- Yangdok Hot Spring Resort - Popular Ceramics Exhibition House - World of Prodigies Silver Ornament
A gift presented to President Kim Il Sung by Kaleda Zia, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in April 1992 Monthly Journal (766)
C O N T E N T S
3 Yangdok Hot Spring Resort
10 Korean Nation’s History of Using Hot Spring
11 Architecture for the People
12 Fruit of Enthusiasm
13 Offensive for Frontal Breakthrough and
Increased Production and Economy
14 Old Home at Mangyongdae
17 The Secret Camp on Mt. Paektu
21 Understanding of the People
Monthly journal Korea Today is posted on the Internet site www.korean-books.com.kp in English, Russian and Chinese.
1 22 Seventy-fi ve Years of WPK (4)
Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery Tells
23 Relying on Domestic Resources
24 Consumer Changes to Producer
26 Popular Ceramics Exhibition House
28 Nano Cloth Developers
Front Cover: Yangdok 29 Target of Developers Hot Spring Resort in the morning 30 World of Prodigies Photo by Kim Kum Sok 32 Record-breaking Achievement in 2019
36 True story
I’ll Remain a Winner (7)
38 Promising Sheep Breeding Base
40 Pioneer of Complex Hand-foot Refl ex Therapy
41 Disabled Table Tennis Player
42 National Dog under Good Care
43 Story of Headmaster
44 Glimpse of Japan’s Plunder of Korean
Cultural Heritage Back Cover: Moran Hill in spring 46 National Intangible Cultural Heritage (41)
Photo by Kim Ji Ye Sijungho Mud Therapy
47 Poetess Ho Ran Sol Hon 13502 ㄱ – 208057 48 Mt Kuwol (3) Edited by Kim Myong Hak Address: Sochon-dong, Sosong District, Pyongyang, DPRK E-mail: fl [email protected]
© The Foreign Language Magazines 2020
2 YYangdokangdok HHotot SSpringpring RResortesort
No. 4, 2020 3 Seeing Is Believing each bath were boards with information on the ef- ► The next morning we went to the fi cacy and methods of relevant treatment, and each Outdoor Spa Baths. After changing N THE MORNING OF bath had a water temperature display. into special clothes we got there, we OJanuary 15 my husband and I I wanted to have a photo taken and looked round entered a long corridor where we were got on a Pyongyang-Onjong train, for my husband but he was nowhere to be seen. I surprised to learn it was not cold at bidding farewell to our children. Among the trav- had to go to a stone-fl oored sauna, a sand sauna all though it was really winter with ellers in our carriage were a newly-married couple and other saunas until I found him relaxing him- the twigs of pines outside the corridor and another couple with their children. As the train self pleasantly under treatment for rheumatism in laden heavily with snow. Those who was getting nearer to the Onjong Railway Station, a mud bath. I got the same treatment, and my waist had already passed the corridor were the passengers grew more excited. felt much better. heading for outdoor spa baths. On our arrival at the station, buses took us to We also did exercises using different kinds of While bathing in the hot ginkgo the Yangdok Hot Spring Resort. When we got off apparatuses in the fi tness room on the fi rst fl oor, leaf, biota leaf, mint and other me- the bus taking in fresh air of the resort sheltered by and it was quite refreshing. ► dicinal spa baths, I was reluctant to pine trees, a guide led us to Room 319 in Block No. 5 of a hotel. Inside the room I drew aside the curtain of the window to look out. Then I called beside myself, “Darling, look at the hill over there. What a won- derful pine wood it is!” My husband also remained open-mouthed as if he were intoxicated by the fresh air. No sooner had we checked in than we went to the Indoor Spa Baths with a tepid bath, a sunset hi- biscus spa bath, a honeysuckle spa bath and so on, all looking like pools in a natural forest. Put up at
leave the place. Up the Outdoor Spa Baths where we could enjoy the natural scenery was the Terraced Spa Bath. It was quite pleasant to look down at the surrounding scenery while sitting in the bath. I was sorry our stay in the resort spanned only a few days. How many days would it take to look round the resort as a whole? We were really reluc- tant to leave the place. Even on the train back home I could not contain my excitement because I had been so impressed by the resort. Not only our children but also our neighbours ask us about our impressions of the resort almost every day. I am embarrassed with their questions because I can hardly give a good account about the place as a whole. I just say, “The Yangdok Hot Spring Resort is very, very good. The scenery is ex- cellent, and you can hardly tell the time when you are enjoying yourself in the wonderful spa baths. There’s the saying ‘Seeing is believing.’ You’d bet- ter go to see the resort yourself.”
Hyon Jong Suk, resident of Neighbourhood Unit No. 38, Munhung-dong No. 2, Taedonggang District, Pyongyang ►
4 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 5 ► Three Days and Soon after I checked in at Block No. 2 in the re- Three Nights sort sheltered by pines, I went to the Indoor Spa Baths, where I could enjoy myself in hot, tepid, high-pressure water and some other medicinal At 8 am on January 10 this year I got on a baths. What caught my eye in particular were a Pyongyang-Onjong train at the Pyongyang Railway dozen kinds of spa baths infused with such medici- Station in the centre of the capital city, guided by nal herbs as mint, honeysuckle, sunset hibiscus, the Pyongyang Koryo International Travel Com- ginkgo and Angelica sinensis. The baths were quite pany. I was in the fi rst tourist group to go to the attractive. Especially, the pine needle spa bath was Yangdok Hot Spring Resort. obviously effi cacious in promoting blood circulation The train was already crowded with holiday- and treating arthritis, neuralgia, hypertension and makers on their way to the resort. Their faces were insomnia. expressive of their excitement and joy with the ex- I spent the next day all in the Outdoor Spa pectation of the coming enjoyment. Baths referred to as a specialty of Yangdok. I felt ►
► an unusual sentiment in the baths engulfed in a inspiring me to go to the pool. I found it shaped like hazy fog, a combination of cold midwinter air and egg. I put some eggs in a chicken-shaped bag, and steam from the baths. And I could relish both the soaked them in the water. The eggs were half done conspicuous mountain scenery and the uniqueness in 15 minutes and full done in 20 minutes, absorb- of the baths that numbered over 30, including a me- ing medicinal ingredients of the spring water. I can- dicinal spa bath, spa bath for couples, terraced spa not forget the special taste of the eggs I ate with bath and cottage-style spa bath. appropriate seasonings. “The Outdoor Spa Baths have a place that is On January 12 I climbed the top of Tae Peak always very popular with the holidaymakers. It is with three fascinating ski slopes. After changing the egg-boiling pool,” said one of the guides there, into a ski suit, I toed the line. But as the saying goes ►
No. 4, 2020 7 ► “Talking is easier than doing,” I found skiing hard at fi rst. But with the help of a guide who taught me how to warm up, stop, turn and other basic skills, I could ski down a track to the end. As darkness began to fall, the resort turned into another world with bright light from windows and the ski slopes looking like three unfolded rolls of silk. Every corner of the area reverberated with pleasant sounds and happy singing until late at night. The three days and three nights I spent there were not long, but they were enough to let me picture in my mind the brighter future of the country.
Kim Kwang Sok, senior engineer of the Moranbong District Water Supply and Sewage Management Station
Photos taken in early January 2020
8 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 9 Korean Nation’s History of Using Hot Spring Architecture for the People
N KOREA THE HISTORY tail the precautions to be taken Talchon-ri, Samchon County. Iof taking a spa bath spans while getting in and out of spa In ancient times the hot N THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC expensive, he said that the park was for the people, thousands of years. It is re- bath, hours and frequency of spring was surrounded by a Iof Korea the popular masses are creators and that they should not spare anything for them, and enjoyers of architecture. This is vividly expressed that they should not worry about the cost. Thus, the corded in the national clas- treatment, and the dietary dur- marsh. In the summer of a year by the belief of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un who designing of the park was done in real earnest. sic Samguksagi (Chronicles of ing treatment. The Korean an- a skylark with a broken leg makes sure that top priority is given to their aspira- In those days the Supreme Leader examined the Three Kingdoms) that in the pe- cestors studied the formation, perched on the marsh and tried tion, requirement and convenience in constructing scale models at any time—at midnight, in the early riod of Koguryo (277 BC–AD 668) characteristics and composition to fl y again for several days, fl ap- even a single structure. morning and on holiday—suggesting novel ideas. Such scale models numbered 113 in total. during King Sochon’s reign, his of hot spring and the interrela- ping its wings. At last the bird “We Have Nothing to Spare One day he saw to it that a steeper slide should younger brothers, on the pretext tionship between the water and fl ew up again with sound legs. for Our Women” be chosen to install in the park, and said that a of sickness, went to a hot spring the human body, and discovered With curiosity the local villag- fl oat-shaped ornament should be fi xed on the up- to enjoy themselves over amuse- that taking a spa bath was espe- ers went to the spot to discover When the whole country was sorrow-stricken at per part of a diving platform to be installed in the ments, that King Onjo of Paekje cially effi cacious in treating dif- that hot water was gushing out the demise of Chairman Kim Jong Il on Decem- outdoor pool. ber 17, Juche 100 (2011), the matter of building the In this way the Munsu Water Park was built (late 1st century BC–AD 660) saw ferent diseases such as digestive from underground. They called Breast Tumour Institute of the Pyongyang Mater- wonderfully. to it that a fortress was built diseases, arthritis, neuralgia this mysterious water Jongdal nity Hospital was temporarily laid aside. in a region named Thangjong from various causes, diseases of (skylark) Onchon (hot spring) in On learning the fact the Supreme Leader sent a Supreme Leader’s Happiness as there was a hot spring there circulatory and respiratory sys- the meaning that it had cured strong building force to the construction site so as to push ahead with the project, and took measures In July 2018 the Supreme Leader inspected and had people live there, and tems, women’s diseases and skin the bird’s legs. The name of to provide preferentially the materials and equip- Jungphyong-ri, Kyongsong County, North Ham- st that kings of Silla (early mid-1 diseases. Talchon-ri was originated from ment necessary for the project. gyong Province, with a plan to build a large-size century–935) would go to the The fact that hot spring is an abbreviated word of Jongdal Several months later, he inspected the construc- vegetable greenhouse farm for the people of the Tongnae Hot Spring for recu- close to the people’s life can be Onchon. tion site to acquaint himself with the details of the province. At that time the area was a major mili- peration. proved by the names of places in The Sokthang Hot Spring construction under way, and gave important in- tary base. structions related to the project. Looking over a vast stretch of lowland there he In the period of Koryo (918– the country. The names having in Onjong-ri, Yangdok County, When the institute was completed he visited it said that it would be wonderful when a vegetable 1392) the spa bath became more the Korean letters on and chon South Phyongan Province, and and looked round several places. He instructed that greenhouse farm was built there, and that he was popular, and more and more are generally associated with other hot springs were put on all elements of the institute should be of world class very pleased when he did things worthwhile for the people enjoyed it. And dur- hot springs. Some examples are the list of the country’s natural as it was built for the sake of women and said: We people one after another. Then he instructed that have nothing to spare for our women. the farm village should be built well enough to be ing the feudal Joson dynasty Myongchon County of North monuments for their excellent Thus, the following morning, lots of equipment a model for the construction of socialist rural cul- (1392–1910) public interest in Hamgyong Province, Samchon pharmacological actions and and furnishings sent by the Supreme Leader ar- ture and a socialist paradise good to live and work hot spring grew, and thus the and Paechon counties of South treating effi cacy. rived at the institute. in, and set forth the general direction for the con- survey of the distribution of hot Hwanghae Province, Onjong- And there are sanatoriums struction of the farm and the preparation for its springs was done on a nation- ri of Yangdok County in South around the hot springs, making 113 Scale Models operation. A month later he visited the place again and wide scale. Treatment effi cacy of Phyongan Province, and Onjong- a contribution to the improve- One day in March 2012 the Supreme Leader gave instructions on different matters arising in different hot springs was newly ri of Kosong County in Kangwon ment of the people’s health and called an offi cial to his offi ce. That day he put forth the construction of the farm and its management explained, and the hot spring- Province. their recreational activity, and an ambitious plan to build a modern water park for after completion. based therapies were actively There are many stories re- efforts are now being made to the people in the Munsu area, and clarifi ed its loca- As a result, 320 blocks of greenhouses, a tree tion, and the ways and method of construction. nursery, and hundreds of dwelling houses went up explored. lated to hot springs. A typical better the hot spring resorts. The next day he learned in detail about the de- in the Jungphyong area of 200 hectares in merely a An old book about hot spring- example is the legend of the sign of the park. Receiving the report from the rel- little over a year. based therapies describes in de- Talchon (Jongdal) Hot Spring in Rim Ok evant offi cials that the construction would be fairly Kim Hyon Ju
10 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 11 Fruit of Enthusiasm OOffensiveffensive fforor FFrontalrontal BBreakthroughreakthrough andand IncreasedIncreased ers pooled their wisdom. While surveying the area again, they noticed a fi ne-sand layer of certain thick- ProductionProduction aandnd EconomyEconomy ness under the surface of the earth around the piles. They conceived the idea that they could disperse the load of building imposed on the piles if they used the ODAY KOREA IS STRIVING TO SMASH ment and production processes have been trans- fi ne-sand layer relatively strong in load bearing. Tstraight through the barriers to the advance of formed into the labour- and energy-saving ones; On the basis of the idea they deepened relevant socialist construction by dint of self-reliance. And energy-saving machinery and equipment have been research, making it possible to strengthen the foun- increased production and economy constitute the developed and produced; and the sector of architec- dations without driving more piles and fi nish the main link in the whole chain of the endeavour. In- tural design introduced zero-energy building tech- projects on schedule. In the course of this they in- creased production and economy are not raised as niques so as to build energy-saving buildings and vented a new construction method of using reinforc- a problem only in recent days. The Workers’ Party streets. ing piles to prevent buildings from leaning. of Korea has consistently stressed it since the fi rst The sector of agriculture has introduced scien- Their research achievement invigorated the day of its foundation. After the Fatherland Libera- tifi c farming methods including water-saving farm- construction, and the projects were successfully ac- tion War (1950–1953), the Korean people had to ing, and fi sh farming has developed into the labour- celerated. Besides, during the construction of the A new kind of shuttering is tested start reconstruction on the debris of war. Then the and water-saving one. in simulated installation. Pyongyang Municipal Sports Village and that of a WPK put forward a militant slogan calling upon the Economy is just being regarded as production 70-storey apartment building in Ryomyong Street, people to maximize production and economy. True and the expression of patriotism. The Fifth Ple- S IT POSSIBLE TO BUILD HIGH-RISES ON they introduced a new method of ground-making, to the Party’s call, the people conducted the strug- nary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee Isand subsoil? thus helping hasten the completion of the projects gle for increased production and economy through of the WPK held in December last year advanced In the past 15-storey buildings on that basis despite the sand and mud beds of the sites. a mass movement. They broke the old rated capaci- the tasks of raising a wind of emulation drive for ties and norms everywhere and tapped reserves for tapping reserves and further increasing production were the highest in the Democratic People’s Repub- Sim Chol Yong lic of Korea. increased production and economy. It was at that and practising economy in keeping with actual con- Recently Won Song Rim, a laboratory head, time that 120 000 tons of steel was rolled from a ditions of their own sectors and units. and other researchers of the Architectural Science blooming mill with only a 60 000-ton annual capac- All working people are now encouraged to turn Institute of Pyongyang University of Architecture A 70-storey apartment ity and that 270 000 tons of pig iron was produced out in a campaign to increase production to the have erected 20- and 30-storey buildings in the building in with the equipment of only a 190 000-ton annual maximum and save as much as possible. Technical Wonsan Kalma coast resort whose area consists of Ryomyong Street. capacity. The First Five-Year Plan was carried out innovation is regarded as an immense reserve for fi ne sand subsoil. What they attached importance two years and a half ahead of schedule in terms of increased production and economy. The manage- to was to prevent large boreholes from being fi lled gross industrial output value through an all-people ment of the Pyongyang Trolley Bus Factory boldly with sand as they had to drive huge concrete piles struggle. This greatly helped lay the foundation of believed in its workers and technicians and encour- into the holes. socialist industrialization. aged them to fully display their creative power, thus They decided to introduce a construction method On important occasions the WPK sent letters of turning the factory into a labour- and energy-saving of argillization to protect walls. It had already been the Party Central Committee to all its members or one. The Wonsan Leather Shoes Factory has saved known that the method is an advanced one of laying made public slogans of the Party Central Commit- lots of materials by introducing a new technique of foundations for high-rise buildings and skyscrapers tee, stressing the need for increased production and vinyl chloride foaming and established a cost-saving on weak beds. But the researchers had no experi- economy. production process by substituting materials avail- ence in introducing the method, so the process of its “Let us produce more, practise economy, and able in the province for iron cores. And a nationwide introduction was not smooth. Though they poured overfulfi l the Five-Year Plan ahead of schedule!” drive is under way to learn from such factories and clay solution around boring bars, the walls of the “Let us produce more and practise economy, and enterprises that have turned into labour-, energy-, boreholes would fall down continuously. This was thus make the already-built economic foundations cost-, and land-saving enterprises. because they failed to meet the technical require- prove effective!” Meanwhile, all sectors and units are striving to ments. Producing more by economizing on all things improve the quality of their products and creations They intensifi ed the research to raise the sci- to the maximum and fi nding reserves to the full- on the principle of giving priority to quality over tech level of the construction method, and had the est extent was an important matter consistently quantity. This endeavour is waged as a patriotic builders thoroughly meet the technical require- stressed in the whole process of socialist economic struggle by the high-pitched enthusiasm and crea- ment of the method. construction. Conducting the struggle for economy tive efforts of the working people. One day, when the driving of hundreds of con- was regarded as the expression of infi nite love for Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un said that if all crete piles into boreholes was under way at several the country and the people. It has been regarded citizens made efforts to increase production and construction sites, they examined the stiffness of as the work to do in the whole process of socialist practise economy to the maximum so as to create the piles already fi xed, and found that it was not construction, not the temporary one needed at a more of their own things and save as much as possi- proper. It might cause a serious result, so they had certain stage. ble, their economy would remain unperturbed and to remove discovered shortcomings as early as pos- In recent years various steps have been taken to their living standards would be improved, no mat- sible and fi nd out a way to guarantee the quality convert the country’s economy into an energy-saving ter how hell-bent the hostile forces were on impos- and schedule of the projects. one. All sectors and units of the national economy ing sanctions. All the Korean people keep bearing At this juncture, the teachers of the aforesaid are making efforts to adopt an energy-saving econ- in mind the Supreme Leader’s words. university came there, and they and the research- omy in keeping with their actual conditions. Equip- Ri Jong Nam
12 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 13 was as follows: One early morning Kim Po Hyon was climbing up Mangyong Hill to bring the fi rewood he had gath- ered before. On the way he found a beam coming from the hilltop. With curiosity he rushed up to the peak, where he saw a round cushion about two me- tres in width in a large open space. A dazzling light from it was illuminating the surroundings. What was more surprising was that an imposing boy was decently sitting on it, looking down at Mangyong- dae. With an impulse to embrace the boy the old man ran towards him with open arms but fell down on the ground as a leg of his A-frame carrier got caught by a branch of a tree. He sprang up to his feet unaware of pains lest he should lose the boy, but it was just a mere dream. Some time later the cry of a newborn baby broke the silence of the dawn, resounding through the whole village. It was on April 15, 1912. The fi ne countenance, bright eyes and resonant cry— the child resembled the boy that Kim Po Hyon saw in his dream. His birth gave an unusual happiness to the grave keeper’s house. His great- grandmother, grandfather (Kim Po Hyon) and grandmother never left his side all day long. The great-grandmother called the child Jungson, mean- ing that she had a beloved great-grandchild as she had lived long. The child’s father Kim Hyong Jik named him Kim Song Ju (President Kim Il Sung’s previous name), wishing that he would be a pillar of the country. Kim Il Sung spent his childhood in Mangyong- dae. In every place of Mangyong Hill around which the crystal-clear Taedong River meanders and where beautiful fl owers bloom in spring there are ► At the time when it was rumoured that Man- many things associated with his childhood includ- gyongdae would produce a noble man the story of ing the ash tree he climbed up to attempt to catch a OOldld HHomeome a dream of the grave keeper Kim Po Hyon (son of rainbow, the Swing Site, the Sliding Rock, the War- Kim Ung U) spread among the villagers. The story ship Rock, the Wrestling Site, a spring, the Study- ► aatt MangyongdaeMangyongdae Some of relics kept in the home.
HERE IS A THATCHED HOUSE AT THE coat, reached Mangyongdae. He was searching for Tfoot of Mangyong Hill in the capital city of the best landscape travelling across the country. On Pyongyang. Around 1860 a landlord in the city at Mangyong Hill he saw the clear and blue water of that time built at the foot of the hill a house for a the Taedong River under the cliff, and the Turu and person who would look after his grave. And a man, Konyu islets near the hill and the Rangnang Plain Kim Ung U by name, moved to this house as he was in the distance. Captivated by the bird’s-eye view of so poor. He thus became a grave keeper and a ten- Mangyongdae he said, “It is backed by mountains ant. In the 1910s the third and fourth generations and near the river, and I have never seen such a of the man’s family were living in the house. place where the water, wind, topography, trees and One early morning in the spring of 1912 an old grass blend well. Indeed, Mangyongdae is the land man with a drooping beard in a white Korean over- which will produce a man of distinction.” ►
14 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 15 ► ing Site and the Angling Site. tiful mountains and streams produce a hero, In January 1925 he left Mangyongdae with two General Kim Il Sung was born in the picturesque pairs of straw shoes made by his grandfather as Mangyongdae. Having heard that the General was he heard that his father had been arrested by the coming to the place men and women of all ages came Japanese imperialists while conducting revolution- out to the village entrance to meet him on arrival…. ary activities in Badaogou of China to win back Embracing, greetings and cheers…The villagers Excerpts from President Kim Il Sung’s Reminiscences With the Century Korea occupied by Japan. To his friends who were raised a storm of cheers—the cheers of joy and reluctant to part from him, Kim Il Sung said: blessings! Though I leave this beautiful Mangyongdae while “From today Mangyongdae has the honour of The Secret Camp keeping it in my mind owing to the Japanese today, being Mangyongdae not only of Korea but also of I will be back home again after destroying the Japa- the world…. on Mt. Paektu nese imperialists without fail. The day of their ruin “The scene of the day was an epoch-making one will surely come. and that of historical signifi cance.” Later the Korean people referred to his jour- The grandparents of the President lived in the OWARDS THE END OF establishment of a new base in Their veneration of Mt. Paek- ney from Mangyongdae to Badaogou as 250-mile old home in Mangyongdae to the last moment of TAugust, when the late crop this mountain by the revolution- tu implied veneration of Korea journey for national liberation. their life. When some people were struck with won- of potatoes was in full bloom, we ary army to step up its advance and love for their motherland. It took 20 years for Kim Il Sung to return to der that his grandparents carried manure and did left the village of Manjiang. The to the homeland did not mean Ever since childhood we loved Korea. With the victory of the anti-Japanese revo- straw matting, the grandfather would say: How can barley in slash-and-burn fi elds, that we were abandoning the and venerated Mt. Paektu espe- lutionary struggle he organized and led the country I live a life of ease for the reason that my grandson which had been awaiting the har- Manchurian theatre of operation, cially as an ancestral mountain. was liberated on August 15, 1945. However, he vis- is leading the country? It is said that farming is the vest season, had just begun to be which had been pioneered with This was the natural sentiment of ited his home nearly two months after liberation. basis of everything, and if I do farming well, it will reaped. great diffi culty. We planned to the Korean nation. Listening to On October 14 that year he, after delivering a be helpful for his state affairs. We marched southward in fi ght, moving freely around Ko- the stories of Pu Pun No and Ul speech on his triumphal return at the Pyongyang Afterwards, straw-thatched houses were re- silence. All my comrades, rang- rea and China from the base in Tu Ji at the time of Koguryo’s ter- mass meeting to welcome him, took a ferry to cross placed by new modern houses in farm villages ing from the regimental politi- this mountain. ritorial expansion, chanting Gen- the river and visited his home. His father, mother, across the country. But the old straw-thatched cal commissar Kim San Ho to We attached special impor- eral Nam I’s magnifi cent poem, uncle and younger brother had turned out in the home of the national leader’s grandparents re- struggle to restore the country, but all of them had mained unchanged. the boyish orderlies Choe Kum tance to the mountain as a natural and listening to the accounts of fallen down in the struggle. So it was Kim Il Sung Later some offi cials built a two-storey house San and Paek Hak Rim, were fortress for military action and Yun Kwan’s and Kim Jong So’s alone who returned home after all. behind the old home at Mangyongdae. Know- fully aware of the importance of also as our moral background. defence efforts and their pio- In his reminiscences With the Century, he ing the fact Kim Il Sung took a measure to de- our advance to Paektu mountain Mt. Paektu, soaring majes- neering of the frontier, we were wrote as follows: molish it. He sternly admonished the offi cials, area. tically as if the ancestor of this deeply moved and fascinated by “When I returned home after liberation, my saying that it was not suitable to the simplic- Mt. Paektu was an impregna- land, is the symbol of Korea and the forerunners’ patriotic spirit, grandmother hugged me outside the brush- ity of the family in Mangyongdae, and would have ble natural fortress, so to speak, cradle of the 5,000-year-long enshrined in Mt. Paektu. wood gate and pounded me on my chest, say- bad effect on the people, and that they should for its terrain features were so history of her nation. The mountain, which soared ing: ‘How have you come back alone? Where be careful not to damage the simple scenery of favourable to defence, that even The spiritual effect of this higher and higher in our minds as did you leave your father and mother? Did Mangyongdae again. one single man could repel 1,000 mountain on Koreans can be il- we grew up, became the symbol you not want to return with them?’ As the time went by, the scenery of the place attackers. No base was more suit- lustrated by the inscription, of our struggle for national lib- “With her heart bursting with such deep changed much with the appearance of the Korean- ed to the expansion of guerrilla “Monument to the Dragon God eration as well as that of Korea. grief, what was my agony as I walked through style dwelling houses in Namni village, the Man- warfare than the mountain. Yun of Heavenly Lake, Guarding Mt. Our belief that we could only the brushwood gate of my old home alone gyongdae Revolutionary School, the Mangyongdae Kwan of Koryo and Kim Jong Paektu”, on a rock at the foot of muster all the forces of the na- without bringing with me even the bones of Fun Fair, and so on. So of the Ri dynasty had fulfi lled the Janggun Peak, on the shore tion for resistance and ensure my parents who were dead and lying in a far- Still, President Kim Il Sung’s old home at their heavy duty of national de- of Lake Chon. At the beginning an ultimate victory of the strug- off foreign land? Mangyongdae remains as it was; thatch roof, short fence and pioneering of the fron- of the 20th century, when the peo- gle by entrenching ourselves in “After that, whenever I passed through the earthen wall, narrow yard, misshapen jar, and gate of someone else’s home, I would wonder farm implements like a plough. tier, by basing themselves on that ple were feeling apprehensive Mt. Paektu, was derived from our how many members of the family had gone There is also one thing that has never changed: mountain area. On that mountain about the survival of the nation, experience of the anti-Japanese out through that gate and how many of them an endless stream of people visiting the old home. General Nam I also conceived the the monument was erected by the revolutionary struggle during the had returned.” All the Korean people, always remembering high aim of pacifying the coun- religionists, connected with Tae- fi rst half of the 1930s as a natural At that time Pyongyang Minbo carried an arti- Kim Il Sung who shared joys and sorrows with try, inscribing his idea in a poetic jong faith and Chonbul faith. As conclusion drawn from the sum- cle titled A Revolutionary’s House in Bloom, which them while always being with them, visit the form on a pumice rock. the inscription indicates, the peo- mary of the struggle. read as follows: place again and again. So do the world progressive Mt. Paektu also provided an ple who erected the monument … “…Crops were ripening in the fi eld, and the peoples. ideal fortress for the Korean Peo- prayed to the Dragon God for the The Sobaeksu valley, recon- autumn sky was so blue. As it is said that beau- Yom Song Hui ple’s Revolutionary Army. The lasting security of the nation. noitred by Kim Ju Hyon, Ri Tong ►
16 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 17 ► Hak, Kim Un Sin and others, was mous historical site, which would lished in eastern Manchuria in ► for nationwide resistance. After roaming the forest for more live at the foot of Mt. Paektu and the fi rst site of the secret camp attract visitors from the rest of the fi rst half of the 1930s and the As the creation of the network than two hours, unable to fi nd die with his head resting on the on Mt. Paektu in the homeland. the world. new Paektusan Base created in of secret camps and laying of our way, I sent scouts off in many mountain, moved me. Mt. Paektu soared approximately Without leaving any trace the latter half of the decade. The the network of underground or- directions. One of them returned “Well, how do you like Mt. ten miles northwest of the valley. of our movement, we walked former was a fi xed, visible open ganizations were burning issues, with an old man. The old man Paektu?” About fi ve miles northwest one up along the water edges of the base of guerrilla warfare, where- which our destiny and the victory said that he was living alone on a “Wonderful. Hard as it is could see Mt. Sono. Four miles stream, which was fl owing with as the latter was an invisible revo- of the anti-Japanese revolution foot hill of Mt. Paektu and that, to live by growing potatoes northeast of the valley Mt. Kan- fl oating leaves. lutionary base, which consisted of depended on, we had to direct on his way back from Manjiang, and hunting roe, I feel hale and baek rose above a dense forest. Travellers to this place nowa- secret camps and underground our attention to the solution of where he had been to obtain salt hearty, because I don’t have to The long elevation behind the days will never imagine that it revolutionary organizations, these issues before all else. In the and foxtail millet, he met the re- see the Japanese.” valley was called the Peak of Saja. was part of a primeval forest half serving as the base of military ac- fi rst place, we assigned each unit connaissance party. The old man My talk with the old man re- Our arrival in the Sobaeksu a century ago. The quiet and se- tions and political activity. the task of building secret camps. took us to his grass-thatched hut affi rmed my belief that Mt. Paek- valley was a jubilant homecom- renity of the old days have given The people in the base in the Kim Ju Hyon was instructed to at Datuo. The hut was located by tu offered strong moral support ing after many years of absence. way to the well-surfaced road, fi rst half of the decade lived in provide for food and clothing. a good hot spring. The water was for our people. I keenly felt that I In the historical context of the where tourist buses and visitors line with the policy of the peo- The two aspects of construction so hot that the crayfi sh we had was absolutely right to make Mt. anti-Japanese revolution, it im- pass without cease, to the houses ple’s revolutionary government; and operation of the secret camps placed there turned red. We took Paektu into the strategic centre of plied the shifting of our operation for the travellers and travellers’ the people affi liated with under- were, in plain terms, our problems a bath, washed our clothes and the revolution. The old man, who centre from eastern Manchuria village, as well furnished as fash- ground organizations in the lat- of food, clothing and housing. cooked crayfi sh in the hot spring. was living alone stoutly in the to Mt. Paektu. ionable hotels, and to the end- ter half were under enemy rule in The recruitment of able as- The Icelanders I watched taking mountain in his late years, was A man’s homecoming is a less fl ow of pedestrians and their appearance, but in effect acted on sistants for the establishment of an open-air bath in the depth of really patriotic. I regret that I did matter of joy for his neighbours songs ringing out in all seasons. our instructions and lines. the underground network and winter on television one day re- not ask for his name. as well. But there was no neigh- But in those days we could hardly Great efforts had to be devot- combat actions to encourage the minded me of my own experience Like the old man Ma in the bour of ours in the valley lying in fi nd a footprint of wild beast in ed to the defence of the guerrilla people to turn out in the sacred at the hot spring. highlands of Luozigou, he had the depths of Paektu mountains, that primeval forest. We were at- zones in the fi rst half, whereas cause of national liberation were At that time I talked a lot with many books. from which even “A bird fl ew tracted by the exquisite scenery there was no need to do so in the also important tasks. These tasks the old man. I asked him why When we were leaving for away unable to endure the loneli- of the valley, which preserved its latter half. were given to Ri Tong Hak’s com- he was living in the deep moun- Heixiazigou after taking a bath ness of the forest,” as one poet put beauty at the time of genesis and This enabled us to launch pany. tain. He said he had been a low- at the Datuo Hot Spring, he gave it. We were greeted by the sighing its terrain features, which pro- guerrilla activity over a wider The commanding offi cers lander, but on seeing the waning me several story books. Later we forest and murmuring stream. vided us with a natural fortress. area. In other words, the change immediately began to carry out stars, had moved to the ancestral built a recuperation centre at the The people in the homeland were … in the form of the guerrilla base their assignments to build the mountain. hot spring for the wounded and still not aware of our arrival in On the day after our arrival meant we could assume an of- Paektusan Base. Kim Ju Hyon, “If I died a shameful death of infi rm. the Sobaeksu valley. I inspected together with other fensive. Therefore, the wider the Ri Tong Hak and his company an enslaved nation, it would make … Twenty-fi ve miles south of commanding offi cers, the site guerrilla base was expanded, the left us. Many other comrades no difference where I should die. By the time I returned to the the place, there were the home- of the secret camp, and the sites broader the area of our activity. were also sent away on individual But I wanted to live and die at the Sobaeksu valley, after staying land people who would welcome for barracks chosen by the ad- … missions to different places. Ac- foot of Mt. Paektu. My teacher some time at Heixiazigou, log us warmly, but there were also vance party. I convened an of- We intended to expand the companied by the guards and at the village school, who taught houses were built in many sites of uninvited guests from the island fi cers’ meeting and reviewed our guerrilla base, centring on the se- some members of the 7th Regi- me A Thousand Chinese Charac- the secret camp. The barracks for country, who were aiming their expedition from Nanhutou to Mt. cret camp on Mt. Paektu, to the ment, I made for Heixiazigou, ters, used to say that the Koreans Headquarters, subordinate units, guns at us. If this obstacle had Paektu, debated our task, and wide area of Changbai, and then where we would meet the main should live with Mt. Paektu in a printing shop, garment shop, not existed we would have gone to then gave assignments to the of- deep into the homeland along body we had parted with at the their embrace and die with it as guard house, and checkpoints, our beloved people and met them fi cers. We aimed to establish the Paekmu and Kaema Plateaus and village of Huanggongdong. Our their pillow. His words were, in- had sprung up in the forest. in excitement. Fighting the en- Paektusan Base as soon as possi- Rangrim Mountains, and then experiences on our way from the deed, a maxim, which should be The doorhandles of the log emy was the only way to meet our ble. It comprised two aspects: the spread the fl ames of armed strug- Sobaeksu valley to Heixiazigou inscribed on a monument,” the houses in the secret camp were compatriots. To fi ght the enemy, construction of secret camps and gle from the northern region to were very impressive. old man said. made of roe-hoofs. we advanced to Paektu mountain establishment of underground the middle and southern regions At that time I saw Mt. Sono Following endlessly his nar- The small roe-hoof handle area and began to establish our revolutionary organizations in of Korea, while at the same time and the Samdan Falls. The scen- rowed eyes, which were gazing at was engraved on my memory, base in the Sobaeksu valley. the villages around Mt. Paektu. expanding and developing the ery was exquisite. We lost our Mt. Paektu, I solemnly felt as if as if a landmark of a historical The comrades with me in the There were considerable dif- Party organizations, as well as way and spent a great deal of time every phase of his wretched exist- period. Since the appearance of valley at that time never imag- ferences in content and form be- the united front movement and in the forest. I still remember our ence were unfolding before my the roe-hoof handles on the doors ined that the place would be a fa- tween the guerrilla zone, estab- pushing ahead with preparations ► experience at Datuo Hot Spring. eyes. His words that he wanted to of our “living quarters” on Mt. ►
18 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 19 ► Paektu and the establishment of Paektusan Secret Camp known had been sent to inspect the area our home base in the Sobaeksu earlier to the younger generation. to build the Amnok Riverine road Understanding of the People valley, in other words, the secret The many responsibilities on my for the visitors, lost their way and camp on Mt. Paektu served as the shoulders, responsibilities to had a hard time. They were only strategic base of the Korean revo- build the Party, State and Army, rescued by the guard company, ODAY THE PEOPLE ARE ing class representative of the the Workers’ Party of Korea, the lution, as the base for its central burdens of war and postwar re- which had been sent to search for regarded as the classes people, and had the meaning of Chairman said: leadership. construction, did not permit me them. It was indeed no less laby- T and strata that create material “makers of history” who contrib- “The masses of the people The secret camp on Mt. Paek- in my younger days to take time rinthian than Mihunzhen. The wealth of society and play a pro- ute to the historical development means a united social commu- tu was not only a strategic centre to pay a visit to my home base in members of the expedition party gressive role in social develop- by playing an incomparably nity which centres on work- and heart of the Korean revolu- Mt. Paektu. and visitors’ group found some ment. greater role than an individual ing people, due to their com- tion; it was also an important op- On a number of occasions I trees, where slogans had been in- But there were no such phil- or a hero. mon demand for independ- erational base, a base of activity, told Pak Yong Sun and others to scribed, and then the sites of log osophical categories in the early Marxism viewed the popular ence and creative activity. and logistic base. discover during their lives the site houses and camping sites. days of mankind. Originally the masses in the whole of social re- “The phrase ‘the masses Many secret bases soon fanned of the Paektusan Secret Camp for In this way the Paektusan Se- word people was de ned and lations and mainly recognized of the people’ assumes a class out from this very secret camp to the younger generation, but even cret Camp came to be shown to fi different places in the northern the formerly nimble carpenter the younger revolutionary gen- used as a political and histori- them as the producer masses character in class society. An and middle regions of Korea. and his company failed to fi nd eration in its original look. cal term. In the initial stage of and working class connected exploiter society is divided … it, although he discovered the Mt. Paektu is now a school formation of class society the with mode of production and eco- into the exploiter class and The secret camp in the sites of the secret camps at Heixi- where the second, third, and word meant the members of the nomic relations. The people, put the exploited class, or the rul- Sobaeksu valley was the heart of azigou, Diyangxi and Hengshan, fourth generations of our revolu- community enslaved by slave- out of history, were considered ing class and the ruled class, the network of the secret camp which he himself had built, and tion learn from the revolutionary holders and was interpreted as in history and regarded as the depending on who owns the on Mt. Paektu. So we called the the camping sites on Chongbong, spirit of Paektu, cherished by the “commoners.” It was interpreted exploited masses in distinction means of production and camp in the Sobaeksu valley Pegae Hill and Mupho. But I did fi rst generation. A great open- as “free people” under the re- from the exploiting classes. Thus who controls state power. Paektusan Secret Camp No. 1 in not blame them. They had never air revolutionary museum has publican government of ancient the people were liberated from The exploited class, the ruled those days. Nowadays it is called been to the secret camp in the been created on the vast land of Rome. The fi rst concept of the the status of being the object of class, forms the majority of the Paektusan Secret Camp or Sobaeksu valley. Paektu. word included the meaning of the exploiting classes’ prejudice the masses of the people. The Paektu Secret Camp. After all, I myself identifi ed With the progress of history “the lowest stratum of society” in and slander of all shades. class structure of the masses … the site of the Paektusan Secret the symbolic meaning of Mt. terms of class and social status. Marxism, however, failed of the people is not immuta- Mt. Paektu was my “home” Camp, only in my late years. I Paektu has grown richer. The In other words the people were to recognize the word people as ble. It changes as social his- during my prime of youth. That found some leisure only then and mountain began to acquire a new regarded as merely the target of the fundamental category of phi- tory develops. In capitalist “home” contained a large num- went to the Mt. Paektu area, as meaning in the latter half of the oppression and exploitation by losophy. The philosophy which society, not only workers and ber of my messmates, an incom- I wanted to see the newly-built 1930s on top of its original sym- the ruling circles. With the be- regards the word as the funda- peasants, but also working parably larger number than my secret camps in that area. On bolic meaning. ginning of formation of capitalist mental category is the Juche intellectuals and many oth- family at my childhood home. my way back, I found the ter- The “lava” of the revolution society after the middle ages, the philosophy. The originator of er classes and strata which They stayed with me in that rain round the bridge over the to liberate the country, which forms of its expression changed the Juche philosophy as a man- champion and struggle for “home”, worked in the rain and Sobaeksu familiar to me. So I erupted from the extinct volcano into “poverty-stricken people,” centered philosophical idea is independence, form the mass- snow of Mt. Paektu, and dreamed sent some members of the expedi- on Mt. Paektu, attracted the at- “dependent people” and “newly- Kim Il Sung, the eternal es of the people. In socialist of today’s homeland. tion party to the Sobaeksu valley. tention of 20 million Korean com- rising civilians” but the words President of the Democratic society, all people are trans- Not many of the people, who I told them to climb up the val- patriots. Song Yong, a writer who had no difference in essential People’s Republic of Korea. formed into socialist work- shared weal and woe with me on ley until they found a very small had inspected the places swept by meaning. Chairman Kim Jong Il turned ing people, so everyone is a Mt. Paektu, are still alive. For piece of grassland at the foot of the fl ames of the anti-Japanese After all the word people was the Juche philosophy into a member of the masses of the this reason we could not fulfi l a crag as high as a hundred fath- revolution, entitled his trave- interpreted as a concept apart people-centred philosophy in the people.” early enough the mission of an oms. I emphasized that the val- logue, “Mt. Paektu Is Visible from from the exploited working real sense of the word by exten- Thus the people could show elder generation to tell the young- ley would not look distinct when Anywhere.” As the title indicates, masses. The capitalist class still sively systematizing the Juche their true image in the socio- er generation the revolutionary seen from outside, because the Mt. Paektu has become an active call the exploited working mass- philosophy and developing it in historical course, go down to history of our Party and the re- mountain sides were very close volcano of national liberation, a es citizens instead of people. depth. In his treatise Social- history as a great image and sults of the forerunners’ struggle, to each other. The forest in that sacred mountain of revolution, It was only by the Marxist ism Is a Science published in be fi rmly put at the centre of which were imprinted on every area was so dense and steep until visible from anywhere, since the philosophy that the concept of the November 1 Juche 83 (1994) philosophical discussion. fold of Paektu Mountains. those days, that my senior secre- time when we entrenched our- the people emerged as a philo- issue of Rodong Sinmun, the or- I, too, failed to make the tary and my aide-de-camp, who selves in that mountain. sophical concept with the work- gan of the Central Committee of Ri Jong Nam
20 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 21 Seventy-fi ve Years of WPK (4) Relying on Domestic Resources Revolutionary Martyrs Coal Mine and in the Jolgol Besides, they further improved Cemetery Tells area of the Chonsong Youth the effi ciency of a resistivity CT Coal Mine, and new coal survey meter with a new func- HERE IS A REVOLUTIONARY MARTYRS all the major villages of Changbai County and rap- beds have come into use at tion, a radiation survey meter Tcemetery on Jujak Peak of Mt Taesong, which idly expanded their membership. different mines under the and an infrared survey meter, is one of the eight scenic spots in Pyongyang. In Kwon and his comrades were arrested by the en- Kyongwon and Kaechon and helped fi eld technicians the cemetery there stand busts of over 150 anti- emy in October 1937, when he took all the responsi- area coal mining complexes. master the devices. Japanese revolutionary fi ghters who accomplished bility in order to defend the organizations and save Meanwhile, close atten- And my ministry set it as the cause of liberating Korea from the Japanese their members. Thus he made sure that many of his tion has been paid to the an important task to improve imperialists’ 40-odd-year-long military occupa- comrades were released from custody or put to mild tion through a 20-year-long struggle. They did not penalties. He died a heroic death on the gallows of effort to secure suffi cient the coal transport capability of merely defeat the Japanese imperialists who boast- Sodaemun Prison, Seoul, a few months before the reserve coal beds by giving the February 8 Jiktong Youth ed that their country was one of the fi ve military liberation of Korea. Just before his death he asked precedence to tunnelling Coal Mine, the Chonsong Youth powers of the world. his comrades in the prison to help his only son take and raise the capacity of Coal Mine and the Jenam Coal Ju Jong Nam. During the unprecedentedly arduous armed up the cause he had failed to accomplish. coal mining and transport Mine, and made scrupulous ef- struggle, they expanded party organizations to dif- Pak Tal, as a member of the Homeland Party so as to maximize produc- forts to carry it out. A thousand ferent regions with the Juche idea as their ideol- Working Committee, too, contributed greatly to the OME TIME AGO A KOREA tion in the mines. As a and several hundred-metre- ogy and laid a strong mass foundation for the party expansion of party organizations in Korea and their Today reporter had an in- result, coal production has in- long conveyor belt was newly to be founded in the future. Thus they created a ranks. By taking a police exam Pak gained the con- S basis on which the Workers’ Party of Korea could fi dence of the Japanese, and turned the areas of Ka- terview with Ju Jong Nam, a creased rapidly, making it pos- installed in the Puktanggol be founded and developed with the support of the psan and Samsu into a seedbed for building party bureau director of the Ministry sible to fully provide the coal Branch Mine under the Febru- masses. This is another exploit of the fi ghters. organizations in the homeland. And he dispatched of Coal Industry. needed for easing the strain on ary 8 Jiktong Youth Coal Mine, The preparation for the founding of the party was excellent members of the organizations to adjoining Recently a dynamic work power production. and the Sochang Youth Coal done by the method of forming basic party organiza- counties and provinces to expand the party ranks is ongoing in the coal indus- The active introduction of Mine successfully fi nished the tions fi rst and expanding and strengthening them steadily. try sector to open a new ave- science and technology and construction of a belt pit with Pak was arrested by the enemy in September during the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle. nue for coal production, and increase in the proportion of the help of my ministry and the After the fi rst party organization called Society 1938 and put to inconceivable torture. His body was I think what is important in for Rallying Comrades was formed in July 1930, it destroyed beyond recovery: his backbone was bro- work done by machines are Tokchon Coal Mining Complex. was expanded to various places. And as the anti- ken and leg bone was crushed. As a crippled man he increasing the production is also important in boosting This has raised the transport Japanese revolutionary struggle was waged with miraculously survived the hardships of prison life to develop new coal beds and the coal production. capacity remarkably, making a emphasis put on the armed struggle of the Korean to meet the day of Korea’s liberation. pits. Certainly. Scientists of the practical breakthrough in coal People’s Revolutionary Army (KPRA), the building Thanks to the devoted struggle of such vanguard You’re right. We have to fi nd Academy of Coal Science suc- production. of party organizations went on in real earnest un- fi ghters, the network of party organizations and the coal beds of rich deposits to in- ceeded in developing and intro- The maintenance workshops der the guidance of the party committee organized ARF stretched throughout Korea, far beyond the crease the coal production. Now ducing a pneumatic rotating have been arranged to produce in the KPRA. area of northern Korea, and even to Japan, and the coal mines are regarding a great drilling machine, a pneumatic effi cient equipment capable of At that time the KPRA Party Committee played organizations struck strong roots in the Korean set- improvement in production as the role of leading the Korean revolution as a tlements in Manchuria as well. saw for cutting pitwood and oth- increasing the rate of tunnelling, whole. It formed party organizations in the army Thanks to the organizational and ideological the main link in the whole chain er pneumatic face equipment. coal mining and transport. This and in Manchuria and Korea, and controlled their foundations laid by them, the cause of founding a of their work and putting it into And the Phyongsong University made it possible to provide suf- activities. party could be accomplished in October 1945, less practice. of Coal Mining Industry organ- fi ciently different kinds of acces- In those days political workers trained in the than two months after the liberation of the country. The coal mines in the Sun- ized the work to solve the sci- sories badly needed in the mines anti-Japanese armed struggle and small units of The tradition of their forming party and other chon and Tokchon areas are tech problems arising in the coal such as pit car wheels and bear- the KPRA were dispatched to various places to con- organizations among the masses of all strata while putting emphasis on developing industry in a fl exible way. The ings and pumps. duct brisk activities to form party organizations sharing weal and woe with the masses has been in- lots of coal beds of large deposits teachers and researchers of the Today the of cials and work- and anti-Japanese bodies and increase their forces. variably carried on, making it possible for the WPK fi Kwon Yong Byok, chief information offi cer of the to strengthen and develop into a party forming with favourable mining condi- university, in cooperation with ers of mines across the country main unit of the KPRA, took the heavy responsibil- a harmonious whole with the popular masses like tions by pushing ahead with pro- the workers in the Inpho Youth are full of zeal to produce much ity of leading the Changbai County Party Commit- today. spective tunnelling, and concen- Coal Mine, manufactured sev- more coal, keeping in mind that tee and went to the enemy-held Changbai area to At present Korean people, with bouquets in trating labour forces and means eral new machines suited to the what they can believe in is only play a pivotal role in forming party organizations their hands, visit the revolutionary martyrs cem- on the development of new coal actual conditions of anthracite their own strength and that they and anti-Japanese mass organizations there. Hav- etery to pay homage to the anti-Japanese revolu- beds and pits. The Sunchon Area mines. They also introduced a can vigorously promote the de- ing settled in Shiqidaogou in the Changbai area, he tionary forerunners. This is another distinction of Youth Coal Mining Complex de- new kind of explosion gas neu- velopment of the self-support- helped the local people sincerely in their work to the scenery of Mt Taesong since the cemetery came veloped a new coal bed of rich de- win their mind, formed underground party organi- into being on the mountain 45 years ago. tralizer which made it possible ing economy only when they zations and lower echelons of the Association for posit in the Puktanggol district to shorten the time of removing hold higher the banner of self- the Restoration of the Fatherland (ARF) in nearly Kim Won Sik of the February 8 Jiktong Youth harmful gases from explosion. reliance.
22 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 23 ► They had no relevant experience and lacked Consumer the relevant knowledge. Still, with the intention to make what little contribution they could to the Changes power production of the country, they formed a research team and fi nally made the wings with to Producer polyester hardened resin with the help of special- ists. They, it is said, felt strongly again that they at a renewable energy power plant they built by could do what they were determined to on the day themselves, and sending surplus electricity to the when the solar panels and the wind turbines were national power grid. We met Jo Son Su, manager installed and put into operation. of the power distribution station, and he told us it Now the equipment produce the same amount was any citizen’s duty to do so. And he led us to the of electricity as that from two small hydropower Amnok riverside some distance away from the sta- stations, and they get economic benefi ts worth tion. We could see lots of solar panels and wind tur- over 730 million won from the solar panels and bines installed there. Jong Nam Su, an engineer over 72 million won from the wind turbines. of the renewable energy power plant, welcomed us The manager said confi dently they would build and told us the following story. a renewable energy power plant with the generat- Electricity was badly needed everywhere with ing capacity twice the existing. The story enabled the development of the national economy, and it us to feel how ardent their patriotism was. The as- was its workers’ unanimous desire to provide elec- sets of the country like that electricity-producing tricity as much as required. After a consultation, base are increasing and the socialist economic the offi cials and engineers there decided to pro- development is being accelerated thanks to such duce electricity by taking the local physiographic purehearted patriots. advantages. The right place for the installation of While looking round the power distribution E VISITED THE NORTH PHYONGAN solar panels and wind turbines were chosen and station, we felt again how inexhaustible the gen- WProvincial Power Distribution Station some the manufacturing of the equipment was propelled. erating capacity of the locality was as well as that time ago. What was most diffi cult was to manufacture the of the country. Workers of the station are producing electricity wings of the turbines. ► Article by Kim Il Bong Photos by Ra Phyong Ryol
A renewable energy power plant.
The general control room and the power distribution room.
24 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 25 Popular Ceramics ► ware, and the second fl oor where there were on display 19 varie- ties of fl ower vases of ten kinds. Exhibition House Various illuminations set in the exhibition house were adding to the beauty of sanitary ware and EMAND FOR NARAE - the ground fl oor where sanitary the effectiveness of fl ushing.” ceramics. Dbrand sanitary ware and ce- ware and ceramics were put on She also said that another And I came to know that the ramics is on the increase. Narae display. merit of the Narae ceramics is factory makes articles to order goods can be seen in the Pyong- What drew my attention in that they are high in whiteness, for the customers’ convenience yang International Airport, the particular was sanitary ware. lustrousness and smoothness, and records their opinions. I Songdowon International Chil- Ri said, “The Narae products and that last year the ceramics saw a man who was carefully dren’s Camp, Samjiyon City have many merits in several as- from the Narae Ceramics Fac- reading the book that contained which has undergone tremen- pects. The radiation emissions tory received the December 15 the visitors’ opinions. He was dous changes, the Yangdok Hot of the TOTO products are 0.28 Quality Medal which is conferred Pak Song Min, general man- Spring Resort and other modern ㎲v, but those of Narae products on famous goods in the country. ager of the factory. He said, buildings across the country. are about 0.13㎲v, so they are There I met Kim Hwa Suk, a “Many units in the country are Some time ago I visited the quite safe. In the aspect of price woman who lives in Phyongchon producing ceramics. What is im- the people. Our goal is to make Then I thought that the Narae Ceramics Exhibition the Narae toilet is eight times District, and she said that she portant in making highly com- varieties of quality ceramics in Narae ceramics would be in House in Hyongjesan District, cheaper than the TOTO prod- had been abroad for several petitive goods is who is the fi rst keeping with the people’s rising greater demand. Pyongyang. Saleswoman Ri uct of the same size. And in the years, and that the Narae prod- to make such goods favoured by level of civilization.” Kim Il Bong Chun Hui said the Narae ceram- aspect of function water gushes ucts were more convenient to ics were enjoying popularity for out in two courses in the Narae use than foreign ones. their vivid and beautiful colours toilet, so it uses less water but Now I looked around the fi rst and their user-friendly shapes. raises the speed of water fl ow to fl oor where there were on dis- Then she led me to a spot of the maximum, thus enhancing play different kinds of sanitary ►
26 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 27 Nano Cloth Developers Target of Developers
ONG UN SUN, A cloth is made by coating cloth came the development of super- grinding program at the same Jlaboratory head of the Nano- with nano material-based solu- hydrophobic and anti-bacterial time. technology Application Research tion, and the solution should be nano cloth, which was registered They calculated the grind- Institute of the Nanotechnology different according to the kind of as a high-tech product in 2019, ing power, the rotary motion of Engineering Branch of the State fabric. and operating gowns, operating the grinding jig and so on before Academy of Sciences, looked or- In order to develop at an ear- table covers and working gar- calculating the relevant detailed dinary at the fi rst glance. She ly date nano cloth capable of pro- ments made of the cloth were devices, and established the was of small build and in a mod- ducing desired effects by using favourably commented upon by control system of the grinding Developers machine. est attire. Something impressive nano materials available in the surgeons, fi shermen and food- of the CNC about her, if any, was her eyes country, the researchers were stuff factory workers. Other needle tube Thus the CNC needle tube expressive of tenacity. And she busy selecting materials, doing kinds of clothes made of the grinding ma- grinding machine—which had was rather taciturn. experiments and verifying their cloth were very popular as out- chine. been planned to make for two years—was completed in a year. When I asked her how many effectiveness. door clothes because they did not It costed two thirds of the im- children she had, she said curtly, What they developed fi rst get wet even in the rain. ported, and all its processes “A son.” was anti-bacterial nano cloth. Un Sun was not merely were automated, making it pos- When asked what they were Clothes made of the material engrossed in developing new T PRESENT STRENUOUS and length according to the re- sible to save time and labour. researching on, she unexpect- produced no side effect on the products. Together with her re- Aefforts are being made to gion of treatment, they had to The machine can process 250 to edly began to speak, replying, human body and were especial- searchers, she set up nano cloth produce and supply medical ap- study the characteristics of a liv- 350 needle tubes at one time and “We’re conducting a research on ly effective in preventing and production lines. Among them is pliances to the public health sec- ing body. What is fundamental over 6 000 per hour. nano cloth in real earnest.” treating skin diseases. The cloth a supercritical carbon dioxide- tor. to the production of tube is to en- The grinding machine capa- According to her, the labora- could prevent infection by varie- based dyeing line which makes The needle tube is one of sure the geometric dimension of ble of producing needle tubes to tory came into being ten years ties of bacteria, and such clothes it possible to double the qual- them. There are over 20 kinds the tips’ angle of inclination re- meet the international standard ago. At the time Jong, once a helped a wounded man cut the ity of dyeing of cloth or thread, of the needle tube. As accuracy quired by the living body and to was highly appreciated at many teacher and chemical doctor of period of treatment markedly. shorten the time of dyeing, sav- is required in their processing, process their surface smoothly. exhibitions at home. Kim Il Sung University, was Soon afterwards, Jong’s team ing energy and cost by up to 40 the relevant production facility Accuracy was required in grind- Ri says, “The needle tubes appointed head of the labora- developed super-hydrophobic percent and reduce environmen- became the exclusive property of ing the tips of the tubes 0.8~ are small medical appliances, tory. nano cloth. It does not get wet, tal pollution. a few countries. 2 mm in diameter at the fi rst an- but we did not think so. As many She paid attention to nano and unlike waterproof cloth, it is Now they are pushing ahead Some time ago, the Mechani- gle of 20 to 30° and at the second as one million pieces are need- cloth because she regarded it as ventilative. The method of mak- with the development of another cal Engineering Research Insti- angle of 110°. ed a year, and it is connected important in raising the quality ing it was put on the list of na- kind of nano cloth with warm- tute of the State Academy of Sci- Having found the most ra- with the people’s health, so we of light industrial goods. Nano tional inventions in 2018. Soon ing, stealthy, antistatic and an- ences developed such a facility. tional way in the development of thought it was not negligible. A few years ago, Ri Song a CNC needle tube grinding ma- ti-wrinkling functions. Our target is to develop all ma- Guk, researcher of the institute, chine, the researchers conducted She said, “We still have more chines and equipment to produce Jong Un Sun (right). went to Kim Man Yu Hospital the designing of the machine to do than what we have done. necessary medical appliances.” to get a needle tube-based treat- and the development of a tube Rim Ok Our goal is to make innovations ment, and heard that most of the in the textile industry by devel- needle tubes were imported from A CNC needle tube grinding machine. oping a variety of nano cloth.” other countries. Nano cloth seems to be the The doctor’s words weighed same as ordinary ones, but it is heavily upon Ri’s mind. The nee- excellent in function. Likewise, dle tube is a medical appliance she looked inconspicuous, but badly needed to diagnose and not her enthusiasm. treat diseases, he thought. How Rim Ok long should they depend on im- ports? Then Ri made up his mind to solve the problem. His col- leagues positively agreed with him and helped him. The research was not con- fi ned to mechanical engineering alone. As the tubes should vary in diameter, angle of inclination
28 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 29 ► on the emulation graph, and got the Red Stars (for Kang Jong Hak was different. The teacher’s commendation of their good doings) together. Then fi rst impression of him was that he was not seem- World of Prodigies how could they become “Twin” prodigies? ingly a prodigy. However, she happened to regard One day teacher Kim Kum Hui, on her way back him anew. home from the kindergarten, happened to hear One day when she raised a long four-arithmetic AST YEAR SOME CHILDREN WERE IN THE what the elderly in her neighbourhood unit were problem, several children raised their hands at the Llimelight at the 12th national contest of the saying. same time. But Kang was calculating inwardly, kindergarten children with extraordinary talents. “Ryong Myong’s grandma said that her grandson screwing up his lips. is more interested in the page numbers of the picture The teacher says, “It is universal psychology of Football Prodigy books rather than the pictures while reading them.” the kindergarten children to raise their hands as “And he is said to be an inquisitive child.” someone does. But Kang did not mind it, and gave Ri Sang Gyong from Kaeson Kindergarten in Their words made the teacher visit the boy’s a correct answer. Many of the other children who Moranbong District affi liated to the Pyongyang home. The preschool boy remembered the number raised before him gave wrong answers. That day I Teachers Training College showed an unusual tal- of pages of each picture book. What amazed the came to realize his excellent ability. While calculat- ent in the sports event. In particular, he registered teacher was that the boy remembered all the num- ing the previous fi gures he remembered the follow- the record of nine seconds, which was two seconds bers that his grandma and parents told him only ing ones. The potentiality of a prodigy is expressed faster than the previous record of eleven, in the once at his earnest request. While watching TV he in memory fi rst, and the boy has high psychological event of dribbling, throwing the ball into a ring and barraged his parents with questions one after an- quality as well as potentiality.” so on while running a distance of 15 metres. other. Seeing him the teacher said to the boy, “If When Ryong Myong correctly expresses what- Jon Chun Yong, the boy’s teacher, says, “In the you come to the kindergarten, I can tell you what- ever he sees, hears and feels, Jong Hak expresses outdoor play time all other children soon got bored ever you want to know. How about going to the kin- only one time in an unusual way. The former can be with football except Sang Gyong. He was engrossed dergarten with me?” likened to a clear stream, and the latter to a deep in kicking the ball until I told him to stop. When I In this way he became a kindergartener a few and quiet lake. asked his parents they said that he loved to play months ahead of his peers. The boy was clever and Thanks to the effort of the teacher who has a with the ball in his nursery days, and he used to had a quick sensitivity of phenomena, so when he knack of fi nding out and rearing prodigies, both kick the ball with elder brothers or grandpas in the was taught one thing, he understood two or three. of them have developed a good intellectual ability. park, and dribble the ball while walking along the Especially, he loved fi gures, doing mental arithme- She has trained a dozen intelligent prodigies for ten Ri Sang Gyong plays with a ball even at a break. street with his mother.” tic swiftly. In case of calculating ten fi gures by four years. Though Jon was not a football expert, she could rules of arithmetic, he would raise his hand and Article by Rim Ok not neglect the bud of the boy’s gift for playing foot- at a time, and possessed tackling and dribbling as give correct answers as soon as the teacher raised Photos taken by Hwang Jong Hyok ball. Now she, in cooperation with a football ex- his forte. questions. in December 2019 pert, mapped out a teaching plan and a teaching Experts commented that his correct, quick and schedule suited to Ri’s physical preparedness and nimble dribbling would enable him to become a psychology, and started to teach him the sport one football master. His father, an army offi cer who it hour a day. Indeed, the boy was better than those is said was very fond of football in his childhood, of his age. He learned the dribbling skill quickly. A and his mother, a worker at the Pyongyang Tobacco few months later he could do dribbling 1 000 times Factory, hope their son will become a famous foot- baller. Kang Jong Hak (left) and Kim Ryong Myong Today the boy is honing his (second right) listen to their teacher. skills as a footballer. Individuality of “Twins”
Kim Ryong Myong and Kang Jong Hak, from Sungni Kinder- garten No. 3, Rangnang District, won special prize in the intel- lectual sector. Now they have completely assimilated the cur- Kim learns how to use the riculum for the second year of computer from his mother. primary school, and can work out applied questions even the sec- ond-graders fi nd it hard to solve, and compose children’s songs and verses. Kang frequents the Sci-Tech Complex Not only at the current contest with the help of his mother. but also in the whole kindergar- ten course they ranked the same ►
30 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 31 ► attained good results in fi ve major international records in men’s 55kg category so far, participat- RRecord-breakingecord-breaking contests such as the 2019 IWF World Weightlift- ed in men’s 61kg category event of the 2019 IWF ing Championships and the 2019 Asian Youth and World Cup for the fi rst time, winning a gold medal AAchievementchievement iinn 22019019 Junior Weightlifting Championships. in the jerk while Pak Jong Ju came fi rst in total of Our weightlifters won seven gold medals, twelve men’s 67kg category. Last year Om Yun Chol, Pak Chief Secretary Kim Kwang Dok. silver medals and fi ve bronze medals at the 2019 Jong Ju, Choe Hyo Sim and Rim Jong Sim broke IWF World Weightlifting Championships held in the world records. At the 2019 Asian Youth and AST YEAR KOREAN SPORTSPERSONS Thailand in September, and won seven gold med- Junior Weightlifting Championships Kim Il Gyong, achieved many successes in international com- L als, ten silver medals and thirteen bronze medals at Paek Hye Jong and Kim Chung Guk and other fi ve petitions. In particular, weightlifters gained consid- the 2019 Asian Weightlifting Championships held weightlifters renewed eleven world junior records erably high records. Some time ago a Korea Today in Ningbo, China, in April. They also won six gold and eleven Asian junior records, and four world reporter had an interview with Kim Kwang Dok, medals, fi fteen silver medals and six bronze med- youth records and eight Asian youth records. chief secretary of the Weightlifting Association under als at the 2019 IWF World Cup held in China in Like this our sportspersons broke the previous the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports. February, and ten gold medals, seven silver med- records through the matches of last year. als and four bronze medals at the 2019 IWF World I think such successes are greatly attrib- Recently sports techniques of the coun- Cup held in Tianjin, China, in December. The total utable to your association. Could you tell me try are developing, and good successes were number of those medals won in the events is 198, about it? gained in the weightlifting event last year including 87 golds, 68 silvers and 43 bronzes, al- My association carefully selected players and compared to the previous year, I think. most twice as many as the previous year. coaches, and made exact demands on them to make Certainly. Many weightlifters participated and ► Om Yun Chol, who has established astonishing all training scientifi c in keeping with the trend in ►
32 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 33 Photos by Ri Song Ik
► the development of sports techniques, and conduct- tions to enhance the coaches’ ability. ed the work to improve the coaches’ practical ability My association organized 15 short courses for in different forms and ways. over 190 coaches and instructors during the major Meanwhile, the coaches, based on their correct domestic competitions. In particular, the Pyong- understanding of physical and technical prepared- yang Sports Club gave a demonstration under the ness of the players, set up a realistic training plan title of Support System Program for Weightlift- by day, week and month, and carried them out ex- ing Instruction and Training, and Its Application actly. And the researchers, in close contact with the during the Mangyongdae Prize Games held to cel- coaches, made sure that all the training processes ebrate the Day of the Sun, helping the coaches have were put on a scientifi c footing and that advanced a correct understanding of the problems arising in training methods were introduced, thus raising the the application of the program and become able to effectiveness of training. widely use it. We also waged a vigorous campaign of learning During such competitions we also organized a from and overtaking others and swapping experi- short regulation course and referees’ course to have ence, and organized many training, challenge and the coaches and instructors understand the weight- home-and-away matches so as to kindle a fl ame lifting regulations and rules changed in 2019, thus of zeal for creating new records. Thus over 60 making it possible to successfully hold the 2019 weightlifters updated more than 40 DPRK records, Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Champion- 30 youth records and 50 junior records at domes- ships in Pyongyang in October of the year. tic competitions such as the Mangyongdae Prize Not resting on our laurels we will further Games to celebrate the Day of the Sun (President scrupulously organize preparations for the 32nd Kim Il Sung’s birthday—Tr.). During the competi- Olympic Games to be held this year so as to produce tions, we organized short courses and demonstra- many Olympic medallists.
34 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 35 True story ► Now, however, she also sonal feelings. It is not me who 52kg judo event of the Asian started her fi rst training of her trained you, but our benevolent Judo Championships held in charges with the song like the country. What is important for the Philippines in November I’ll Remain a Winner fi rst coach of hers. you is not to be faithful to your 1997, the Asian Games held in The song had been imprint- coach but to return the benevo- Bangkok in December 1998 and (7) ed not on her brain but in her lence of the country by winning the Asian Judo Championships Kang Ho Jin mind, and she would instinc- more gold medals. But you are held in China in June 1999. She, tively sing it whenever she had now giving up gold medals or however, had never won the the fl ag of the country hoisted by everything else, aren’t you? world championship. She took HAT DAY SUN HUI gold medals in the past. With- winning international competi- What’s your alternative, then?” second place in the 52 kg event Tpledged inwardly, “I’ll prove out looking back upon the past tions. Now, while singing the Sun Hui only listened to the of the world championships held myself worthy of this honour alone I’ll run forward as a per- song together with her charges, coach’s reproach without saying in Paris in 1997, and third place and happiness by winning more son steadily advancing towards she looked back upon those days a word. in the same event of the world gold medals.” She, however, did victory. Only then will I be able not know it would not be an easy to remain an eternal winner. when she won world champion- After a while, Pak Chol man- championships held in Britain job at all. Yet she knew it was on this land so fair, ship for the fi rst time. aged to calm himself down. He two years later. the only way for her—a diffi cult 2. Patriotism and The country of three lit a cigarette and inhaled its Offi cials in the sports sector road towards victory. She would Gold Medal thousand ri, “I don’t like it. I won’t do smoke eagerly in silence. After had a serious discussion about have to devote a lot of things to So rich in silver and without you, Mr Pak,” Sun Hui fi nishing it he hesitated before the fact that she had failed to the goal. Sun Hui hesitated for a while in gold you are, said stubbornly. taking her by the wrist, leading win the two rounds of the world because she was at a loss what Five thousand years Pak Chol deliberately wore a her to a nearby stone bench and championships, and concluded At last Sun Hui drew a deep to say fi rst. your history. stern look, and rebuked her, say- saying, “Let’s sit here.” that her coach’s stereotyped breath and opened the gate feel- Standing still in a line before Our people ever were ing, “Why do you say you won’t For a while he stared at her technical guidance was the main ing as if she were opening that to her, the little circle members renowned and sage, do? You’re Kye Sun Hui even sitting next to him with her cause of her failure. a new life. were watching her with twin- And rich in cultural heritage, without me. Go in and continue mouth shut closely. Then, in Pak Chol had been content As she entered the training kling eyes. And as with heart and soul to train. You’re not to be out here a calm voice, he said, “I’m also that Sun Hui won by dint of her hall, lots of shining eyes were What shall I say fi rst to them we strive, as captain.” sorry to leave you behind. You’re physical merits—she was unu- focused on her at once. Then a before starting to train them as Korea shall forever thrive! Nevertheless, Sun Hui would the best of the athletes I’ve sually strong and good in bal- girl of about fi fteen, who seemed their coach? She thought. She not withdraw, saying again, “If trained so far. You’ve been my ance—and thus he did not put to be the captain, shouted in a forgot all the words she had con- The training hall reverber- you leave the national team, so pride and joy. And I wish to work due emphasis on her technical high voice, “Attention! Mrs Kye sidered all the previous night, ated with the cheerful voices of will I.” as your coach all my life.” training while putting efforts Sun Hui, we judo circle members and she could not readily say the children. Then Pak Chol roared with Now he gave a heavy sigh into raising her physical abil- have been waiting for you.” what her husband had meticu- Having looked round the rage, “What? You mean you’ll before going on to say, “But ity alone. As a result, her tech- Now Sun Hui realized for the lously told her to say as greet- children for a while, Sun Hui leave the national team? Don’t now you need a more competent niques failed to develop in an fi rst time who she herself was, ings before she left home in the said, “Any of Korean athletes be absurd, Sun Hui.” coach than me. I know I cannot all-round way, leaving her level and got aware what she should morning. should know the song. From now Taken aback, Sun Hui looked help you win world champion- of competition stagnant. do. Then she abruptly said, “If on we’ll start daily training with him in the face. The broad face ship. This is true though it is At fi rst Pak Chol unreason- I’m neither a hero nor a fa- any of you can sing ‘Patriotic the song.” was expressive of anger. hard for me to admit it.” ably tried to refute the argument mous athlete now. I should start Song’, raise hands.” The children’s eyes were now “All have praised you, and Sun Hui gently raised her of the technical offi cials. He had from scratch as an ordinary All the circle members raised wider open. Casting a glance at do you intend to act rashly as head and watched him. There assumed an air of importance coach. I’ll fi nd my pride and the their hands, and they looked them again, Sun Hui thought of you please now? Who on earth was an agony in his face which from his university days, and value and signifi cance of my life doubtfully at their new coach’s her old coach Pak Chol. When is this Pak Chol? Will you die if had always worn self-confi dence guided Sun Hui from her child- in devoting myself to the develop- unexpected question. she had begun to attend the judo I do? Will you entrust your life and a sense of superiority. hood so that she could win Olym- ment of my country’s judo, she Now she said, “Then let all circle, the coach would make his to another?” Pak gasped out still After winning victory in the pic and many other gold medals. thought and vowed to herself: of us sing the song,” and she led trainees sing that song before red with anger. Then he went on Atlanta Olympics, Sun Hui won This made it diffi cult for him to I’ll look back no longer. I’ll live the song. they started training. At that to say loudly, “Mark my words. gold medals in many interna- admit that his ability was out of to win gold medals, only for vic- time she did not know why he Now you have no right to be neg- tional competitions in succes- date. tory, as I advanced only towards Shine bright, you dawn, had done so. ► ligent in training swayed by per- sion, including the women’s (To be continued)
36 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 37 ► Kil also focused on a thorough tive farms in the area. vigorous campaign to increase PPromisingromising SSheepheep BBreedingreeding BBasease anti-epizootic arrangement. In- Now the managers and work- the number of lambs. stead of assigning the task to ers of the base, on the basis of Article by Pak Un Yong some veterinarians alone he their achievements, have set up Photos taken by Ra OME TIME AGO A strive to work to this end.” Now ation of natural grassland as had all the workers involved in a high target and are waging a Phyong Ryol in October 2019 Snational demonstration he told the following story. the major line of their work they it. To this end he, through daily course was given at the sheep What Kil put the main em- expanded the area of grassland sci-tech lessons, let them know breeding base of the Hadan Co- phasis on when he began to and pushed ahead with the work the diseases sheep were likely to operative Farm in Sinuiju. The build the base was to create an to prepare different species of catch due to different causes and participants looked around the artifi cial grassland. However, fodder grass with great vitality conditions, and learn technical four blocks of sheepfolds, an it was not so easy as he had and of high nutritive value and measures related to sheep rear- anti-epizootic laboratory, a fod- thought owing to some natural productivity. Meanwhile, they ing. This made the workers have der processing shop, a fodder conditions. Then some people paid close attention to how a high sense of responsibility for depot and a silage pit, and they suggested that it would be OK to reduce the feed consump- their work, and they actively ap- were struck with wonder when to make a small pasture as they tion unit while raising the plied their knowledge to practice they saw a vast stretch of grass- would be engaged in sire keeping productivity in cooperation with while understanding well how land before the base. alone. Now Kil said, “This size special organs. And they treated to rear sheep in conformity with “Everything is really won- of grassland would be enough at bean straws and dried grass the distance to pastures, grazing derful. The prospect of the base the moment, but what will you do with bacteria and prepared a hour and seasons. Soon the base is bright. We will learn the ex- in the future when we rear sheep good deal of silage to use them got a larger number of breeding perience,” the visitors said. To for fattening up? We should over- for winter fodder. ► sheep and sent them to coopera- them Kil Chong San, head of the come today’s hardships for the base, said, “We think the method sake of tomorrow.” of solving problems depends on To his call all the employees A view of a pasture. how the managers set a goal and turned out. Regarding the cre-
Breeding sheep are under good care.
38 KOREA TODAY Pioneer of Complex Disabled Table Tennis Player Hand-foot Refl ex Therapy OME TIME AGO, I WENT the restaurant, said that though ECENTLY THE MINISTRY another she found them looking them improve their ability to Sto the Chilsong Restaurant he was not a cook, he made a Rof Commerce Sports Club very tired. Next day, while see- put their skills into practice in for my news coverage and hap- strenuous effort to improve the developed a complex hand-foot ing them in training, she saw competition and raise their pened to meet a disabled man. quality of dishes. refl ex therapy which is effective there was no particular progress scores, and had good effect on He was Han So Ung at the age of One day in 2013, the man- for recovery from fatigue and in their training as she had their intellectual development. 55 this year. ager told him that there would functional recovery, and growth anticipated. So she tried and The refl ex therapy done to music among sportspersons. Based on treated each of them with refl ex stimulated the blood fl ow, regu- He had previously been a be a table tennis tournament traditional medicine of the Kore- therapy but she could not do all lated the excitability of nerve cook of the restaurant, and of disabled persons and ama- an nation, the therapy is favour- of them by herself. She thought cells, strengthened the contrac- found greatest pleasure in cook- teurs according to the radio that ably commented upon by coach- and thought and decided to de- tile force of heart and raised im- ing and seeing people eat with morning. es and sportspersons. The refl ex velop a new refl ex therapy that munity. It was also good for the relish the dishes he had cooked. So he went to the gymna- therapy was developed by Kim anybody could do by themselves. lubricity, accuracy, variety and But unfortunately he lost his left sium without stopping and took Song Hui, a researcher of the If they were taught to perform agility of hand exercises and the sports club. With plenty of expe- the main technical motions of development of the functions of arm 25 years ago. It was only six part in the game, but he failed to rience, she has made a contribu- the therapy to music in the form the brain. And it helped them re- months after he married. What come within the top three plac- tion to the promotion of health of of collective exercise, it would cover quickly from fatigue, thus nagged at him was not his physi- es. But he never gave up and set many workers, peasants, offi ce be quite possible. Ra Su Hyang, freeing them from sleep distur- cal disability but the thought a goal of winning the event. workers, young people and chil- one of her colleagues, positively bance, indigestion, anxiety and that he should early give up his Looking back upon the days, Han So Ung. dren across the country for tens helped with her research. a feeling of helplessness, and it of years. The following shows It was not easy to turn each was good for the treatment of dream of becoming a famous Han says, “I’ve been to every ta- what made her develop the re- method of the therapy into a mo- different diseases such as cold, cook and live as a disabled man ble tennis court in Pyongyang dream. On the honour platform, fl ex therapy. tion and set it to a melody. But tonsillitis, cystitis and arthritis. all his life. and known every amateur. Af- he said, “Though I was disabled, One day she happened to see they fi nally completed the com- And it helped young mem- Soon afterwards he had a ter work, I went to the courts, I am taking part in the social ac- the members of the sports club plex hand-foot refl ex therapy in bers of the club grow tall, pretty son. Seeing the kid’s clear even on Sundays and holidays. tivities like healthy people, and I on their return from fi eld train- close cooperation with offi cials in smoothly solved the problem of eyes, he made up his mind to Sometimes I was so tired that I can play sports well. I wanted to ing. Their youthful looks made the sector of the arts and those its members’ weight regulation her feel as if she herself had just of the sports club. It was ap- and sharply reduced treatment become a proud person before was helped home. But I was en- show this to people.” returned from exercise together plied to the members of the club expenses and the amount of the his family and colleagues, not a couraged by the memory of my Han, who is still full of vig- with them. But while examin- for several years, and the result medical workers’ work. As a re- weak man in despair. colleagues at the Chilsong Res- our, is going to participate in the ing their countenances one after proved that the therapy helped sult, members of the sports club Since then his daily sched- taurant who inspired me to win singles of the table tennis event have achieved remarkable suc- ule changed. He was the fi rst without fail and the amateurs of amateurs this year. He is an Kim Song Hui (centre) gives a blood circulation speed cesses in competitions. control treatment by applying the refl ex therapy. The therapy won fi rst place to arrive in the workplace every who readily played against me amateur not only in table tennis in the 19th and 21st national morning, did his work in a re- for training.” but also in football. He is fond sports sci-tech achievements ex- sponsible manner and took the One year later, that is, in of consulting with football ama- st hibitions and the 31 national lead in doing diffi cult tasks. He 2014, he participated in the dou- teurs and experts as well as see- sci-tech festival, and it started also tried, while learning sports bles event of the table tennis ing such matches. to be introduced in other sports clubs and juvenile sports schools like table tennis, to be a help to tournament of disabled persons Now he is respected as a across the country. the collective. and amateurs and took third model worker and disabled table In those days Kim Song Hui And reluctant to give up his place. And he took second place tennis winner. succeeded in using the refl ex dream as a cook, he always stud- in 2015, and fi rst place in 2016. Make your happiness by therapy in lavaging the kidney. ied to fi nd the secrets of cook- He also took third place in the yourself—this is just Han’s mot- Thus she successfully treated ing and often advanced creative singles event of a similar tourna- to of life. “There are physical dis- hundreds of patients who were suffering from kidney stones suggestions, which helped some ment of disabled persons. abilities but I can never tolerate without operation. cooks produce and present new Last year he won fi rst place the mental disabilities. The man Now she is striving to better dishes at a national cooking in the singles of the table tennis with a strong mental power can the refl ex therapy on the basis of festival, ranking among the top event of disabled persons at the change misfortune into fortune,” the traditional medicine of the three winners. games of disabled persons and he says. nation. Sim Chol Yong Kim Yong Hui, manager of amateurs. Now he realized his Rim Ok
40 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 41 National Dog under Good Care Story of Headmaster
COUPLE OF NATIONAL DOG BREED- dogs and preventing and treating their diseases. So, tons. Cha Jin Hwa, manager of the Mangyongdae A ers live in the picturesque Mt Taesong area, he goes by the nickname of Phungsan dog expert. Shop in the district and its employees got off the Pyongyang. They are Hong Yong Il and Ri Hyang It is also his wife’s duty to breed the dog well lorry. The following explains why they visited the school. Rim, residents of Neighbourhood Unit No. 80, Kam- while taking care of her family. She is now busy Several days before, Cha had dropped in at the mun-dong, Taesong District. tending fi ve pups born of Yuwol. district’s People’s Committee on business. Then she The couple grew Yuwol, belonging to the kind Yuwol is so clever that it understands well what happened to hear voices coming from the room of of national dog Phungsan, which took fi rst place in people say and helps a lot with her work, the wife the education department in which there was under Korea’s National Dog Phungsan Show 2019 held in says and adds, “Phungsan also guards the home way a discussion about how to solve the problem of a lot of cable necessary to make the education of the November last year. well. Our home is situated at a hillock with many aforesaid primary school IT-based. Everyday life of the man and wife is inconceiv- foxes and weasels. Yuwol reliably protects chickens, Now she was sunk in deep thought. The more able apart from the national dog. The husband’s ducks and geese from the natural enemies’ attack. the development of educational work is delayed, the daily routine starts with running in the morning. Phungsan is very clean, too. Her fi ve young, though slower the development of the nation becomes. If my Just at 6 a.m. he goes out together with the dog. it is merely one week after they were weaned, are children are studying at the school… They run a distance of about two kilometres along already able to go to stool by themselves.” As soon as she returned to the shop, she told her employees the fact and appealed, “We have nothing the foot of Mt Kobang. Through the exercise, Hong It is four years since the couple brought Yuwol to spare for our younger generation. Let’s help the says, they harden themselves physically and deep- from Kim Hyong Gwon County (former Phungsan school.” Responding to her call, all the employees en their mutual affection. County) of Ryanggang Province, the home of the OME TIME AGO WE VISITED RYONGSAN proposed to purchase several computers and their He says, “It is in winter that there is the biggest dog. They have been engrossed in preserving and SPrimary School in Mangyongdae District, fi ttings. Thus they brought them to the school. diffi culty with running in the morning. Yuwol, how- multiplying pure-bred Phungsan dogs, and thus Pyongyang. Welcoming us, Ri Chol Nam, headmas- Later, they also purchased the equipment for ter of the school, told us the following story. introducing IT into education of the Hongchon and ever, always joins me in the exercise even in the they have spread over thirty dogs of the kind across In recent years, the school has paid close atten- Ryondae branches of the school. intense cold of midwinter when the temperature the country. They have a plan to spread 100 such tion to the introduction of IT into education. Many That’s not all. They provided lots of training falls as low as ten degrees below zero. In the past I dogs across the country by 2025. problems were solved in its education thanks to wear and sports shoes for circle members of Man- bred varieties of pet dogs such as dachshund, poo- Thanks to their efforts the number of the peo- State investment, but not a few still remained un- gyongdae District Juvenile Sports School and sent dle, Dalmatian and miniature pinscher. But none ple breeding those dogs is increasing in not only solved. Worse still, as it was located in a suburb of LCD TVs, computers and cameras to several other of them joined me in the morning exercise in that Kammun-dong but also Chongho-dong, Kosan-dong Pyongyang, it needed several kilometres of cable to primary schools of the district. realize IT-based education. They are still making selfl ess efforts for the de- season. No dog is as strong in resistance to cold and and Anhak-dong and other localities. Lots of people One day a lorry rolled into the school gate. It velopment of education. diseases as Phungsan.” frequent the home of the couple to learn from their was loaded with a big roll of cable and many car- Sim Chol Yong Hong goes to work at 8 a.m. He works in the experience in breeding Phungsan. Central Zoo, and in his spare time he reads books, Hunting is also important part of the couple’s most of which are those on dogs, including Phung- life because the Phungsan is strong in hind legs san Dog, Breeding of Pet Dogs and Pet Dog Ency- and good at running up mountains, and has so keen Stone Buddhist Image from Early clopaedia. a nose and sensitive ears as to fi nd games exactly He is well versed in the breeding of Phungsan and quickly. More important is that the dog fi ghts Period of Koryo Unearthed its enemy to the last until it wins and that it pro- ECENTLY A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS During the excavation, fragments of roof tiles tects its masters well, the couple says. They attach Rfrom the History Faculty of Kim Il Sung patterned after leaves of fi r tree and pottery, iron the greatest attention to walking in their life. Back University and the Archaeology Institute of the arrowhead, coins and other relics from the period home after the day’s work Hong and his daughter Academy of Social Sciences has discovered a stone of Koryo were also found. Paek Sol go out for a walk together with their dog. Buddhist image from the period of Koryo (918– Scholars regard the statue as the image of 1392) in Songhyon-ri, Onchon County, Nampho Yaksayorae, as the Buddha tucks a gallipot up in This is a kind of rule for them. The walk takes 30 City. his hands. The results of survey and analysis of minutes, and it is an unusually good time for them, The stone Buddhist image made by process- the proportional structure and attire of the image, when they relieve their fatigue of the day, and plan ing white granite is 235cm high, 84-91cm wide the depiction of the support, and the fragments of what they will do the next day. and 22-26cm thick. The statue depicts a Bud- roof tiles and the time of their use showed that the dha standing on a lotus-engraved support. Lotus Buddhist image was erected in the early period of Like this the daily life of the couple is continu- leaves are engraved in the façade of the support Koryo, or the early 10th century. ing in a pleasant way along with Yuwol. while decorative patterns are inscribed on its up- The delicately-trimmed stone Buddhist per side. And there is a mortise in the centre of image is put on the list of the relics under preser- Choe Sol Mi the support to fi x the image. vation.
42 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 43 ► tural treasure and took them to the will of the countries not to It is also an unpardonable crime Japan. Karube, who stole into repeat the past record of crime, against the international law. Glimpse of Japan’s Plunder of Korea under the cloak of archae- and it is also a refl ection of the Although more than 70 years ologist, dug hundreds of tombs of current international trend of have passed since its defeat, the those who belonged to the middle pursuing reconciliation and new insular nation is fl atly refusing Korean Cultural Heritage and higher classes on the yearly relationship between nations by to admit its past crimes includ- basis, which belonged to Paekje, settling problems of the past. ing the plunder of cultural as- a feudal state of Korea that was Nevertheless, Japan still re- sets. What is more disgusting is ECENTLY A KOREA things from Korea. Their great- imperialists formed an organiza- in existence from the close of the mains shameless against this re- that it is embellishing its past, Today reporter interviewed est lust was ceramic articles. A tion headed by Sekino, a Japa- R fi rst century BC to 660. In his in- ality. Its plunder of the Korean resorting to militarist moves of Kong Myong Song, chief of the stark piece of evidence is that nese who was in the cloak of sur- terview with a Japanese reporter cultural assets is not simply con- resurrection with a burning in- Folklore Institute of the Acad- one Koryo ceramic vessel was veyor of historical remains and in 1963 he confessed that he had fi ned to the crime of individual tention of reinvasion. Japan is emy of Social Sciences, about Ja- worth some 51 200 US bushels relics, and carried out an over- “unearthed 2 000 ancient tombs Japanese, but is a extravillain- strongly advised to learn that its pan’s criminal pillage of Korean of rice in Japan at the time. all expert investigation into the of Paekje and learned that they ous state-sponsored crime that record of aggression will not dis- cultural relics. Along with ceramic articles, Korean national heritage in the were worth three hundred and Japan committed with an inten- appear even if it covers it with Do you have any idea bells, Buddhist images, pictures whole Korean land for ten years, tens of millions of yen when I tion to clear away the history silk cloth and that the statute of about the amount of Korean and whatever was created by thus working out a 15-volumed entrusted them to merchants for and culture of the Korean nation limitations shall not apply to its cultural relics kept in Ja- the Korean nation were on the book. On this basis Hirobumi evaluation.” by mobilizing the whole govern- crime even after the passage of pan? list of the things to be taken by Ito who was the fi rst Resident- I hear the Japanese are ment and military authorities. centuries. There are as many as 30 000– the Japanese marauders. Their General in Korea proclaimed insulting the time-honoured 40 000 pieces of Koryo ceramics vandalism caused the disap- a decree to fi nd out and collect history and tradition of Ko- in Japan at the moment. Accord- pearance of ancient historical Korean cultural relics, which be- Even brass tableware becomes a target of plunder. rea claiming the Korean cul- ing to some Japanese sources, documents cherished by the Ko- came the legal and institutional tural relics as theirs. the Tokyo National Museum has rean people for a long time. The basis to plunder the cultural At the moment the Japanese got 40 000 items of Korean cul- Chunchu Hall Archives in the heritage of the Korean nation. are praising their ancestors for tural heritage while the Nezu Art royal palace and similar ones in Ito illegally dug out a dozen the plunder, saying it was the Museum keeps thousands of arti- Songju and Chungju were burnt truckloads of treasure from the “most wonderful cultural cam- cles of the kind. Large and small to ashes during the Japanese in- mausoleum of King Kyonghyo, paign.” They keep cultural rel- museums, colleges and Buddhist vasion—the one in Jonju alone who was the 31st king of Koryo. ics of Korea registered on the temples have on display or keep could avoid the pillage. It was During their occupation of Ko- list of possessions at the Ueno different kinds of Korean cultur- also during the turbulent time rea, the Japanese imperialists Museum in Tokyo and publicize al relics, such as ceramics, met- that a lot of porcelain techni- unearthed more than 200 royal them as Japan’s “national treas- alwork, mother-of-pearl work, cians and handicraftsmen were mausoleums and as many as ure,” “prime cultural assets” and drawings and paintings, books forcibly taken to Japan. 11 000 old tombs to get a colossal “principal art work.” and types. In addition, many At the beginning of the 20th amount of treasure to be taken A Japanese scholar once said, things are in private hands. Al- century the Japanese imperial- to Japan stealthily. “Who is the maker of almost all together, there are hundreds of ists put Korea under their mili- Terauchi, the fi rst Governor thousands of items of Korean cul- tary occupation and began to General of Korea, pulled down a of those things Japan is boasting tural heritage in Japan. plunder Korean cultural relics building of Kyongbok Palace, the to the world as its own treasure They say Japan began to indiscriminately and stealthily residence of the Korean king, and many people around the plunder cultural relics from take them to their homeland. and moved it to his home town. world praise for their beauty? Korea hundreds of years ago. The Japanese imperial- There he had it restored true to Isn’t it true that they were made What’s the story? ists’ military occupation of the original model, named it Ko- by the Korean nation? No doubt Japan started an aggression Korea following the so-called rean House and put on show lots even the historians admit the war against Korea in 1592, and 1905 Ulsa Five-point Treaty of Korean ceramic articles, Bud- truth. There is no other alterna- stole a colossal amount of cul- gave rise to rampant plun- dhist images, metal handicrafts, tive than to call them Korean tural remains and relics by the der of Korean cultural herit- and trinkets. treasure.” end of the war—which we call age, the extent of which was Besides, offi cials of the Gov- Restitution is a global Imjin Patriotic War that came to absolutely unheard of in his- ernment General of Korea and trend at the moment, isn’t it? an end in 1598. During the war tory, I would say. many other Japanese under Sure. Last year the UK re- six detachments of the Japanese The Japanese adopted quite the guise of investigation com- turned some cultural relics to aggression forces were charged sinister means to get Korean missioners, archaeologists and Ethiopia and France gave back with the exclusive mission of cultural relics. Soon after they antiques collectors unearthed what it took from Senegal in the 19th century. This is a sign of plundering valuable cultural occupied Korea the Japanese a huge amount of valuable cul- ►
44 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 45 National Intangible Cultural Heritage (41) Sijungho Mud Therapy
HERE IS A LAGOON reducing bacteria changed into for treatment of diseases such as Poetess Tcalled Sijungho in iron sulfi de through its reaction chronic osteoarticular disorders, Thongchon County, Kangwon to iron in the mud, and thus the chronic hepatitis, chronic chol- Province. mud turned ash gray. ecystitis and cholangitis, chronic It was originally a bay in the The mud consists of about 70 gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcer, Ho Ran Sol Hon east coast of Korea. Later it was percent of water, 0.14 percent of chronic colitis, post-traumatic separated from the sea as its es- salt, 20-21 percent of crystalline and postoperative after-effects, tuary was blocked by a strip of components, over ten percent of neuralgia, neuritis, chronic ad- sandbank which rose by eleva- colloidal components, 0.02 per- nexitis, ovarian insuffi ciency, tion of the ground and waves. cent of iron sulfi de and 0.5-1.5 uterine agenesis and atocia. With an area of 2.94 km² the percent of foreign matters. Around the lake there is lake is 11.8 km round, 3.5 km One litre of the mud solution the Sijungho Sanatorium. The long, and 0.8 km wide on aver- contains 2.674 mg of minerals in mud from the lake is sent to O RAN SOL HON (1563– was appointed as a government to her country but had to live age, 3.5 m and 0.6 m deep at the total and 36.5 mg of metasilicic other sanatoriums and hospitals H1589) was a female poet in offi cial to guide an envoy of a with her relatives in the foreign maximum and minimum respec- acid. The main ion contents are across the country to be widely the period of the feudal Joson neighbouring country. While country. tively and 2 m deep on average. 723.81 mg of potassium ion and used for medical treatment. dynasty (1392–1910). meeting the envoy frequently, As she grew up she gradually The bottom three to four me- sodium ion, 72.24 mg of calcium The techniques of heating As a child, Ho was clever and he enjoyed writing poems to- missed her homeland. So she felt tres away from the shore is cov- ion, 79.67 mg of magnesium ion, the mud, attaching it to skin by unusually pretty, and thus was gether with the guest. Struck the Collection of Ran Sol Hon’s ered with mud. The peloid was 148.11 mg of sodium sulphate adjusting its moisture content, called female prodigy. It is said with admiration by his liter- Writings was as precious as a discovered in Juche 44 (1955)– ion and 341.6 mg of bicarbonate using the solution extracted that she began to write poems ary talent, the envoy asked him handful of soil from the country. Juche 45 (1956). The formation ion. from the mud to make medicines when she was 5. for several writings as souve- All the more important was the of the mud layer took hundreds The mud of the lake has no and so on belong to intangible el- Her father Ho Yop did not nirs. fact that they were written by of years. It came from the ac- smell, is rich in pharmacologi- ements. Thus the Sijungho mud teach her how to read and write. Ho said he had no writings her same sex. cumulation of clay particles cal ingredients, sticks to skin therapy was registered as No. 84 At that time it was not regarded worth mentioning, producing his Kyong Ran began to write po- carried into the lake by a brook well never to slip down and cools on the list of national intangible as good to teach women how to sister’s works before the envoy. ems after Ran Sol Hon’s rhymes. read and write. She, however, After reading them, the en- Later her works were edited as fl owing down mountain valleys slowly after being heated, and cultural heritage. managed to master the mother voy expressed great admira- a book and published under the after their formation through thus it ensures good conditions Rim Ok tongue by listening secretly to tion, and told Ho to let him have title of Haedongran. neutralization of the structures what her elder brothers read, them, saying that they were val- Kyong Ran was so impressed and components of ore beds of Mud of Lake Sijung is used effectively for treatment of chronic diseases. Photo taken in January 2020 and wrote poems. And she read uable as they were written by a by Ran Sol Hon’s poems that she nearby mountains. and wrote more than the broth- woman. went so far as to regard herself The lake and the sea are ers. Back home, the envoy edited as reborn Ran Sol Hon who had linked by a rivulet, and when After marriage, too, she the poems and published a book already died, and took pride in waves are high, the sea water wrote a lot of poems. But she re- under the title of Collection of it. Thus she chose Kyong Ran as fl ows back into the lake. The grettably died at the young age Ran Sol Hon’s Writings. her pet name. mud got medicinal effects thanks of 26. Lots of people read the book She thought that she would to the steady ion exchange be- She wrote lots of poems in her as their favourite. Among the die at the age of 26 like Ran Sol tween the mud and the water of short life, but the poems failed to readers was a woman, named Hon had done. So, when she was the lake, denaturation and de- be handed down because at the Ho Kyong Ran, who followed her 26, she said to her relatives, “I’ll composition of organic matters time when women were not en- father, a government interpreter surely die this year.” She, how- and the repeated process of vari- couraged to learn, it must have of Korea, to the neighbouring ever, did not die that year and ous ingredients being absorbed been impossible to publish po- country to live there. the next year. In great disap- into it. ems written by women. Fortu- Kyong Ran, too, was clever pointment, it is said, she would The mud was also infl uenced nately some of her poems have from her childhood, and made repeat, “Then am I an ordinary by varieties of microorganisms been handed down thanks to her poems when she was 7 or 8. But woman instead of reborn Ho Ran living in the lake. Especially, hy- brother Ho Kyun. as she lost her parents when she Sol Hon?” drogen sulfi de caused by sulfate- When he was 37, Ho Kyun was young, she could not return Rim Ok
46 KOREA TODAY No. 4, 2020 47 Mt Kuwol (3)
Scenic Spots in Phaldam and over fi ve hundred metres up ers). Now it has changed into the Recreation Ground the peak azaleas and royal azal- people’s resort. eas grow in crevices of rocks. There is Unjong Falls above HE PHALDAM VALLEY The Phaldam Valley is one Phaldam. The waterfall, which Thas eight pools, hence the of the main valleys stretching looks like hundreds of silver name. Now it has changed into from Sahwang Peak divided beads hanging over a moss-cov- a cultural recreation ground. into different branches, thus it ered wide rock, is very beautiful. It covers Woljong-ri, Norumegi is deep and thickly wooded. The On the top of the waterfall there and Hwajang valleys bounded valley is a scenic spot where is Lake Unjong, whose blue wa- by Susamthaeryong, Sansong- crystal-clear water fl ows down ter inspires people to drink it dongmun, Josadae and Obong. over bedrocks at its bottom and or plunge into it. Even in mid- It has many sites of historical forms eight pools on fl at rocks. A summer days the water is very importance such as Woljong, signpost for the climbing route cold. A picnic ground, a dancing Samsong and Phaeyop temples. to Phaldam (eight pools) stands ground and a resting place are Sightseeing and mountain- at the entrance to the valley. well arranged around the lake. eering in the recreation ground Curious rocks rise jaggedly or The Phaeyop Temple in Mt starts from Woljong-ri, Anak form cliffs on the right side of Kuwol is well-known across County. Woljong Temple was the valley, with the climbing the country because it is one of built in 846, and later repaired route lying beneath the rocks, 31 Buddhist head temples in several times. The structure and and a wide road spreads on the Korea, and it houses rare Bud- style of the temple are fi ne and left. The clear water cascades dhist scriptures named Phaeyop well matched mechanically, and down 100 metre-long layers of Scriptures. If you go up 400 m it is of signifi cance in studying bedrock forming the eight pools. northwest along the valley from ancient buildings of Korea. A giant rock stands over the the temple you can see Sesim The temple backs onto Asa eighth pool. And spring water Falls. Its water fl ows down Peak which is the fourth tallest called Chongchun (youth) Spring rock steps, and there is a pool peak in the mountain. It is also gushes out from a crevice of the on each of the steps. The space referred to as the mountain of rock, and it is said that one has around the rock is so wide that Tangun, founding father of the youthful vigour if one drinks the it is an appropriate place for Korean nation. The peak rises water. rest. You feel refreshed by the precipitously from almost level In the past the scenic spot waterfall, hence comes its name. ground, thus looking magnifi - served as a pleasure resort A little way down from the wa- cent. Growing on the peak are where only the rich from Nam- terfall there is Ssangthae Falls pines and pine nut trees, oaks, pho, Unryul, Sinchon and Anak whose water pours down in two maples, apricot and peach trees enjoyed themselves playing with courses. and the Korean pepper bush, kisaengs (professional entertain- Sim Chol Yong
Hyongje Rocks on Asa Peak. An old fort site in Mt Kuwol.
Stamps of Yangdok Hot Spring Resort and Jungphyong Vegetable Greenhouse Farm
48 KOREA TODAY