating the Seventh great progress was made in all fields of education, Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea as the con- public health, literature and the art. ference of victors, they opened the new time of his- In the New Year, too, the Korea Today editorial tory called Mallima Era in this land at a brilliant board will make every effort to help you have a good speed of construction and through a great campaign understanding of the firm faith of the Korean people of creation. who are advancing along their own road of inde- Though they were faced with an unprecedented pendence, Songun and socialism unwaveringly natural disaster ever known in history when they against all kinds of challenges. We will also let you were implementing the decisions of the Seventh know realities of the country where new miracles Congress of the WPK, the Korean people advanced and innovations are expected to come. valiantly without a slightest hesitation and vacilla- Hoping that you will continue to read our Korea tion, thus achieving a miraculous victory in the Today this year, we sincerely wish you great success northern part of the country, converting the adverse in your work and life. ‰

52 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 Monthly Journal (727)

C O N T E N T S

3 New Era of Prosperity Opens

Last year the Korean people achieved great

successes in the economic construction through an

all-people movement holding high the banner of

self-development first.

7 The Great Personality

9 Army-people Joint Effort Works Miracle

11 Breaking Old Conception

12 Production Cycle for Fruit and Livestock Farming

14 Drastic Changes and Development

14 Following General Line of Socialist Construction

Monthly journal Korea Today is printed in English, Russian and Chinese, and posted on the Internet site Naenara in English, Russian, Chinese, French, Spanish and Arabic.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 531 16 Paean to Youth 18 For Clean Environment 19 As Required by Actual Conditions 20 Talents of Practical Ability Trained 22 New E-library Opens 23 School Famous for Many Model Teachers 24 Medical Oxygen Factory Opens

Front Cover: New houses 26 Family of Doctors for Three Generations in the flood-afflicted northern areas in North 27 Korean Ssirum Techniques and Tricks Hamgyong Province 28 Migok-ri People’s Hospital Photo by courtesy of the KCNA 29 Promising Judoist 30 Hard Training Brings Victory 32 The Central Zoo (3) 34 Pyongyang Sushi Restaurant 35 Life’s Goal 36 The Story of Our Home 38 Mt. Myohyang (2) 40 National Pride—Korean Painting 42 Korean Dancing

43 National Intangible Cultural Heritage (2) Celebration of Lunar New Year’s Day Back Cover: The Taedong 44 Park’s Doom River in the morning

Photo by Hong Hun 46 No Smoke Without Fire 47 Imperialist Japan’s Scheme for A-bomb

13502 ㄱ-68236 Development and Massacre of Koreans (2)

Edited by Kim Ki Sun Address: Sochon-dong, Sosong District, Pyongyang, DPRK E-mail: [email protected]

© The Foreign Language Magazines 2017

2 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 New Era of Prosperity Opens

Supreme leader Kim Jong Un (February 2016).

T PRESENT THE KOREAN PEOPLE ARE Korean people, who are the best in the world and A ushering in a golden age in building a thriving who have remained faithful to the Party in the face of socialist nation. To build a socialist power was all manner of difficulties, do not have to tighten their just an intention of President Kim Il Sung and belts again, but enjoy all the benefits of socialism. Chairman Kim Jong Il and an unshakable will of Then he continued to say that it is essential to culti- supreme leader Kim Jong Un who is now leading vate with care the valuable seeds of an economic the Koreans wisely. The Korean people are recollect- power and an improved life for the people, which ing their exploits with deep emotion. Kim Jong Il sowed, and bring them to brilliant In his speech Let Us March Forward Dy- fruition. namically Towards Final Victory, Holding To bring the far-reaching plan into reality, Higher the Banner of Songun delivered at a Kim Jong Un has given on-the-spot guidance unin- military parade held in celebration of the centenary terruptedly. His field guidance is not simply aimed at of the birth of the President in April 2012, inspection of different sectors of the national econ- Kim Jong Un said that it is the firm determination omy; it is an important effort to draw up an ambi- of the Workers’ Party of Korea to ensure that the tious blueprint of a socialist power and inspire all the ►

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 3 The inauguration ceremony of Paektusan Hero Youth Power Plant No. 3.

► people to materialize it vigorously. His on-the-spot guidance brought about world- startling miracles and exploits and proud successes in realizing the people’s beautiful dreams and ideals. Last year was a significant one when the Korean ►

The Ryugyong General Ophthalmic Hospital.

4 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 The successful launch of the earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong 4.

► people celebrated the Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). In his New Year Address 2016, the supreme leader stated that the Korean people should celebrate the Seventh Party Congress as a glorious meeting of victors as it would constitute a historic landmark in carrying out the cause of the Juche revolution, and encouraged all the people to implement the task. The Korean people waged a 70-day campaign of loyalty to celebrate the Seventh Party Con- gress. Through the campaign which began in late February last year, they increased the industrial output 1.6 times compared to the same period of last year, making a prelude to the movement to create the Mallima Speed. The movement for the Mal- lima Speed is oriented to bringing about qualitative changes and leaps in all spheres of the econ- omy, culture and social life on the strength of science and technology under the banner of self- development first. At the Seventh Congress of the Party the supreme leader suggested a strategic target and ways to hit it in order to carry out ►

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 5 ► the cause of building a so- cialist power. The whole country buckled down to implement the decision of the congress. Through the all-people general campaign to build a socialist power last year, they won miracu- lous achievements in quick succession by racing against time, reducing ten years to one and a hundred years to ten and changing the ap- pearance of the country by morning and evening. Having opened the door to the year 2016 with the inauguration of the Sci- Tech Complex, a grand house of all-people learning and a hub of latest science and technology in the 21st century, Korea startled the world with the success in its first test of H-bomb. Then The Natural History Museum. the artificial earth satellite Kwangmyongsong 4 was successfully launched to ences, the development of an air measuring instru- everybody’s happiness, and then came the news ment, research and introduction of a new model of a about the completion of Paektusan Hero Youth numerical-control device, and the development of 12 Power Plant No. 3 and the Wonsan Army-People kinds of farm machines in the sector of farm ma- Power Station. chinery. In the sectors of power, coal-mining and metal- The work to make all people well-versed in sci- lurgical industries and railway transport they sur- ence and technology was accelerated on a full scale passed the annual record-high production, while in through the enthusiastic movement for the Mallima the light industry sector they directed a great effort Speed. Typically, the Online College of the Kim to development of new kinds of goods and improve- Chaek University of Technology established a new ment of their quality. distance education system. The Natural History Factories and enterprises were constructed or Museum, the Central Zoo and the Pyongyang Middle reconstructed. In the first half of the year alone, School for Orphans also went up as monuments of hundreds were newly built or reconstructed and the century. went into operation. The Pyongyang Catfish Farm The movement for the Mallima Speed developed was reconstructed as a model and standard in the into a mass movement and became a powerful driv- fish-growing sector; the Pyongyang Terrapin Farm ing force of social development because the Party was turned into a model aquaculture farm and the Central Committee and all the Party members, the Pyongyang Cornstarch Factory was developed as a entire army and the whole nation are united into one model of Korean-style modernization; the Pyongyang by a single thought, sharing the same air. Sports Equipment and Materials Factory and the Now the Korean people are building a socialist Ryugyong Kimchi Factory were newly built. Lots of country on the infinite strength of self-development. factories and enterprises laid production processes Though the imperialists led by the US are running relying on their own efforts, technology and materi- amuck imposing sanctions against the DPRK, they als, thus further strengthening the independence cannot break the faith of the Korean people who are and self-sustenance of the national economy. Now in determined to invariably advance along the road of Korea more and more factories are attaining a high independence, Songun and socialism under the ban- level of modernization and information technology ner of self-reliance, with confidence in the validity with their production activities integrated with sci- and victory of their cause. ence and technology. This year, too, the Korean people, under the In addition, great achievements were attained in wise leadership of the WPK, are vigorously turning making the national economy Juche-oriented, mod- out to the all-people general forward movement with ern, IT-based and scientific: The home production of a firm resolution to unfold a new era of prosperity by a floating feed maker, the establishment of a Korean- conducting a vigorous movement for the Mallima style acrylic paints production process, the home Speed. production of spores for yogurt production at the microbiology institute of the State Academy of Sci- An Song Duk

6 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 The Great Personality

Noble Moral Obligation try were sending the Party Chairman invariably as General Central Committee a countless Secretary of the WPK, the head- NE DAY IN MID- number of letters expressing quarters of the revolution. Then O January of 2012 an official their earnest desire to elect the leader asked the official to of the Central Committee of the Kim Jong Un as General sound out the opinions of the Po- Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Secretary of the WPK. The Ko- litical Bureau members and other received a phone call from rean people had regarded him senior officials of the Party supreme leader Kim Jong Un. with great respect, and when Central Committee on the matter. It concerned a document his Chairman Kim Jong Il passed A few days later, Kim Jong Un department had presented to the away to their greatest sorrow, rang up the official again to know leader in regard to the prepara- they ardently wanted to have their opinions. “They unanimously agree with tions for the Party Conference to Kim Jong Un as the leader of the you,” the official said. be held soon. The document revolution to whom they would be “If they all agree, let’s do it contained the agenda of the loyal to the end. just like that,” Kim Jong Un conference on honouring Now receiving the phone call replied. Chairman Kim Jong Il as the from the leader, the official’s heart “But…” the official stammered eternal leader of the WPK and was full of hope that the leader for a while before going on to say the revolution and acclaiming would give his answer on the mat- that they were all in favour of Kim Jong Un as General ter of crucial importance, the dear- having Chairman Kim Jong Il as Secretary of the WPK. est wish of the entire army and all the eternal General Secretary of Several days passed since they the people and an urgent demand the WPK, but that it was still had submitted the document to of the times and the revolution. under debate what a prestigious Kim Jong Un, but he remained The leader said in a solemn and dignified official title should silent about the matter, making tone, “Now I’m thinking of be conferred on the leader of the them restless. They had a good having the Chairman as Party Kim Jong Un. reason to hand in the document. General Secretary of the Work- At that time, People’s Army sol- ers’ Party of Korea as ever.” To this Kim Jong Un replied diers and people across the coun- So, his idea was to have the that it did not matter what kind of title he had as long as he revered The rifle hall at the Meari Shooting Gallery. the Chairman as the eternal General Secretary of the WPK and guided the revolution true to his intentions, and that he would work as a soldier of the Chairman, faithful to him. Later, at the Fourth Confer- ence of the WPK, a decision to have Kim Jong Il as the eternal General Secretary of the WPK and to glorify his revolutionary life and immortal revolutionary exploits was adopted amidst the enthusiastic acclamation of all the participants. ►

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 7 ► At the Meari Shooting Gallery

In February 2012, Kim Jong Un visited the Meari Shooting Gallery, conceiving a plan to remodel the gallery as a popular amusement centre. He looked round the place, giving instructions in detail about the ways and methods of remodelling the facility into a comprehensive, popular game house. On February 11, 2014, he vis- The Wisong Scientists Residential District. ited the rebuilt shooting gallery. the size of the target was fixed. An October 13 that year, he looked It consisted of indoor and outdoor official replied that it was of the round the completed residential shooting galleries, a firing same size as the target used in district and told the officials his ground, a 30-m indoor archery international games. Then the idea of renaming the street. See- gallery, an outdoor athletic leader said the target was too ing the stretch map of the dis- ground, a ray gun shooting hall, small and that it should be made trict, and then looking around the an electronic pistol shooting hall, larger because the people were its polyclinic and the natural energy an electronic game hall, a shoot- users. His instructions made the research institute, he said that ing drill room, a restaurant and officials keenly feel once again the Unjong science zone had not a shop. that his love for the people was yet taken on the appearance suit- When he was looking round so deep. able to a town of science, and that the 50-m rifle range, an official was why he had renamed Wisong told him about the sound-proof Story about Scientists Street a few days be- and sound-absorbing devices of the Renamed Street fore. Then he went on to say that the place. To this, the leader said a scientists’ town needed to have in a low voice that people’s ears On January 14, 2014, when some depth in order to befit its should be stopped when guns Kim Jong Un visited the State name. So, more residential blocks were fired lest their ears should Academy of Sciences, he said that should be built in the Unjong be hurt. Inspecting the 30-m the new scientists street under science zone, and a greater num- indoor archery gallery, he pro- construction should be named ber of modern dwelling houses posed that all children’s camp- Wisong (satellite) Scientists should be erected along the road sites should be equipped with a Street. The name of the new between Pyongyang and Phyong- similar archery gallery. His street was associated with his song. This would make it fit to attendants were deeply touched noble intention to implement call the residential district by his profound care for the the instructions of President Wisong Scientists Street. After coming generation when they Kim Il Sung and Chairman the project it would be possible to saw him so considerate of chil- Kim Jong Il to build the city of change the name of the place once dren at the sight of a fine shoot- Phyongsong as a satellite city of again. ing gallery. Pyongyang, and his warm love for Now the officials understood Coming to the 25-m pistol the scientists. his real intention of renaming the shooting hall, Kim Jong Un But some time later, he re- street Wisong Scientists Residen- suddenly asked the officials in his named the street Wisong Scien- tial District. suite what was the basis on which tists Residential District. On Sim Hyon Jin

8 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 Army-people Joint Effort Works Miracle

OERYONG CITY AND MUSAN, YONSA, dwelling houses for the people as the primary project H Onsong, Kyongwon and Kyonghung counties in in the rehabilitation. Then he took measures to mo- North Hamgyong Province, the Democratic People’s bilize all the manpower, material and technological Republic of Korea, suffered severe damages due to potentialities of the state for the campaign. the heaviest rainfall ever since they began meteoro- Thus, the building forces across the country in- logical observation after the liberation of the country cluding the main forces deployed in the major con- in August 1945. But the areas have undergone a struction sites of the 200-day campaign like con- cataclysmic change; over 3 000 blocks of three to struction of the Ryomyong Street were promptly five-storey apartments and single-storey houses for dispatched to the afflicted areas, and lorries, hy- 11 900 families were built in a hundred and scores of draulic excavators, bulldozers and other necessary flood-stricken areas in a little over 50 days. It is machinery were deployed rapidly. The main effort attributable to the wise leadership of the Workers’ was directed to the construction of dwelling houses. Party of Korea (WPK) which regards selfless, de- Arriving at their respective sites of assignment, voted efforts for the good of the people as its revolu- People’s Army soldiers and other builders immedi- tionary traits, and the power of the great unity of the ately started the construction of houses before set- army and the people behind the Party. ting up their lodgings, and pushed ahead with the ► Since the country is exposed to the danger of the US’s preemptive nuclear strike and subjected to vicious sanctions and blockade of the hostile forces, it was an unprecedented battle in its history to reha- bilitate the flood-hit areas in the northernmost tip of the country by erecting new streets and villages. Last year Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the WPK, changed the main thrust of the 200-day campaign, a nationwide innovation movement, to the rehabilita- tion of the flood-hit areas and set the construction of

Flood victims move into new houses.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 9 ► project racing against time. and Chongjin ports, and crews of large cargo vessels A precisely targeting method of politico- applied rational methods to ensure uninterrupted ideological work was applied aggressively in the transportation of hundreds of thousands of tons of rehabilitation effort, and the central and provincial cement and other building materials, effecting an art troupes conducted dynamic activities for better unprecedented innovation in transportation. and faster construction, making reconstruction sites Meanwhile the workers of the Sangwon Cement pulsate like a melting pot. Complex boosted the cement production 1.5 times for Service personnel became the core motive force in the rehabilitation. The Sunchon Cement Complex the construction of the dwelling houses for the flood registered the maximum production in the past 20 victims, giving rise to a legendary tale of heroic feats. years. And the workers in the Kim Chaek Iron and Those who were engaged in the rehabilitation of Steel Complex, the Chollima Steel Complex, the Hoeryong City finished the framework of houses in Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex and the Songjin some 20 days, and those soldiers who had built a 70- Steel Complex waged a campaign of increased pro- storey apartment block in 74 days in the construction duction to satisfy the demand. of the Ryomyong Street rushed to Musan County and Commissions, ministries and other national completed the framework of 13 five-storey blocks agencies, and officials and working people in Py- ahead of others. ongyang City and South Phyongan, Kangwon, South In the rehabilitation of Yonsa County, People’s Hamgyong, North Hamgyong and Jagang provinces Army soldiers actively contrived and applied rational produced with sincerity doors, windows and other methods of construction and pushed ahead with the fittings to be installed in new houses and finishing preliminary processes in a three-dimensional way, materials to be sent to construction sites. And the thus finishing the framework of several-storey houses people across the country sent residents and stu- for over 500 families in a short span of time. Then dents in the affected areas foods, clothes, kitchen they took charge of construction of another four multi utensils, school things, modern educational equip- -storey apartments and completed the framework in ment and consumer goods in great numbers, thus nine days by erecting walls of a storey a day. Soldiers showing the true image of the large family of social- of the Korean People’s Internal Security Forces de- ism where they help and lead one another forward. ployed in Phungsan-ri, Musan County successfully In less than two months after the start of reha- built houses for over 250 families in some 40 days. bilitation a gigantic scale of construction was fin- Emulating the fighting spirit and manner of work ished—excavation of nearly 970 000 ㎥ of earth for of the soldiers, the shock force for the construction of the laying of foundation, tamping of 170 000 ㎥ of the Ryomyong Street, the Construction Shock Bri- concrete for foundation, laying of 290 000 ㎥ of walls, gade 922 which had rendered distinguished services tamping of 100 000 ㎥ of concrete for floors, interior to building a large-scale stockbreeding base in the and exterior plastering of 6 000 000 m2, tiling of Sepho area, and the Construction Shock Brigade 618 200 000 m2, and painting of 600 000 m2 of outer which had created a sea of apple trees at the foot of walls. Following the earliest completion of the hous- Chol Pass, and others made great leaps and innova- ing project in Kyonghung County in late October last tions in the construction of thousands of houses day year, houses for a total of 11 900 families were after day. successfully built by November 11 in Kyongwon The workers in railway transport, building mate- County, Hoeryong City and all other areas. Along rials and metal industries and all other people across with construction of new houses the redressing pro- the country gave positive assistance to the rehabili- ject was done simultaneously, changing the devas- tation project under the slogan “Let us achieve the tated areas into wonderful streets and villages befit- miraculous victory of converting misfortune into ting socialism in the era of the WPK. favourable conditions on the front of recovering from The miraculous changes in the flood-hit areas in the flood damage in the northern part of North northern Korea are a clear demonstration of the Hamgyong Province with the tremendous might of intrinsic nature and might of socialism that is ruled single-hearted unity!” by the principle of “one for all and all for one.” It also The workers in railway transport relinked the shows that though the United States and its follow- severed railway in the whole line in the flood-hit ers are intensifying sanctions and pressure against areas in some 20 days, and raised the traffic capacity the DPRK while clamouring about the “crisis of the through an enthusiastic socialist emulation drive, DPRK,” the socialist Korea stands firm, and that the thus smoothly transporting a huge amount of freight Korean people will advance unremittingly along including cement to the rehabilitation front. Officials their own road of independence, Songun and social- in marine transport, workers of Wonsan, Hungnam ism while repulsing all kinds of challenge. ‰

10 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 Breaking Old Conception

N AUGUST LAST YEAR THE SUNCHON possible and send more cement to socialist construc- I Cement Complex faced an unexpected obstacle in tion sites.” His powerful appeal encouraged the its continuous effort to create the Mallima (legendary workers and technicians of the calcination workshop. horse that runs over 4 000 km per day) Speed in the By coupling their experience in kiln operation with a 200-day campaign as it had done in the 70-day cam- scientific principle, they wrought a miracle of finish- paign. A small gear of the First Kiln had to be re- ing the replacement in two days instead of a month. placed with a new one immediately. Considering the Moreover, the complex finished the overhaul of the experience, it would take at least a month to put the Second Kiln while keeping the First and Third kilns kiln in normal operation after the change of a gear. in full operation. Thus, the cement production soared When the gear replaced in the frozen state was up as a whole. heated, it would undergo heat expansion, so it would In late August last year some areas in the Tuman take a long time to fix a proper engagement between River basin in the northern part of Korea suffered the big gear and the small one. It would be impossi- colossal natural disasters due to the gale and heavy ble to carry out the monthly task in time if the kiln rainfall, unprecedented in the history of meteoro- did not work for a month. logical observation since national liberation. To cope Managers, technicians and workers made a con- with the emergency, the DPRK made a great decision certed effort to find out a rational solution for the to overcome the trials by changing the main thrust of problem. However, it was difficult to break away the 200-day campaign to the rehabilitation of the from the old idea and reduce time. At that time there northern flood-stricken areas. At that time the com- rang a powerful voice of a senior manager of the plex made a great contribution to turning the mis- complex in the working place. He said, “We are not fortune into good luck in North Hamgyong Province allowed to stop the kiln even a day, to say nothing of by producing and supplying hundreds of thousands a month. It is our Party’s intention to improve the of tons of cement in a few months. people’s living standards by erecting more and more Today the managers and workers of the complex structures in the Mallima era. If we shunned the are working vigorously, displaying mass heroism, to intention, how could we be proud to be the workers of supply more cement to socialist construction sites. this complex? Now is just the moment to show our spirit. We must finish the kiln repair as early as Sim Yong Jin

Scrupulous arrangement is made to increase production.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 11

Production Cycle for Fruit and Livestock Farming

HE TAEDONGGANG ited the fruit farm again in Au- with fruits, half apples and half T Combined Fruit Farm was gust last year. Touching with leaves, in the orchards filled with built in the Wonhung area, Sam- great pleasure apples hanging lines of sturdy trees in good order, sok District, Pyongyang, in 2008. heavily from the branches, he said he said, and added that an un- It has increased the fruit produc- it was really a great yield and usually rich harvest visited the tion systematically by making an that they looked like clusters of farm despite the unfavourable effective use of the proper system grapes. Every tree was fully laden climate condition, which was an ► of pomiculture and irrigation and producing fruit tree saplings in a scientific and intensive way. Meanwhile they have put the production of saplings of fruit trees of good species on a normal track and increased the fertility of soil. Also, they have adopted ad- vanced techniques proactively in keeping with the global trend of pomicultural development and introduced them into the produc- tion. Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Workers’ Party of Korea vis-

12 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 ► omen of the country’s prosperity. tion on a scientific, IT and auto- mary washing to removing of hair The farm managers and work- matic basis at a high level. All the is all done on a flow line. The by- ers attribute such a rich harvest in processes are controlled through products are turned over to its an unfavourable condition to, an integrated control system. relevant processing shops to turn above all else, their hard work to Having established a system out products which are popular increase the fertility of soil. They for breeding good species of pigs, with the public. The pork of the promise that an unusually rich which is the main concern in the farm is guaranteed the healthy fruit harvest will unfold next year. animal husbandry, the farm is safety. The Taedonggang Pig Farm is producing piglets on a regular In addition, it produces or- a large-size base which was built basis. With a correct understand- ganic compound fertilizer using ing of the pigs’ fertilization period, pig excrement. The fertilizer is all the workers at the breeding shop sent to the Taedonggang Com- increase the per-litter number of bined Fruit Farm. The pig farm pigs by artificial fertilization produces as much as nearly while increasing the number of 20 000 tons of organic fertilizer mother pigs through a scientific and liquid fertilizer a year. breeding system. Meanwhile, the fruit farm sup- The workers at the raising plies feed to the pig farm. shop conduct the feeding in a All the managers and employ- scientific and technical way and ees of the pig farm are now full of improve the piglets’ appetite and enthusiasm to increase the pork resistance to diseases, thus en- production systematically and suring a high growing rate. produce lots of organic fertilizer at The farm has set up a well- the same time to be sent to the in 2011 for the pomicultural de- regulated system for feed supply fruit farm. velopment and meat production. and anti-epizootic care to increase Chairman Kim Jong Un, on a In the farm are an integrated the meat production. In particu- visit to the pig farm in August last control room, a breeding house, a lar, by a rational feeding method year, had a photo taken with the raising house, a fattening house, a they found to lower the consump- managers and employees of the meat processing workshop and an tion of feed, they are hitting the farm, congratulating them on organic compound fertilizer work- meat target on all indices every their achievements in the pork shop. month. production. The farm has put the produc- The pork processing from pri- Sim Yong Jin

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 13 Following General Line of Socialist Construction

N THE 1990S, THE IMPERI- vanced vigorously along the gen- been firmly equipped with the I alists and reactionaries made eral line of socialist construction Juche idea, the revolutionary idea desperate efforts to isolate and under the wise leadership of the of the Party, and this has become suffocate the Democratic People’s Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). the basis for solid ideological Republic of Korea (DPRK) claim- Kim Il Sung, eternal unity of the whole society. The ing the “end” of socialism and the President of the DPRK, made a ideological revolution has been “triumph” of capitalism availing famous statement, based on the promoted successfully under the themselves of the situation in Juche idea that man is the master correct guidance of the WPK with which socialism was suffering a of everything and decides every- the result that all the people are setback in some countries. thing, that the people’s govern- firmly armed with the Juche idea In his immortal classic work ment plus the three revolutions and the Songun idea and, rallied The Historical Lesson in makes communism. To carry out closely around the Party and the Building Socialism and the the ideological, technological and leader, are fully discharging their General Line of Our Party, cultural revolutions while role and responsibility as befitting Chairman Kim Jong Il wrote strengthening the people’s gov- masters of the revolution and that the frustration of socialism ernment and steadily enhancing construction. and the revival of capitalism in its function and role is the general The Korean people, taking some countries, when viewed in line for building socialism put great pride in carrying on the the light of the main tide of his- forward by the President. revolution, are devoting all their torical development, is only a In the struggle to build social- energy and wisdom to the worth- temporary, local phenomenon. ism the WPK has seen the ideo- while struggle to build a socialist And he clarified the general di- logical revolution as the most power. They work and live in a rection and fundamental ways to important task and invariably revolutionary way, helping and be followed in building a socialist maintained the principle of giving leading one another forward on society, a society in which the it definite precedence. It has con- the principle of collectivism epito- popular masses are the masters ducted the ideological revolution mized by the slogan of “One for all and which is developed through in an uninterrupted and profound and all for one!” the creativity of the popular way in line with the progress of The leader, the Party and the masses that are united as one. the revolution and construction. masses are united into a socio- The Korean people have ad- All the members of society have political entity sharing the same ►

Drastic Changes and Development

HIS IS MY FOURTH TIME visited the Youth Movement Mu- T in the DPRK. I am very seum and I took part in the semi- happy when I come here. When I nar on the Juche idea. I had a stay in Pyongyang I see a lot of chance to visit so many new drastic changes. The drastic and places which I had not contacted extraordinary changes in every before. Everywhere Comrades field are possible because of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il good guidance and leadership loved the children and youth. I of Comrades Kim Il Sung, think Comrades Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un I think at the bottom of my heart are beloved and wise leaders of that the DPRK has a very good the people in the DPRK. leader. Otherwise it could not When I visited the Youth have developed so drastically. I Movement Museum with my ►

14 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 ► fate, and the whole society is a part in creative cultural activities, proving systematically. On the single great revolutionary com- displaying their wisdom and tal- solid foundation of the powerful munity—this is the true image of ent to the full in the development independent national economy the DPRK. of socialist culture and enjoying a equipped with modern technol- The WPK has also conducted a rich and varied cultural and emo- ogy, the Korean people are devel- struggle aimed at liberating the tional life to their heart’s content. oping their national economy people from the fetters of out- The noble socialist morality of sustainably, relying on their own moded culture and developing a respecting and helping one an- efforts in doing whatever they socialist culture which serves the other and sharing the joy and decide to do. people. Even in the difficult con- sorrow is prevalent among the Under the leadership of the ditions in which the socialist people and a sound socialist way WPK the people’s government has revolution and socialist construc- of life reigns supreme in the whole further strengthened as the rep- tion had to be done, the DPRK society. resentative of the people’s right to introduced universal free compul- Only an independent economy independence, the organizer of sory education step by step, com- which can stand on its own feet on their creative abilities and activi- bined school education with social the strength of modern technology ties, administrator responsible for education and developed the can provide the people with an their livelihood and the protector study-while-working system so independent and creative working of their interests. In their daily that everybody could receive edu- and material life and consolidate life the Korean people have ac- cation at state expense. national independence by helping quired the conviction that social- The work of building socialist establish Juche in ideology, ism alone can eliminate every culture appropriate to the aspira- achieve independence in politics manner of domination, subjuga- tions to independence and feel- and win self-reliance in national tion and social inequality and ings and emotions of the popular defence—this is a firm stand of provide them with genuine free- masses has also been conducted the WPK. From the Juche stand dom and equality and a happy vigorously. The Juche culture and the DPRK has pushed the techno- and worthwhile life, and that arts which reflect the people’s logical revolution to suit the spe- socialism is the only way for the aspirations to independence and cific conditions of the country and people to realize their ideal of their revolutionary requirements by tapping the creative abilities of independence. Socialism has are flourishing, enjoying infinite the people. In this effort the prin- struck its root deep in their mind love of the working people, and all ciple of making the national econ- as their life and soul. the cultural wealth of society is omy Juche-based, modern and Today the Korean people have being used exclusively for im- scientific has been maintained a firm belief in the justness and provement of the people’s cultural consistently. Under the wise future of the cause of socialism standards and satisfaction of leadership of the WPK the tech- which they chose themselves and their varying needs for cultural nological revolution has been have pioneered with their own and recreational enjoyment. Lit- conducted successfully. As a re- efforts. They are filled with a erature, the arts, health, sporting sult the working people’s creative revolutionary determination to activities and other cultural pur- working life is becoming more and follow the path of socialism to the suits are everyday practices of the more enjoyable and fruitful and end under the Party’s leadership. masses. Everyone likes to take the people’s material life is im- Ri Jong Nam

► guide she explained very nicely country— culture, education, take a long time to talk of my and deeply. And I just came to roads, bridges and science and feelings. know that every nation needs technology. All those things are young people to develop their possible only because of the great Shanker Prasad Bharati, country. This type of view, I leader Marshal Kim Jong Un. chairman of the Nepal think, was originated and stud- From the bottom of my heart I Literary Forum for ied in the DPRK. I have seen very salute Marshal Kim Jong Un. Songun Study well the youth are always ahead Without such a type of leader no of the nation. I just found that nation can get such a type of the youth are the means and drastic changes and development workers to develop the country. in the country. I have just said that every There are so many feelings in time I am here, I found very great my heart and in my brain. I can’t changes in every field of the explain all those things. It will

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 15 Paean to Youth

AST YEAR THE SONG PAEAN TO YOUTH stage of the revolution and construction. The young L was made in celebration of the Ninth Congress of people displayed to the full unparalleled bravery in Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, and it spread the anti-Japanese war and the Fatherland Libera- rapidly as it reflects the Korean youth’s will and tion War and took the lead in the building of a new faith. country, postwar reconstruction, socialist construc- tion and the building of a powerful nation. Over the If we stretch our arms to the sky years they grew up as performers of miraculous feats we could pluck stars. under the care of the Party. They cherish the truth of If we stamp our feet we could break mountains. life that when they advance following the Party they Our name is youth as we are full of confidence. will surely win victory. Thus, they, with a high am- We are hopeful youth bition and ideal, are undertaking formidable pro- resembling our impregnable Party. jects, stirring the era.

It is the tradition of the Workers’ Party of Korea We’ll shoulder the heaviest burden of the country. to attach importance to youth and take loving care of We’ll keep fervent love and fierce hatred. them. The slogan “Love the Youth!” embodies the Our name is youth as we are always Party’s view on the youth. The Party, regarding the burning with patriotism. issue of youth as a matter of crucial importance in We are enthusiastic youth deciding the rise and fall of the country and as the resembling our passionate Party. priority of all state affairs, has paid deep concern to young people. It maintains that they make up the Different young people do different jobs across vanguard of the revolution, not the auxiliary force, the country, but they voluntarily bear heavy bur- and the advance party and main force in the revolu- dens in preparing a powerful and prosperous tomor- tionary struggle and the social movement, and the row, and make devoted efforts for their country. In backbone in carving out the future. the past a huge number of young people chose to The Party set the youth league as its dependable work in the most difficult sectors—at coal and other reserve, advance force and wing, and has success- mines, farms, forestry and fishery stations and fully administered the politics of attaching impor- power projects—true to the call of the Party and tance to young people in every period and at every performed labour feats, distinguishing themselves ►

Young people are burning with a determination to fulfil their mission as vanguard and shock force in the struggle to build a thriving socialist nation.

16 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 Ri Se Gwang and Rim Jong Sim won gold medals at the 31st Olympic Games, and many other athletes brought honour to their country from international competitions.

► as young coal miners, young miners, young sub- menting the Party’s policy of building a sports power. workteam workers, young shock-brigade members Ri Se Gwang and Rim Jong Sim won gold medals at and young scientists. the 31st Olympic Games, and many other athletes are Young people, regarding their workplaces as bringing honour to the country from international positions for attack, have waged a vigorous cam- competitions. Besides, there are a good many young paign for increased production by displaying the people of virtue—some of them donated their blood traits and mettle of the Korean youth, who enjoy and flesh to patients who are none of their relatives, making revolution and love working. Thus they have while others got married with disabled soldiers. Ko- made a large contribution in all sectors of the rea is changing by day and night on the strength of national economy. They have played the leading role young people’s efforts. in accomplishing grandiose plans of the Party to build monumental edifices, to say nothing of new We’ll be stars of faith following railways, fish farms, stockbreeding bases and so on. the sun of guidance. They have built monumental structures honoured We’ll be staunch pillars supporting with the name of youth—Kanggye Youth Power the great cause of Paektu. Station, Youth Hero Road, Youth Park Open-air Our name is youth as we know only Theatre, Taehung Youth Hero Mine, amusement the eternal victory. park in the Kaeson Youth Park, Paektusan Hero We are glorious youth following our great Party. Youth Power Station and the like. In particular, the young builders of the Paektusan Hero Youth Power At its Ninth Congress Kim Il Sung Socialist Station carried out within several months an Youth League was renamed Kimilsungist- amount of work equal to what others would do in Kimjongilist Youth League. With this young people ten years, thus creating a legendary tale of heroic have got a firmer faith and will. They are full of youth. determination to carry out the Korean revolution The spirit of the Paektusan hero youth created in without fail, upholding the Party for ever in the the Mt. Paektu area is the one of marching straight future as they did in the past. Cherishing the trust forward along the course set by the Party, the one of of the Party setting them as masters of the youth offensive and self-reliance and self-development with power the young people are performing creations which to run at the Mallima Speed with the courage and innovations at their workplaces in order to build to try to lift even the earth with the trust of the a powerful nation by dint of self-reliance and self- Party. In that spirit they built a large street a year in development. recent years and some workers fulfil their three to As seen above, the song reflects the faith and will, four years’ assignment in a year. That’s not all. zeal and optimism of young people who have grown Young people launched artificial earth satellites into up into a legion of stout fighters thanks to the WPK’s space with their youthful resource and wisdom and idea of giving importance to youth. As the lyric con- put the country’s machine-building industry on the sists of everyday poetic words with deep meanings to CNC basis, thus giving rise to a sweeping campaign suit the character of young people and romantic and of breaking through the cutting edge across the rhythmical melody, it is widely sung by young people country. all over the country. A lot of young sportspersons are faithfully imple- Kim Chol Hyon

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 17 For Clean Environment

O PREVENT THE AIR which are in a tiny range of air measuring instrument by T pollution and ensure a clean measurement, float in the air joining our collective wisdom,” atmosphere is a very important interfering relevant sensors, it says Kim. An Jae Uk, a depart- problem. was imperative to have a great ment head, says, “The work to The Democratic People’s Re- scientific ability to judge the protect and improve environment public of Korea has long con- amount of the contaminants. is an urgent task of the human ducted the work to measure the But the research team includ- beings. For the reason everyone is amount of air pollutants and take ing Kim got down to the task with concerned about it. It is our duty a suitable step to protect the en- confidence. They knew the faculty to develop the new instrument.” vironment. But the old method had achieved lots of successes in The instrument which they had a number of limitations—it scientific research. Most recently completed in two years has an failed to take the real-time meas- they had designed and manufac- advantage in that it is capable of urement despite a high cost. tured a CT machine by them- measuring even a small content of Young researchers at the en- selves. air pollutants effectively at low vironmental sanitation institute The researchers started their cost. The test application proved of the Academy of Medical Science work by choosing relevant sensor that all the indices of measure- and the electronic engineering elements and understanding their ment are of unquestionable accu- faculty of the Kim Chaek Univer- technical specifications. Teacher racy. sity of Technology manufactured Maeng Chol Su made the driver Based on their achievement, an air measuring instrument circuit of the gas sensor by him- the researchers recently made a which is free from the limitations. self and others developed a real- lighter model of the instrument Thus favourable conditions have time monitor of air-pollution ca- weighing no more than 10kg. It been laid for the work of environ- pable of measuring polluted ma- can be used in all sectors and ar- mental protection. terials in the air and temperature eas including collieries and mines When teacher Kim Yong and humidity comprehensively. as well as indoors and outdoors. It Hyok, one of the developers, set In addition they soon devel- has functions of displaying, saving out to make the instrument, some oped a classifier which sorts out or sending data on air pollution in people shook their head. Because dust in the air and laid a good real time, so it makes it possible to they knew it was a difficult task condition to correctly assess the set an air pollution observation for Korean researchers with no amount of each of pollutants in network across the country. experience or reference books. the air by introducing an artificial Not content with the success, And they couldn’t tell how long it intelligence technology. the research team is now strug- would take. “That was not easy for us, gling to make the instrument Actually, it is not easy to indeed. We had some troubles as smaller and lighter and expand properly analyse the state of vari- the artificial neural network of the measuring realm. ous pollutants mixed in the air. the gas sensor didn’t work prop- As various kinds of pollutants, erly. However, we completed the Rim Ok

18 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 As Required by Actual Conditions

ECENTLY THE SCIEN- merical-control R tists of the Control Machine devices and re- Institute of the State Academy of alize serial pro- Sciences developed a new kind of duction. Build- numerical control device which is ing on the applicable to conventional ma- achievements chine tools. This means a founda- and experience, tion laid to establish FMS and he suggested FMC in line with growing produc- that the insti- tion and an enhancement in the tute would have reliability of control devices. It to develop nu- also makes it possible to easily merical control process materials with curved devices to be surfaces of all forms and improve installed in or- its accuracy. dinary machine Ri Chol Ung, head of the insti- tools in keeping with the global due to concentration of circuits. tute, says, “The numerical control trend and in conformity with the Other researchers including Kim device we have recently developed prevailing conditions and actual Hyok Chol and Ryu Sung Chol is intended for conventional ma- circumstances of the country. settled a lot of scientific and tech- chine tools with no more than Now a research project was de- nical problems like the designing three axes, like the lathe, miller cided and started targeting the of the control device circuit and and grinder which now account invention of a new type of nu- development of the control pro- for the greatest portion of equip- merical control device which gram and PLC editor and trans- ment in the machine tools indus- would be the breakthrough in lator. Thanks to their painstaking try.” He tells a story about how realizing CNC-based moderniza- speculation and pursuit, and their the scientists including section tion of existing machine tools at a strenuous effort a new numerical chief Ri Jong Mu had invented the lower cost. control device was successfully new device. Ri organized certain teams developed in a matter of five One day some years ago, Jong for designing of the device cir- months. Now the researchers Mu saw several kinds of numeri- cuits and development of an op- introduced the device at the cal-control devices at a factory erating system and a device drive Taean Heavy Machine Complex, while he was staying there to help program. Soon, the teams fin- thus providing another scientific its modernization. Installed in ished all their tasks. Together and technical guarantee for conventional machine tools, they with the researchers Ri made an higher-level CNC-based moderni- had a good reputation among the examination of all parts of the zation of conventional machine workers. However, as they were processes, when he found low tools. so expensive, they were applied accuracy of data in the CPU and Ri Jong Mu says, “We find our only to some machines. Ri decided some abnormalities in the high- pride in what we have done for to develop a new style of device speed signal. Thus, the institute the country and people. We’re which would be of low price, func- spent days of intensive work going to increase the number of tional and suited to the actual searching for the seat of the kinds of serial products and de- condition. troubles and taking relevant velop and mass-produce control Earlier his section had intro- measures. devices to be installed in multi- duced numerical control devices of One day, researcher Pak Jong axes machine tools. In this way different serials for not only con- Sik found out a mistake while we’ll help realize CNC-based ventional machine tools but also trying the CPU and he explained modernization projects in our latest ones with 32 axes at certain scientifically that the high-speed country on a higher level.” companies, while they were en- signal’s problem came from the gaged in a project to develop nu- fluctuation in the electric current Mun Il Jin

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 19 Talents of Practical Ability Trained

N OCTOBER 30, 1951, emy pillbox with his breast to The Presidium of the Supreme O during the Fatherland Lib- support his military unit’s coun- People’s Assembly of the Democ- eration War, Ri Su Bok died a tercharge in the battle on a name- ratic People’s Republic of Korea, heroic death by checking an en- less hill on the left of Height 1 211. in high appreciation of his exploit, honoured him with a title of Hero The college is making exact demands on all teachers of the DPRK and named his alma to combine lectures with experiments and practice. mater Ri Su Bok Sunchon College of Chemical Engineering. Recently the college is con- ducting an effective campaign to develop the students’ independent and creative abilities of research. Above all, the students are admitted into research projects. Especially the soon-to-be graduates were encouraged to find the seed of their research subject in problems they encoun- tered in practice, either special or local. Since the students grasped the seed of their research them- selves and conducted it proac- tively, they could develop their independent and creative think- ing abilities. To help them catch the correct seed of their research and complete it in a short span of time, the college made sure the ►

20 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 ► teachers of the scientific research site investigation through re- garding the teachers’ role as the department and the other able search work or different forms of main link in the chain of the effort teachers had collective delibera- practices. to improve the students’ research tion and helped the students seek The college administrators activities and giving them good solutions to complete it success- also made strict demands on training, the students have won a fully in a limited span of time. teachers to combine lecture, ex- lot of scientific research achieve- Thus the students got down with periment and practice as a whole. ments. The projects of creating a confidence to the effort to com- It wasn’t easy at all. The teachers college homepage and developing plete their graduation thesis by a would not give up the habit of a program for putting the college proper method, and as a result giving a lecture in one session and education on the IT basis were they acquired, in a short period of training in another session. The completed in a short span of time preparing graduation thesis, ca- college encouraged the younger thanks to the students involved in pabilities of independent research teachers to lead the effort while the research campaign. useful in reality. making the labs multi-functional The administrators are deter- The college has also made so that they could give a lecture mined to train talents of practical much account of the students’ there as well. abilities who will contribute ac- scientific research activities. In It is attributable to the effort tively to the prosperity of the order to engage more students in that well-informed people of prac- country in the future by learning scientific research activities it tical abilities come from the col- after the spirit of Hero Ri Su Bok. encouraged teachers to help stu- lege in numbers. dents make more account of on- As a result of the view of re- Sim Hyon Jin

Students conduct dynamic activities for scientific research.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 21 New E-library Opens

N E-LIBRARY WAS NEWLY BUILT AT in factories and enterprises can attend lectures of A the Pyongyang University of Railways in Sep- several subjects in real time as they want. tember last year. It is housed in a four-storeyed In addition, over 1 000 square metres of area is building with a total floor space of more than 3 000 grassed over to improve the educational environ- square metres, where they can keep over 50 000 ment. books. There are e-reading rooms with a total of over All the administrators and teaching staff are now 370 seats, a distance-learning hall, an auditorium, a exerting themselves to make the most of the e-library foreign language lab—all equipped with modern in developing the students’ intellectual potentialities facilities and fittings. as much as possible and putting the educational The database of the e-library stores books of so- content on a practical, comprehensive and modern cial and natural sciences, magazines, theses, foreign basis so as to help students obtain and use advanced sci-tech books as well as technical documents in the and useful knowledge as soon as possible. sector of railway transport. It also has all necessary Sim Chol Yong materials—multimedia including sci-tech documen- taries and editions as well as programs. The university and e-library are connected by a network to provide bulky documents promptly and correctly at any time, giving a substantial help for education and scientific research as well as students’ work. The e-library also has a convenient distribution of as many as 900 modern electronic facilities of over 30 kinds, so everyone can attend IT instruction. As the distance-learning network is available, the workers

22 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 School Famous for Many Model Teachers

T THE 22ND NATIONAL MEETING FOR

A presentation of educational experience and discussion on teaching methods of individual sub- jects in July last year, Kim Kyong Hui, teacher at the Tonghung Junior Middle School in Central District, Pyongyang, took first place. She improved the cogni- tive faculty of first-year students of junior middle school in understanding applications programs com- pared with their experience at primary school. She is an October 8 Model Teacher who won a municipal teaching contest. To learn her secret we visited the Tonghung Jun- ior Middle School. Hearing about Kim from school administrators we came to know a fact we had never Kim Kyong Hui, an October 8 Model Teacher. expected—the school had a lot of model teachers. Second-master Ryu Ki Man said, “It is required to to improve the new idea. constantly improve education in content and method Pupils easily assimilated lessons while experi- as the time develops. So our school has been enhanc- encing their own practice and observation. Kim’s ing the teachers’ qualification in a planned way.” teaching method was evaluated as the best in a mu- Instead of our initial schedule of meeting Kim nicipal teaching contest last year, when several other alone, we decided to collect information on the gen- teachers of the school took first place. eral state of education at the school. Building on the experience, an intensive cam- The school put primary efforts into preparation of paign was going on in the school to create better and a teaching plan in improving teachers’ qualification. practical teaching methods. The school established a Initially, it saw to it that teachers of every depart- database to help the teachers refer to information ment prepared their plans at a high level through a essential for education, educational achievements in group discussion and that some of them presented the country and the global trend of educational de- demonstration lessons. Then other teachers gave velopment. their opinions about them. In the course of this Kim Kyong Hui said to us, “Even though educa- teachers came to acquire better methods of giving tional content is well fixed, we would be unable to lessons. Administrators including the headmistress rear pupils into independent and creative talents if regularly inspected lessons at work and gave advice we fail to constantly improve teaching methods. In to perfect their teaching methods. our school all teachers are working hard to create The school also took care of preparation of teach- new teaching methods. My success is attributable to ing aids. Ideas of teachers played an important role the fact that I have improved my qualification in making teaching aids including hanging pictures, through the campaign to overtake and learn from experimental apparatuses and multimedia. one another and swap experience in the arena of One day the headmistress was looking round the searching a better heuristic method.” school after work. She was attracted to a bright room The school has an increasing number of winners on the first floor. There she could see Kim Un Jong, a of certificate of new teaching method and certificate new teacher, making several shapes with balloons. of new experimental apparatus and teaching aid, and She was making a model of digestive organ to be the title of October 8 Model Teacher. Teachers’ abili- used to help pupils visually understand how food is ties have led to considerable improvement of stu- digested. Kim said confidently she would be able to dents’ attainments. The number of honour students help pupils understand the structure and principle of has soared, and Kim Yun Jin received Kim Jong Il the digestive organ and process of digestion if she let Children Honour Prize for his admirable work at pupils not only watch but also make the model studies. themselves. The headmistress gave her own opinion Rim Sang Jun

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 23 Medical Oxygen Factory Opens

① The liquid oxygen separator. ② The liquid oxygen filling station. ③ The oxygen supply station.

24 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 The oxygen separator.

OME TIME AGO I VISITED tion done according to technical factory is providing live oxygen to S the Medical Oxygen Factory indices. The manager continued the central hospitals like the Py- located in the suburbs of Pyongy- to say that all the processes were ongyang Maternity Hospital, the ang for coverage. Arriving there, I put on an automatic and com- Okryu Children’s Hospital and could see a general view of the puter-controlled basis to produce the Kim Man Yu Hospital and all cosy, neat factory in a thick grove high-quality oxygen whose purity other district-level people’s hospi- with fresh air. is 99.88%. tals in Pyongyang. There are al- Kim Jong Chol, manager of Then I was guided to the ways special vans on standby to the factory, welcomed me and workshop furnished with a PLC carry them.” There could be seen said, “Our respected leader control panel and other facilities the lorries in the garages. Kim Jong Un visited my factory for turning out liquid oxygen and Then we went to the gaseous last year. He said that the modern oxygen analytical gauges. Ex- oxygen filling station. There gase- factory had been built wonder- plaining the technical specifica- ous oxygen is filled into cylinders fully to provide hospitals with tions one by one including the and moved to the oxygen supply high-quality live oxygen for peo- production capacity, technical station, said Kim Jong Chol and ple’s health, adding he was satis- indices, storage capacity and continued, “The State sees my fied that he had done another power consumption, Mun Song factory as a small but important worthwhile job for the welfare of Hyok, a controller, said, “It is our factory conducive to protection of the people. He said that it was duty to provide hospitals with the lives of people and promotion just his happiness.” high-quality oxygen that con- of the public health. It’s a great Listening to him, I entered the forms to the hygienic standard. honour to us. The spirit of serving compound of the factory. Pointing We are all determined to carry out the people devotedly— this will to the place where a smooth buzz- our task with a sense of responsi- enable us to exalt the honour, I ing sound came from, he said it bility.” believe.” was the oxygen separating shop. Stepping out of the workshop, Hearing the leaving vans’ Then he guided me to the control I could see a liquid oxygen tank. pleasant honks, I imagined the room with an integrated manu- “The liquid oxygen is changed into happy faces of people enjoying the facturing system. The workers gaseous one through a liquid oxy- benefit from the factory. were checking on the computer gen vaporizer,” said Kim Nam Su, screen the state of oxygen produc- a supply worker, and added, “My Kim Un Chol

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 25 Family of Doctors for Three Generations

HE FAMILY OF RI MYONG GWON, Korea occupied by

T department chief at Kim Man Yu Hospital, is the US after Ja- glorified as a family of doctors for three generations. pan’s defeat were It is not simply because of the medical successes of the brand of his father, Ri himself, his sons and daughters-in-law. “rebel” and im- From generation to generation, they have kept the prisonment. sympathy with and support for the principle of life. During the Father Ri Yong Gyom is recorded in the Compre- Fatherland Lib- hensive Korean Encyclopedia as one of the pioneers of eration War he radiology in Korea. Before national liberation came over to the (August 15, 1945), he travelled across the Korean warm embrace of Strait to Japan as an enthusiastic young man sensi- the Democratic tive to the new. While working through college there People’s Republic he decided to pioneer the medical science for the sake of Korea, which of Koreans to suit their constitution. At that time it marked the be- was impossible to read a college graduation thesis, ginning of his not to mention getting a degree, if they used the really worthwhile Ri Myong Gwon’s father Ri Korean name. However, Ri wrote his Korean name life as doctor. In Yong Gyom was one of pio- instead of the Japanese in the thesis. However hard the difficult war- neers of radiology in Korea. he tried, he could not accomplish his wish to contrib- time he renewed ute to improvement of Koreans’ health with medical his sense of duty as doctor seeing the free medical art in Korea under Japan’s colonial rule. care system enforced in reality. He contributed to When his country was liberated he thought that development of radiology, which was one of the vir- it was time to contribute all his knowledge to his gin fields in the DPRK, into a separate sector of nation. He exerted himself over the medical research medical science, and established a comprehensive while working as professor of radiology in a medical visual medical system while setting up new branches college in Seoul. Hearing news about the people en- of radiology in the period of postwar days. joying a new happy life in the northern half of Korea, Before breathing his last at the age of over 80 he he wrote an essay yearning for the state and social repeated what he had said habitually, “Remember. administration. However, all things he got in south Success does not come from talent but devoted ser- ►

Ri Myong Gwon (right) and The second son Ri Yong Jin. his first son Ri Yong Ho.

26 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 ► vice to the people.” It was a summary of experiences of his life, and became the motto of his descendants. Upholding his father’s advice, Ri Myong Gwon has made a respectable career with his high medical Korean Ssirum accomplishments and theoretical authority, and now his three sons and their wives have grown up as Techniques and distinguished figures in the medical circle. Myong Gwon has made a great contribution to the develop- ment of isotope-based medical science of the nation Tricks as head of the visual diagnostics society of the Min- istry of Public Health, and chairman of the CT and SIRUM (KOREAN WRESTLING) MRI subcommittee of the Medical Association of Korea. His sons are powerful doctors at central hos- S techniques are divided into two— the pitals including Kim Man Yu Hospital. Especially, basic and the main. The basic techniques in- his second son Ri Yong Jin created a great stir by clude grip, posture, movement, shouldering opening up a new phase of the blood vessel surgery and so on. The main techniques include hand through development of a cardiac surgery manage- tricks, body tricks, leg tricks, and their com- ment system and successfully devising varieties of bined tricks for attack, defence and counter- advanced operation methods. attack. There are tens of kinds of techniques Myong Gwon, well over 70 now, often recalls the generally applied in ssirum matches. Ssirum watershed in his life. It was the time of his youthful tricks are largely divided into three—hand days. As he was excellent at studies his teachers tricks, leg tricks and body tricks. advised him to go on to the Kim Chaek University of Technology to be a fine engineer. However, he turned The hand tricks are to throw down the his step to an examination room of the then Pyongy- opponent by whacking, pushing, pulling and ang University of Medicine with his father’s request. twisting his knee, back, back of his neck and He says, “Not a few people employ themselves in legs with hands and arms. They include knee hereditary occupations from generation to genera- whack, arm trip, leg pulling and so on. tion through transmission of special techniques and The leg tricks are to throw down the oppo- talent. Those people have their own attachment and nent by pulling or pushing in leg trip together pride. My family has a pride and happiness of our with whirling around. It includes inside-leg- own, incomparable with others. It’s the idea that reaping, turnover, outside-leg-reaping, hoe- we are all directly responsible for execution of the leg-reaping, leg lock, knee trip, inside foot people-oriented health policy.” Ri Song Chol whack and left ankle whack. The body tricks are to throw down the opponent with the strength of the back and The third son Ri Yong Min. arms by lifting him up to buttocks, stomach or chest to throw off his balance and whirling around. The belly throw, one of the specialties in ssirum, belongs to body tricks. The belly throw includes buttock throw, body-twist throw, whirling throw, turnover, turning throw and so on. The tricks can be combined to throw down, defend or counter-attack the opponent. Ssirum is one of the most favourite na- tional folk games that two persons fight out applying various kinds of tricks. Today it is one of the most popular sporting events of the Koreans. ‰

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 27 Migok-ri People’s Hospital

IGOK-RI, SARIWON factory. to the three-degree burn and the M City, North Hwanghae Song Yong Chol, director of hollowed area was so serious that Province is one of the rural com- the hospital who has been work- it might cause various complica- munities best known to the coun- ing in the hospital for twelve tions like necrosis. Immediately a try. years, says the health care policy hospital consultation was held Everyone loves their home- of the Workers’ Party of Korea to and measures were taken. town, but the Migok people’s pride put effort into the section doctor Ra Yun Chol, doctor who was in their village is extraordinary. system and prophylactic medicine in charge of her, recalls the treat- Especially they are proud of the is taking good effect in Migok-ri. ment of fast granulation as well local people’s hospital refurbished In fact there took place several as the one of preventing further into a model for the whole country national demonstrations in rela- inflammation took an amazing along with the doctors famous for tion to the effort. The doctors effect thanks to proper combina- their sincere treatment based on conduct medical examination on a tion of Koryo and modern reme- proper combination of traditional regular basis in the residential dies. By dint of special treatments Koryo and modern remedies. areas in their charge every day, such as easing stiffness in the leg The two-storey hospital situ- and put effort into the work of and walking as dictated by func- ated at the foot of a picturesque improving hygienic awareness. tional therapies, Yong Ran came hill looks like a piece of art— They also concern themselves to be able to leave the hospital in Korean-style fence surrounding with the active work of combining 47 days with long strides. the hospital, paths paved with traditional Koryo and modern Many other workers who have vari-coloured flagstones and neat treatments. Befitting a rural vil- been treated there do not spare gardens of various kinds of me- lage, various kinds of medicinal their praise of the hospital. Every dicinal herbs. Though small, the herbs are grown extensively and year lots of foreigners visit the yard has such fruit trees as apple, used in treatment. hospital. Recently a WHO delega- sweet cherry, persimmon trees Last year Yun Yong Ran, a tion looked round the hospital, and such medicinal trees as Aro- worker from Workteam No. 3, had when they admiringly said the nia melanocarpa. The interior of a serious burn on her right leg in hospital helped them know well the building is also well fur- an accident. She fell unconscious about the free medical care sys- nished. There is an in-patient and was rushed to the hospital. tem of the Democratic People’s ward as well as all necessary de- Her condition was very serious. Republic of Korea. partments like those of internal The flesh on the leg was torn due Pak Yong Il treatment, surgery, paediatrics and Koryo medicine. The treat- ment rooms are furnished with all kinds of facilities and put on dust- and germ-free basis. Ju Song Suk, a paediatrician, recalls that when she was as- signed to the hospital three years ago after graduation from medical college she was disappointed at first because she had grown up in a city. But actually she found the hospital little different from ur- ban ones, and she soon became attached to her hospital as the working condition was all satis-

28 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 Promising Judoist

myongsu Sports Team who was Though she had not so long a on a visit to the school for selec- career she carried on her fight tion of judo reserves. He asked well on her own initiative. When her if she would join judo instead she reached the semi-final she of race. She had no idea about suddenly felt a pain in her right judo, but she readily agreed with arm. She knew her injury from him, thinking she might have an earlier exercises was returning. It opportunity to have the national was an unexpected obstacle for flag hoisted in the sky of her her. It became much more serious country. Her father actively sup- when she reached the final. ported her decision saying that Recollecting the situation, Ji she should choose her own way to says, “At that time I thought of work for the country when the my parents and people in my N SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR powerful sports wind was sweep- home town who had told me to I at the Asian Junior and Juve- ing the country. return with a successful career, nile Judo Championships 2016 in In April next year she moved and officials and players of my India a girl from the DPRK won to Pyongyang and began to re- team who had told me to win the the junior women’s 52kg category. ceive basic education in sports. championship. That was the When her national flag was After lessons at school in the source of my exertion. Seeing my hoisted she became tearful. She is morning she was given basic national flag hoisted in a foreign Ji Un Ha, a judoist in the Ri- training in judo in the sports land I was tearful with the happi- myongsu Sports Team. team. Since then she took part in ness that I could see them with She was born in Jongju City, several national juvenile contests honour.” North Phyongan Province, as a and won fine results. Then she Ji’s development is largely daughter of a farm worker. She participated in the DPRK Cham- attributable to her coach Kim was unusually fond of music in pionships and gradually became Chol’s effort. He graduated from her childhood. She was popular at famous across the country as a the Korea University of Physical her primary school as she was rising star. She went to the Asian Education and won heavier cate- good at accordion. At every school Junior and Juvenile Champion- gories of judo at DPRK Champi- sports day she was always chosen ships twice but took second place onships in his career. He is fa- for a race and took first place. to everybody’s pity. mous among athletes for his strict When she was 11, she took Last year she made her third demand in training and his part in the relay as a player of the attempt in the championships. It friendship with trainees. Pongae team at the school sports attracted a lot of world-famous Ji is now making strenuous day. As the last runner she judoists as it was held ahead of efforts targeting the coming breasted the finish tape by catch- this year’s World Junior Judo World Junior Judo Champion- ing up her rivals. That day she Championships. Ji applied for the ships. met a judo coach from the Ri- junior women’s 52kg category. Sim Chol Yong

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 29 Hard Training Brings Victory

ONTHS AGO A three years ago, they won gold stances, and how to increase the M football match took place medals at the 27th Pyongyang speed in changing the style of between the April 25 Sports Team International Invitation Table movements and moving left and and the Hwaeppul Sports Team Tennis Tournament, the ISU right in table-tennis. Tasks to be at the Kim Il Sung Stadium World Development Trophy tackled in field hockey, synchro- which had just been renovated as Short-track Speed Skating Tour- nized swimming and short-track required by the new era. The see- nament 2015 and the ITTF World speed skating are also envisaged saw battle ended in the Hwaep- Tour Pyongyang Open 2016. in the plan. pul’s victory. When I went to the Hwaeppul The team attaches great im- Recently the Hwaeppul Sports Sports Team, I found all the play- portance to the role of researchers Team has attained wonderful ers redoubling the intensity of for each event and medical re- results in several events as well their training. Pak Jae Bom, chief searchers. They analyse the play- as football. A Korea Today re- of the instruction department, ers’ burden and take proper steps porter met O Kyong Su, the Hwa- makes exact demands on the in consonance with the change in eppul leader, to ask what the players to make phased training their physical and bio-chemical secret is. “No one else than plans with the main stress on the functions while applying scientific sportspeople can fly the national intensity of training before con- formulas to improve the players’ flag in foreign countries in peace- test and on application of the physical and technical abilities as time. It is an important mission of method of training in real-contest well as their tactical prepara- sportspeople to exalt the dignity situations. tions. On this basis, the coaches and honour of their nation by The training schedule made concentrate on developing special winning gold medals. When they through the collective discussion techniques of each player and are aware of this notion, their of coaches and researchers in- steadily develop their tactical training may lead to victory,” cludes detailed issues like how to modes in accord with actual con- said O. ensure a high speed in football ditions. Then he continued to explain games by changing the formation That’s not all. While develop- that although the Hwaeppul of the team for different purposes ing the professional qualifications Sports Team was organized only in consonance with circum- of coaches and researchers, the ►

30 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 ► team arranges sessions for swap- ping experience, reviews of games, workshops to improve their theoretical qualifications and practical ability in their re- spective fields and consultations on how to reject the practice of clinging to experience alone. In this course, the team has produced an increasing number of People’s Athletes like table tennis coaches Jon Pong Su and Kim Yun Mi, and Merited Athletes. The intense training of the play- ers brought about victories in the contests. Ham Yu Song was placed first in men’s doubles at the Asian Juvenile Table-tennis Championships 2016 held in Thailand last year and Han Kyong Ryong won first place in the singles at the Suv Parisi-2016 international synchronized swim- ming tournament. When asked, they both told journalists that the victory depends on how they train themselves. The sports team is now inten- sifying the training bearing in mind that victory is decided be- fore contest. Kang Hye Ok

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 31 The Central Zoo (3)

HEN WE ARRIVED AT in their training and, in particu- taken much trouble teaching W the animal circus place lar, it was a most difficult task sums to the dogs and that perhaps there were already many people beyond imagination to teach sums that’s why the dogs were the girl’s waiting for the start of the animal to pet dogs. great friends. Now the girl called circus. Most of them were chil- Now the animal circus started, “No. 26!” and a dog came forward dren in their infancy and upward, and the first item of the pro- to the centre of the stage. As she taken by their parents. “Few visi- gramme was a monkey’s acting. It wrote “6-3=?” on the blackboard, tors will miss this place,” guide made a round of the stage on a the dog went round checking the Kim Hyang advised us, “it is al- cycle before it started playing number cards placed against the ways full of people as you see, and basketball. The monkey was dex- walls of the stage and picked out the animals’ gestures will excite terous and missed no ball. All of one inscribed with “3,” bringing it you to laughter.” the children and grown-ups to the girl between its teeth. The We first met Yu Sung Ok, clapped their hands in delight. spectators gave cheers in wonder. head of the animal circus. She The next item was pet dogs’ doing Now the girl asked a boy among said the animals are quite clever sums. Yu Sung Ok, pointing at a the crowd to set the dog a ques- in their feats as we would see, girl who was coming out on the tion which includes one minus that there were many difficulties stage with dogs, said she had and one plus sign. The boy gave ►

32 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 ► the question “9+2-4=?” While the It was really worthy of seeing. from the tamer, the seals threw it people present stood dubious The next item was rope skipping with their mouths right into the about the dog’s success, the pet of dogs and monkeys. The whole net, scoring goals. Their skills dog was quick enough to find out play ended with pigeon dance. were enough to amaze even pro- the right card and brought it to We went on to the seals’ show fessional basketball players. The the girl. The answer was “7.” pool. It was newly built during seals amused the visitors with Struck with admiration, the spec- reconstruction of the zoo. Here we various plays—jumping through a tators waved their hands towards had a talk with Choe Un Gyong, hoop, balancing a ball with head the dog. the tamer. When we asked her and tail, turning a ring round the Then, two monkeys came out how she could tame the seals to mouth, catching flying rings with on the stage in a battery car. They obey her meekly, she said since the necks, and treasure hunting. unloaded chairs from the car and they were also animals, it was Every stunt of them called forth piled them up one by one on each very important to take advantage warm cheers. other. The animals were so adroit of their instinctive reaction to feed Seeing the people delighted at that they could outshine men in while placing stress on training. the animals’ shows, spending a their performance. Then, another The animals’ acting started with a good time of recreation free from pair of monkeys entered the seal greeting the audience with a cares and laughing happily with stage. When their trainer threw flower in its mouth, which it pre- nothing to worry about, we could hoops, they stopped them around sented to the latter. Then, the foresee the prosperous future of their necks. Then they began to play of throwing a large ball into the motherland. turn the hoops round their bodies. the net started. Receiving the ball Sim Chol Yong

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 33 Pyongyang Sushi Restaurant

NE OF THE MOST convenience. food is prepared in a kitchen and O important efforts going on On the ground floor is a dining delivered to you by the belt. in the Democratic People’s Re- hall. Here the kitchen stands side In the restaurant you can public of Korea at present is to by side with the hall so that they choose any kind of sushi and meet the increasing material and can have varieties of dishes as dishes. There are over 30 kinds of cultural needs of the people. In well as different kinds of sushi sushi like red tuna sushi, white Pyongyang alone sports parks instantly prepared to order. On tuna sushi, sea-bream sushi and and service establishments have the first floor are rooms for differ- salmon sushi. In particular, the risen in every nook and corner. ent parties and a belt dining hall dishes taste wonderful since they The Pyongyang Sushi Restau- where you can order foods using are cooked to order with live fish rant in Sosong District, Pyongy- computer. Each party room is directly from the aquarium. ang, is one of those facilities. furnished in an inherent Korean The patrons’ appetite is Neatly seating in the middle of way to suit the likings of patrons. aroused all the more strongly Hyoksin Street, it has a total All kinds of flowers and plants with dozens of national dishes floor space of over 1 600 m2. It is and decorations of various kinds like Pyongyang cold noodle and two-storeyed and well furnished of fruits hanging on the walls and mung-bean pancakes. Besides, in a modern way for patrons’ pillars are in good harmony with various other kinds of dishes are the lights, offering pleasure to the also served, like seasoned raw visitors. In the belt dining hall, salmon, seasoned raw sea-bream, when you choose a kind of sushi seasoned raw snakehead and you want to have among those steamed blue crab. listed on the computer screen, the Pak Yong Il

34 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 Life’s Goal

IME FLIES LIKE AN The data on tanchong painting arrow. It is already over 30 T collected by An Chang Ho for years since I engaged myself in over 30 years. studies of tanchong, traditional red-and-blue painting art of Korea. I am well over 60. When look- ing back on my life I am reminded of the past years mixed with anxiety, difficulties and happi- ness. When I was studying to my heart’s content at the Pyongyang parts dull in col- University of Fine Arts without our and some any fee, my father always told me other parts devoid I should not simply enjoy the of its original col- benefits of the State but train our. I thought a lot myself as a true man able to repay in those days. it. His words were a motive for my When I came hard work for a great amount of back to the insti- knowledge. tute, I decided to correct and re- mination because I knew someone The day I graduated from store paintings of ancient archi- else had to do my work if I gave up college with honour, my teachers tectural structures across the halfway. and friends praised me, saying I country and gather data on tan- I had to climb mountains with would surely be a fine artist. But I chong. But I found it so difficult no human inhabitation. I often was already determined to con- through my own experience. lost my way and suffered for duct a research on tanchong. Most of the ancient buildings hours, my body bleeding with At that time a well-regulated were in remote, secluded moun- tears. A handful of roast corn research system was in operation tains. And I couldn’t tell how long grains was my meal most of thanks to a government policy. it would take me to gather all times. But whenever I found The work of unearthing national data on so many paintings—it paintings in temples all kinds of cultural heritage was making might be ten years, twenty years troubles vanished immediately. headway in all parts of the coun- or so. Copying big and small paintings try. I knew tanchong was an im- So I set a goal of carrying out on my paper I came to see that our portant part of the national heri- the task in three stages, each people are truly wise, noble, tage— even a point or line spanning ten years. It was to beautiful and talented. Even for a counted. make a collection of painting pat- picture I made several miniature This is how I chose to work as terns and analyse the long history copies and compared them with researcher at an institute in the and diversity of the Korean fine the original. I still have a vivid field of preservation of national art by classifying the paintings in memory of the happiness and culture. terms of period, subject and style. pride that filled my heart when I One day I was assigned to Through a nearly decade-long discovered painting arts that study paintings of a Buddhist research work, I gathered over were nearly extinct. temple in a county and I went 200 pieces of paintings. Occasionally some people there. The temple was halfway up In the hard time called asked me if I could have any re- a mountain. When I saw the bril- “Arduous March” when the whole ward for my troubles, advising me liant paintings of the temple I felt country was undergoing difficul- to take care of my family. My very pleased. But the pleasure did ties, my family also faced trials. invariable answer was Nothing’s not last long, for I found some But I further hardened my deter- more enjoyable than devoting my ►

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 35 ► pure conscience to the work I chose myself. So I steadily continued my The Story of Our Home way to the Taedong and Pothong gates in Pyongyang, the Hullyon Pavilion in Phyongwon, the Thae- bong Pavilion in Haeju, the Ka- HE STORY OF OUR other. Consequently, Un Hyang hak Pavilion in Anbyon, the T Home, a Korean feature catches a cold in rain. That night Songbul Temple in Mt. Jongbang, produced last year, became a Jong A arrives at Un Jong’s home great public favourite as soon as late and apologizes to Un Hyang the Paeksang Pavilion in Anju, it was put on. giving out the school things but the Yanghwa Temple in Thaechon Ri Jong A, the heroine, is a Un Jong refuses to take them. and so on to get paintings reflect- girl in her late teens who has just She takes her siblings outside ing the national emotion and aes- finished a senior middle school. and says Jong A is anyone but thetic sense as well as the wisdom Going on an errand for her their relative and persuades and talent of the Korean people mother who was a colleague of them not to let her come again to who have long developed an ex- Un Jong’s parents before their their home. Seeing it, Jong A death—they were model workers bursts into tears. traordinary ornamental art of at the Chollima Steel Complex— Learning Jong A’s taking care architecture. she begins to visit the home of the of the parentless children, a lot of One of those days I heard the orphaned children. Un Jong’s people, including the local youth news that in June 2002 Chairman family kept a book titled The league organization members, Kim Jong Il visited the Ryang- Story of Our Home which de- senior local district officials as chon Temple in Kowon County scribes dreams and happy life of well as her neighbours, give her a the parents and children. helping hand. Recognizing that and spoke highly of the paintings, After the loss of her parents cooking a meal or laundering for like the Court Dance in the Tae- Un Jong, student at a senior them does little to take good care ung Hall. He gave precious middle school, is no longer good of them, she leads them to be- instructions about tanchong. at her studies looking after her come true persons loving their Though I was well over 50 at the younger siblings and household hometown and country and add- time, I felt as if I had become affairs, and finally gives up an ing glory to them. youthful again. My determination opportunity to take part in a na- Un Jong finally accepts Jong A’s sincerity feeling grateful to to glorify the national treasure tional math contest. Her younger siblings, Un Hyang and Un Chol, her and her family resume their became firmer. also have troubles with their hopeful life. Un Jong wants to be I spurred myself to run to- studies and yearn for mother’s a scientist, Un Hyang a music ward the goal I had set for my love. teacher, and Un Chol a footballer; whole life. Finally I completed Jong A decides to become they all work hard. collections of tanchong patterns their sister and devotes her sin- Jong A adopts four more or- titled Korean Tanchong (Vols. 1 cerity to them. But Un Jong re- phans—among them is a baby— and gives up everything about and 2) and Tanchong Data (A and gards it as cheap sympathy and refuses to accept it, making trou- the prime of youth—dreams, B). The books contain over 480 bles. enjoyment and romance—solely pieces of tanchong art from a lot One day Jong A manages to to take care of them. She says to of historical sites across the get a set of famous Korean Pom- the children, “My dream is to help country. hyanggi cosmetics for her top yours come true.” I would request our younger prize at a cooking contest. But Jong A becomes known to the generations: she exchanges the cosmetics for whole country when she is hon- oured to address the Second To be a valuable man of the some school things which are the third-place prize. While she is on National Conference of Exem- country, set a high goal and dedi- her way home it begins raining. plary Young People of Virtue. cate your clear conscience. When She remembers Un Hyang forgot Supreme leader Kim Jong Un, each of you do so and achieve it, taking an umbrella, so she heads speaking highly of her deed, our country will become prosper- for her school, when she receives called her maiden mother and ous so much earlier. a phone call and learns that her honoured her by having a photo mother is in a critical condition. taken with her and put her for- An Chang Ho, So she asks her friend to bring an ward as laureate of Kim Jong Il umbrella to Un Hyang for her Youth Honour Prize. resident in Neighbourhood and rushes to see her mother. But When she comes back home Unit No. 74, Wonjong-dong, since her friend and Un Hyang from the conference the children Chollima District, Nampho are strangers, they pass each run up to her happily, calling her ►

36 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 ► mother. Un Jong says, taking out the book The Story of Our Home, “We want you to write in this book from now on, mother.” Jong A and the children draw a picture of their family including the head of their neighborhood unit, the chief secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea district committee and their teachers and put it in the book. Then they write in the book that their father is Kim Jong Un who concerns himself with the affairs of their home, an unknown family, and that their home is the Workers’ Party of Korea’s bosom. The film ends with Jong A’s saying that the story of their home, the best in the world, will continue forever. Based on a story about the maiden mother loved by all people across the country, particularly respected by the young people, the film received the Best Film award, at the 15th Pyongyang International Film Festival held last year, when the heroine was given the Best Actress of Feature Film award. Rim Sang Jun

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 37

Mt. Myohyang (2)

Sangwon Ravine

F ALL THE SCENIC SPOTS IN O Mt. Myohyang, the Sangwon Ravine is the best. At a place halfway up the ravine, over 500 metres above sea level, stands a Buddhist her- mitage called Sangwonam. Hence the name Sangwon-dong or Sangwon Ravine. The ravine has several waterfalls—Kumgang Falls, Taeha Falls, Ryongyon Falls, Sanju Falls and Chonsin Falls—and noted rocks like Inhodae and Ryong- gak Rock. Kumgang (Diamond) Falls, which is so beautiful and charming, is a tilted falls where water glides down the slanting rock, not cascad- ing down the cliff. On the cliff at the left of the falls stands the lightly painted gable-roofed Kumgang Pavilion, a resting place for climbers. From there you can take a full view of Kumgang Falls and the wonderful neighbouring scenes. Ryongyon Falls, too, is a tilted waterfall, which is the most magnificent and beautiful of many falls in Mt. Myohyang. Its name originated from a mysterious Dragon Pool above. It is 84 metres high with 105 metres of watercourse. The wonam. Hence the name Inhodae (Kind Tiger Rock). water from under Pobwang Peak passes the Dragon The rock is noted for its fantastic shape and fine Pool (3 metres across and 1.5 metres deep) and runs view. It is crowned with a smart pavilion called down over the rock, resembling a dragon spiraling Inhojong. Below the rock is the cave Jiok-gul (Hell upwards or a roll of white silk fluttering. At first, the Cave) where anyone going up the ravine without water cascades sheer down some 50 metres over the chanting a prayer will fall down dead. Inhodae af- rock and then turns left to slide down over 20 metres fords a bird’s eye view of the peaks and ravines of the before falling vertically some 15 metres. Coupled mountain. Among them are Oson Peak where five with the myth-ridden fantastic-shaped rock Inhodae heavenly men turned into stone so fascinated by the and the venerable Sangwonam, the falls makes a wonderful scenery of the Sangwon Ravine after com- beautiful scenery. ing down to search for the fairies who had descended Inhodae is a precipice just opposite the Sangwo- to see the scenery in the daytime but forgot to return nam. It has a tale that a kind tiger, seeing people at a after dark, and Jamdu (Silkworm Head) Peak where loss in the face of a cliff beside Ryongyon Falls, it is said celestial silk raiments were made for fairies.

showed them the way up to the Inhodae and Sang- Inhodae also overlooks Sanju Falls (29 metres high) ►

38 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 ► whose falling water looks like rains of pearls, Ry- to the scene. ongyon Falls resembling a white dragon ascending Pobwang Peak (1 388 metres high) is a well-known into heaven through fog, Chonsin Falls (86 metres peak in the mountain. It has Oson Peak on the east high, 151 metres long and 4 metres wide) reminis- and Kwanum Peak on the west. When you look down cent of a roll of white silk hanging down from heaven on Pobwang Peak from the Nungin Temple, the high- and the time-honoured Sangwonam nestling among est temple in the mountain, it will give you an im- the thick foliage. The scene affords a fine view of pression of a rocky screen surrounding the peak. The three wonderful attractions rarely to be seen else- rocks look like giants standing with their clenched where. So, the ancient Koreans counted the view fists thrust upwards or fearsome monsters prowling from Inhodae among the eight scenic wonders of Mt. about for food. Further, they resemble running deer or Myohyang. flying cranes. Indeed, the rocks of Pobwang Peak are When you go round the Chilsong Pavilion from all of strange shapes, so that it is called Manmulsang, the Sangwonam, you will see the peculiar Ryonggak or the Myriad-shaped Peak, of Mt. Myohyang. Rock meaning dragon horn rock. A few pine trees growing on the rock add curious yet pretty features Pak Myong Il

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 39 National Pride—Korean Painting

HE KOREAN PAINTING, oped. With clear, concise yet deli- colour and light and darkness to T an original painting style of cate art it carries fine qualities as suit the aesthetic sense of the the Korean nation with a long a powerful, beautiful and noble Korean people and highlights the history, is a genre of Oriental form. point of a work while showing the painting. It has not only general The basis of the Korean qualitative features of an object characteristics of Oriental paint- painting is the principle of impli- smartly. The principle is invaria- ing but also excellent qualities of cation and concentration. It is an bly applied to the method of the peculiar painting style of the excellent principle of formative selecting the composition and nation that has long been devel- art which simplifies the form, form of a picture, the method of using means of depiction and expression such as line, colour and light and darkness, and the expression of unique brushwork. In this way it ensures the clear- ness, conciseness and delicacy of the picture. The Korean painting has vari- ous techniques. According to the degree of colouring and variety of painting materials it is classified into deep-coloured one, light- ►

The Korean painting Childhood.

40 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 ► coloured one, Indian-ink one and picture in ink and wash. Accord- ing to objects of depiction it is divided into genre painting, land- scape, portrait and historical painting. In the past it was sub- divided into painting of grass and insects, painting of wild animals and painting of peasants’ life. According to the frame of work it is divided into scroll, wide- hanging roll, folding screen and framed picture. The Korean painting has a long history of development along with the nation’s time-honoured history and left a lot of valuable A Cowboy, an old picture created during legacies. Mural paintings in the the time of the feudal Joson dynasty. tombs of Koguryo (277 BC–AD 668) are well known to the world as the long history. Later, it further opment. Thanks to the wise guid- cream of fine art of Korea in the developed and got enriched ance of the Workers’ Party of Ko- early Middle Ages, and the paint- through the period of Koryo (918– rea it has made a radical change ings by Tam Jing (579–631) and 1392) and the feudal Jonson dy- in its content and form, and is in Solgo (8th century) give a good nasty, attaining distinct qualities its heyday as the main form of the glimpse of the development of the of original style. national fine arts of socialist Ko- Korean painting during the pe- Now the Korean painting has rea. riod of Three Kingdoms and its reached a higher stage of devel- Pak Myong Il

The Korean painting Jong Il Peak in the Morning.

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 41 Korean Dancing

ANCING IS A BEAUTIFUL ments. Big and small movements the charming taste. D and graceful art which gives are combined well, the rhythm of Like this the Korean dancing people delight and worth of life. each of arm movements stretch can express the delicate and gen- And it is of importance in devel- from the shoulder to the finger- tle feelings through soft, strong oping the cultural and recrea- tips, and the balanced posture and energetic rhythm. Having tional standard of the people. and the course of movements are developed with a long history and The Korean dancing has de- basically curved, thus producing tradition, it encourages the Ko- veloped with its own characteris- elegant, soft and delicate rean people to create a new life, tics of graceful and gentle rhythms. while helping educate them in rhythms supported by the main The Korean dancing is also noble culture. movements of arms. In general, characterized by rich emotion. It the Asian dancing is more based is shown well in the speed of Hong Jong Hwa, on movements of the upper part of dancing. It has a stable speed and chief secretary of the the body than the lower one, when a mild current of movements and Central Committee of the the Western one is on movements presents graceful and soft move- Dancers’ Union of Korea of the lower part than the upper ments in the air with wave-style one. leg movement and diversified The Korean dancing is a natu- hand movements like throwing ral harmonious combination of and whirling. swinging of arms as the main and The Korean dancing is distin- movements of legs. It makes a guished for its smart and harmo- point of gentle yet moderately nious movements. Various move- energetic motions in combination ments—shoulders moving up and with proper posture rather than down rhythmically, elastic steps excessive and stereotyped move- and swinging arms—show well

42 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 National Intangible Cultural Heritage (2)

Celebration of Lunar New Year’s Day

marks of good meaning. The families woke up early in the morning and wore new clothes prepared beforehand, and what was striking was women’s costume, called samhoe- jang jogori or panhoejang jogori. The New Year greeting. Sol foods constituted an important part of the sol custom. Typical of them were cakes such as glutinous UNAR NEW YEAR’S DAY IS A FOLK rice cake, steamed rice cake, fancy rice cake, and L festival which the Korean people celebrated pancakes, fruit punch, roast meat and fruits. Espe- from of old. This custom goes back to the time of such cially rice cake soup was a must on the sol table. The ancient Korean states as Ancient Joson through soup was mainly cooked with pheasant meat, and Koguryo, Koryo and feudal Joson dynasty. when the pheasant meat was unavailable, chicken or Lunar New Year’s Day is called sol in Korean. beef or pork was used instead. They regarded it as a Koreans used the lunar calendar for ages. Since it is routine to have rice cake soup on the day. the first festival of the (lunar) year which the people They played several folk games on the day—yut, saw in full of fresh hope, they celebrated it with seesawing, kite flying, sledging, toy pinwheel, and so splendour—preparing for the festival including spe- on—and yut was most popular. It was a typical folk cial foods, holding varieties of functions and enjoying game everyone enjoyed. Fascinating throw of yut folk games. sticks, witty moves of pieces and cheers of the spec- Good preparations were made for the day— tators around were a great spice to the festival. making new clothes, cleaning and fixing the house The sol custom has been maintained and further inside and outside, and cooking special foods. On the developed as national heritage. eve they had a pleasant time preparing foods till late Kim Chol Hyon at night. The sol celebrations began early in the morning of The yut game. the lunar New Year’s Day. Before daybreak each family had charye, a kind of memorial service to pay tribute to their ancestors. Then in the early morning sebae, or prone salute, was made to their senior. The custom of offering New Year greetings reflects the beautiful manners of the Korean people who respect the senior and regard courtesy as important. Chil- dren made sebae to the adults of their family in order of age and then went round the neighbourhood mak- ing well-wishing bows to their senior and teachers. Families with elderly folks prepared simple gifts— like fried glutinous rice cake and sesame toffee to be given to children, and dishes to the elder visitors. Between friends they greeted each other with re-

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 43 Park’s Doom

HE WAY OF EXISTENCE OF THE SOUTH she decided to deploy the Americans’ THAAD in T Korean authorities is dependence on outside south Korea, which is now giving rise to a serious forces. None of the successive rulers would rid them- conflict in the world as well as in the south. If the selves of subservience to great powers and depend- high-altitude anti-missile system operates in south ence on outside forces. Park Geun Hye eked out a Korea, the Korean peninsula and strategic means of living by clamouring for “blood alliance” with the the neighbouring countries will be exposed to United States because she could not live even a mo- Americans’ watch and strike, and south Korea could ment without clutching the sleeves of Americans. be a dangerous arena of confrontation between for- The matter of the right to wartime command eign forces. The south Korean people were all infuri- control can be cited. In the last presidential cam- ated with Park who accepted the claim of the US paign Park pledged that she would “make thorough regardless of the national dignity and interests. preparations” to take over the right to wartime com- That’s not all. Asserting the so-called “future- mand control in 2015 as had been scheduled. No oriented relations” and “new era of cooperation,” sooner had she taken office than she implored the US Park conspired with Japan, the centuries-old sworn to postpone the transfer of the right indefinitely, enemy of the Korean nation—it’s a crime. She pro- claiming that the change of the right would pelled a mechanism of sharing military intelligence “endanger” the security of south Korea and impair with Japan—which had been a failure of her prede- the “alliance” with the US. And she squeezed more cessor’s policy due to the strong opposition of the tax from the people to boost the upkeep of the GIs in people of all strata—in the insidious form of making south Korea. a “promise on sharing intelligence.” She also gave a Not content with the handover of the sovereignty license to the Japanese “Self-Defense Force” to enter of politics, the economy and defence to foreign forces south Korea at will on the pretext of its munitions ►

South Korean people wage a struggle against the Park Geun Hye regime.

44 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 South Korean people protest against the humiliating “agreement” with Japan on the matter of sex slavery for the Japanese army.

► assistance to the US troops in case of emergency in youth by the Japanese imperialists and have been in the Korean peninsula. agony and disgrace all their life. As such elements Worse still, in the late 2015, she concluded a are in power with the backing of outside forces humiliating “agreement” with Japan which connives against the will of the nation, the tragedy of division at the Japanese army’s crime of sex slavery in return is still going on in this land while aggravating the for a trifle sum of money from the Japanese authori- danger of a nuclear war. That’s why the resentment ties. The sex slavery for the Japanese army is an and denunciation rose higher against Park who extra-villainous inhuman crime in which the Japa- worked desperately to keep her power even by forci- nese imperialists forced over 200 000 Korean women bly deploying THAAD in the south, selling out the into humiliating and lethal sex slavery. Neverthe- nation’s dignity and interests through a humiliating less, Japan is still refusing to recognize its past “agreement” with Japan on the matter of sex slavery crimes, but is absorbed in distortion of history and for the Japanese army, and unhesitatingly renounc- moves of reinvasion. When the international com- ing the nation’s right to existence coerced by the munity was angry with Japan, Park agreed on the outside forces. “final and irreversible settlement” of the issue of sex The south Korean people from all walks of life slavery for the Japanese army, kowtowing to Japan. turned out to the struggle against Park, crying out She established the so-called “reconciliation and that “Park Geun Hye is just the source of reckless recovery foundation” in an attempt to get a petty provocation and ruin,” “Park has driven the people sum of money from Japan in spite of the opposition into danger of war,” and “How could we forgive such and condemnation from people of all strata. Then a pro-Japanese government?” they received the “contribution” from Japan after History has good examples of how miserable is secret talks. It is a mockery and insult to the victims the fate of those who go against public sentiment. of sex slavery, who were deprived of their prime of Choe Ki Man

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 45 No Smoke Without Fire

N THE KOREAN PENINSULA A and command operations in the Korean war in case I thermonuclear war is almost a fait accompli. of emergency makes it needless to say how enormous Such a touch-and-go situation is not to be found in the actual scale of the exercise was. any other region of the world. Due to annual joint An expert from the Russian Academy of Sciences military exercises held in south Korea the Korean disclosed that although the United States describes peninsula is actually in a state of war. The DPRK- the joint military exercises as something to targeted nuclear war exercises like those codenamed “safeguard democracy,” their scenarios like Key Resolve and Foal Eagle and Ulji Freedom “Occupation of Pyongyang” and “Beheading Opera- Guardian are conducted over 40 times annually in tions” aimed at “removing at one stroke” the leader- south Korea with the mobilization of as many as ship of the DPRK are far from “defensive purpose” as 500 000 strong forces. All of them are aimed at they are obviously offensive, and that the aim of “overturning the system” of the DPRK and obliterat- exercises is to drive Korea in the corner of unbear- ing its right to existence. able state and promote its “collapse” and achieve the Serious military provocations of all kinds have “German-style unification by absorption.” been made on over 20 000 occasions in the past 60- The US, regarding the Korean peninsula as a odd years in an attempt to stifle the DPRK—this good region for its strategy of supremacy, has long proves that the fuse of a second Korean war has been connected all acts of aggression against the DPRK lit. with its effort for control of the world. Through the A typical example is the fact that the Key Resolve joint military rehearsals it is developing a perfect and Foal Eagle 16 joint military drills were held in capability of executing the supremacy strategy. As the largest ever scale in history, for over 50 days there is no smoke without fire it is a matter of time from March 7 last year. They involved 27 000-strong that the war drills conducted by America under the US aggression forces, over 300 000 south Korean cloak of “defence” and “annual” routine would shift puppet troops, and forces from the Americans’ vassal into an actual war sooner or later. Experts say that states like France, New Zealand and Australia, as the joint military rehearsals conducted annually by well as the US’s notorious overseas aggression the US and south Korea in an upgrading way are means such as the task force of the nuclear carrier escalating the tension and the possibility of the mili- USS Stennis, a landing preparation group, a flotilla tary conflict in the Korean peninsula, and endanger- loaded with preparatory equipment, B-52 and B-2 ing peace and stability in Northeast Asia. nuclear strategic bombers, F-22A stealth fighters. There is no country in the world which would sit All those forces were enough to carry out another idle when a robber breaks in. Exposed to the ever- Korean war. Casting off the deceptive camouflage of growing threat from the US, the DPRK has consoli- “defensive” and “annual” event they overtly uttered dated its deterrent and taken measures to that the exercises were to hone the capability of, and strengthen it in a multifarious and consecutive ways. launch, a preemptive strike against Pyongyang. This The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army sol- shows the exercises were unprecedented in reckless- emnly declared that if the US shows a slightest sign ness. of aggression on the inviolable land, seas and air of The Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exer- Korea, it would turn the stronghold of provocation cise held in August last year was just the similar one. into a heap of ashes. The foreign media reported that although the troops Sixty-odd years ago the US managed to survive mobilized in the exercise were announced to be the past Korean war (June 1950–July 1953) it pro- 30 000 GIs, over 50 000 south Korean puppet troops voked in an attempt to take the world supremacy, and 480 000 civilians in general, the fact that the but if a second Korean war breaks out, it will surely participants in the exercise were personnel in higher meet its end as an empire of devil. positions above the staff officers who actually plan Jong Jin Chol

46 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 Imperialist Japan’s Scheme for A-bomb Development and Massacre of Koreans (2)

2. Japanese secret nuclear development district by Noguchi was equipped with all facilities plan “NZ Project” executed in Korea for A-bomb development including those for produc- ing heavy water, graphite electrode, chemical mate- T WAS JUST IN HUNGNAM, KOREA, COLONY rials, refined special alloy, and gunpowder to be used I of imperialist Japan, that the “Research F” and as initial explosive as well as power supply. the subsequent “Sun Research” were carried on in Gripped by the geographical advantages of real earnest. The Japanese military and Professor Hungnam, the Arakatsu research team soon con- Arakatsu of Kyoto Imperial University had desig- cluded that it was preferable to concentrate all pro- nated the Korean peninsula as the main spot of A- jects related with A-bomb development on Korea and bomb development since the beginning of the visited Korea several times. Especially, the team “Research F.” In Hungnam was a detachment of a discussed with Noguchi face to face on the plan of A- Japanese fleet and a concentration of a lot of leading bomb development after they had looked round in- Asian electrical and chemical industry bases. Earlier dustrial establishments in the Hungnam area. Japan had chosen Hungnam—it was situated in a Chitsutaro Takubo, geological professor of Kyoto good geographical point favourable for transporta- Imperial University, stayed in Hungnam perma- tion to and from the Japanese mainland, abounded nently as member of the Arakatsu team. At Takubo’s with industrial water and had advantages for use of proposal, the Japanese Navy and Arakatsu code- electricity, coal, ore and other supplies—as one of named the A-bomb development in Korea as “NZ points of economic and military importance and en- Project.” couraged monopolies like Noguchi to invest a huge Japan is still describing “NZ Project” as a plan for amount of capital into the area. production of fuel of V-1 and V-2 rockets delivered According to the policy the Japanese monopolies, from the Nazi Germany during the Second World in the latter half of the 1930s, newly established or War. On the contrary, “NZ Project” was in fact the expanded an aluminium plant, a magnesium plant, general code name for the Japanese military’s devel- Pongung Factory, a carbide factory, Hungnam opment of the fuel for the jet engine, and of rocket, Chemical Factory, Pongung-Ryonghung Fuel Fac- atomic weapons and the like in Korea. The Japanese tory and the like. Just before the Japanese defeat, imperialists code-named the factory for A-bomb de- the munitions factories in the area had more than velopment in the Hungnam district “Zinc Plant.” Zn 30 000 workers, and additionally, the local wharfs, is the chemical symbol of zinc and NZ is the reverse port, factories and enterprises employed as many as of it. The “Zinc Plant” began to be constructed on a 100 000. full scale in around 1941. At the time the Hungnam district was overrun The chronicle data of the Ryongsong Machine with the munitions industry centred on electric Complex reads as follow: “The ‘Zinc Plant’ was closed power and chemical industries. The Japanese to the public. It was situated between the western emerging wealthy businessman Noguchi constructed area of the Ryongsong Workshop and the Hungnam a large aluminium plant for the military purpose in Powder Mill during the time of the Japanese imperi- the Hungnam Fertilizer Factory and started to erect alists’ colonial rule. Called zinc plant, it started op- a second carbide workshop for production of aviation eration in 1941. It occupied an area covering the site fuel and explosives inside the Pongung Factory. The of the Second Casting Shop, the Third Machine Shop, gigantic “Noguchi Concern” set up in the Hungnam the Ryongsong College of Mechanical Engineering ►

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 47 ► and daily necessaries workshop of the present Ry- “The Hungnam Factory changed into a gigantic ongsong Machine Complex, and a block on the coast munitions factory during the Pacific war. In this neighbouring the powder mill. There was a chimney respect it is similar to the fact that all the industrial near the west wall of the college building. On the site facilities in the Tennessee Valley in America of the present Third Machine Shop stood a building changed into munitions factories including an A- installed with machines and facilities. The Japanese bomb manufacturer. Heavy water was developed in MPs stood guard, checking the access of people Hungnam during the war and the water electrolysis strictly.” facility there could produce 40 kg of heavy water No data of the Japanese side have been found every day (15 tons a year). After the war the main about what the Japanese imperialists had definitely factories the Soviet forces dismantled and took to done in the zinc plant. their country included the Hungnam Factory’s However, it is possible to make an outline from branch plants related to heavy water, secret weapons the following statements. “Situated in an area south and special attack weapons.” (Japanese book History of the fertilizer plant of the Hungnam Factory, some of Power Project in Korea) buildings of the metal plant produced ‘NZ’ but were Considering the things mentioned above, it is dismantled or destroyed at the time of [Japan’s] easily noticeable what Japan did with heavy water, defeat.” (A book titled Japanese Troubles in North thorium, high-explosive gunpowder, oxidizer, Korea and End of the Hungnam Factory of the Japan graphite reflector, high-purity aluminium and the Nitrogen written by Shoji Kamada, Japanese engi- like in the Hungnam district. It is the likeliest that neer in the then Hungnam district, in 1970) Japan constructed an atomic reactor based on use of Mun Pong Su, who had often visited related heavy-water moderator and tried plutonium extrac- factories for field training, as student of the Hung- tion in the zinc plant while conducting a research nam Technical School, said, “Unlike ordinary works, into uranium enrichment by centrifugation. At that it was fortified with concrete on all sides just like an time the plant was in deep secrecy and Korean atomic power plant. I heard that it was producing workers mobilized in the construction were all mas- high-powered bombs.” sacred. The then researcher in the factory Choe Ki Son Wi Man Sop, teacher of an evening college under said, “Hideki Yukawa and his entourage often ap- the Ryongsong Machine Complex who is resident in peared in Hungnam.” (South Korean MBC report in Hungnam, says, “During the period of the Japanese 2005) rule there were two buildings behind that building, “In the buildings, next to the First, Second and and one of them was single-storeyed. It was used as Third shops of water electrolysis, they produced and the office of a department’s teachers. At least one of packaged heavy water used as neutron moderator for them went dead annually. When you slept there you reactor. Nobody knows where the packages were felt sick and even vomited. So I thought the building taken.” (The retired Pak Tu Man from the Hungnam was used for a research work with highly radioactive Fertilizer Complex, resident in Honam-dong, Hung- materials. There was an underground passage under nam District, Hamhung) the building connected to another building in front of “The Japanese imperialists constructed an un- it. The front building was a morgue. I think that derground facility for thorium extraction in the when a person was dead during the research the Hungnam distirct, and there some 300 Japanese corpse was carried to the morgue through the under- scientists under command of Japanese Admiral ground passage. In the 1970s we were constructing a Hideo Hasegawa developed nuclear materials named school building, when we saw in front of us a funnel ‘F-NZ’ from 1944. Around that time the Nazi Ger- tens of metres high. There was soot in it, which was many, at Japan’s request for technical support for surely a sign of having been used. We all thought it extraction of nuclear materials, transported its own strange. How is it that there was a funnel there when cyclotron aboard a large transport plane by the there was no boiler around? At that time I had no North Pole route to Japan in early 1945.” (South idea about it, but now I guess it was used for burning Korean Internet paper Jajusibo, May 4, 2015) corpses.” ‰

48 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 Monument to the Great Victory in Pukgwan

HE MONUMENT TO THE GREAT VICTORY It included the present North and South Ham- T in Pukgwan stands in Rimmyong-ri, Kim Chaek gyong provinces, Ryanggang Province and some City, North Hamgyong Province, Korea. The monu- northern areas of Kangwon Province. ment was set up in 1708 telling the historical fact The inscription consists of the preface and a that the volunteers led by Jong Mun Bu (1565–1624) poem-style message. The preface describes the posi- won a great battle to defeat the Japanese invaders in tion of Jong-led volunteers’ struggle in Hamgyong the Hamgyong provincial region during the Imjin Province, the whole story of the Japanese aggression Patriotic War (1592–1598). and the Korean betrayers’ moves, the organization of The body of the monument, 1.87m high and 66cm Jong’s volunteers and their major battles. The back- wide, is inscribed with more than 1 400 letters. The ground of the erection of the monument is also de- upper part of the façade has the horizontal inscrip- scribed. The main message describes the patriotic tion of the title Monument to the Great Victory in struggle of the volunteers against the Japanese in- Pukgwan written in Jonja style. vaders during the war, the people’s safe return to Pukgwan means Hamgyong Province in the farming in the northern region after victory, and the period of the feudal Joson dynasty. statement that the monument was erected to tell and retell the victorious war to generations to come. The wicked Japanese imperialists took away the monument to Japan in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) and left it uncared for in the corner of the Yasukuni Shrine, symbol of Japanese imperialism, in an attempt to cover up their brigandish acts of aggression and disgraceful defeat and remove the valuable historical leg- acy of the Korean nation. Later the Korean people in the north and the south took back the monument through joint efforts and set it up again to its original state at Rimmyong-ri. As a valuable historical asset of the nation show- ing the history of anti-aggression struggle of the Korean ancestors, the monument is preserved in good condition. Ri Kyong Chol

KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017 49 50 KOREA TODAY No. 1, 2017