Jo Jun 7, 2022
Koguryo, first feudal state in our country, lasted for nearly a thousand years from 277 B.C. to 668 A.D., holding the central position and playing a leading role in the development of history of our country.
The founder is Sejo, King Tongmyong (Ko Ju Mong). When he became the lawful successor to the king of Kuryo, he formed a new feudal system in 277 B.C. and named it Koguryo. He had its capital Jolbon Castle (castle on the mountain) built within a few years and merged several neighbouring countries in ten years’ time, enlarging Koguryo into a fairly big country that stretched 2 000 ri (1 ri = about 393m) from east to west.
The capital moved from Jolbon Castle to Kuknae Castle (Jipanhyon) in 3 A.D., to Pyongyang Castle (Mt. Taesong area) in 427, to new Pyongyang Castle (Jangan Castle) in 586. Hwando Castle 2 (North Pyongyang Castle, Ponghwang Castle) and South Pyongyang Castle (Mt. Jangsu area, later Han Castle) became the second capitals between the late 4th century and the early 5th century, forming a system of 5 capitals.
With rapid progress in several fields of politics, military affairs, economy and culture after the establishment, Koguryo emerged as one of the most developed countries in Asia in those days and demonstrated its prominently advanced culture out to the whole world.
For some centuries B.C. and A.D., feudal relationship was consolidated and developed and the whole well-regulated feudal system was established in Koguryo, which became the main framework of the state and social systems of subsequent several feudal states in our country as well as Paekje and Silla.
From the end of the 2nd century B.C. Koguryo people loaded with a high sense of patriotism and military spirit played the role as a fort and a shield to defend the entire land and fellow countrymen by repulsing foreign forces of aggression.
Koguryo set territorial unification as its important policy and put a lot of effort to realize it. As a result, in the west it merged several small countries in the southeast of Ryodong Peninsula by the 70s in the first century, in the southwest the northern part of Raknangguk, and in the east and the south Kaema, Kuda, Jona, Juna, East Okjo and other 7 small countries. In the north it defeated Ancient Puyo at the end of the 3rd century B.C. and took several small countries subject to Puyo under its control. After the establishment of Later Puyo feudal state in the early 2nd century B.C., it took control of the southern part of Jilin area and merged Kalsaguk.
The struggle of Koguryo for territorial unification was carried out along with anti-aggressive struggles. In 529 Koguryo extended its territory to the faraway bounds of Asan Bay, which brought unification of Three Kingdoms to the verge of completion in the first half of the 6th century.
Moreover, Koguryo developed various fields of its economy and culture, exerting a great influence upon the development of economy and culture of the neighbouring countries of the same blood and spreading its advanced culture even abroad.
In summary, Koguryo was a strong country with vast territory and advanced culture, which is a great pride of Korean nation possessed of a time-honoured history, ardent patriotism, strong national self-respect and unexcelled resourcefulness and wisdom.
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Jo Jun 2, 2022
Here is Kyongru-dong like a beautiful gem true to the meaning of its name in the centre of Pyongyang, capital of the DPRK.
Everything here including the bus stops, underground crossings, street lamps, etc. blends well with the Pothong riverside and the terraced residential district, which gives us an impression of being on the fairyland.
Walking up the exquisite stone steps, we could notice the plate bearing Block No. 12 in big fonts attached on the front door, which led us into the house of Merited Scientist, Candidate Academician, Prof. PhD. Ri Mu Chol, a section head at the Bioengineering Institute.
He and his son PhD. Ri Hwi Song, a researcher at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine Engineering, welcomed us, saying that they still could hardly believe this dreamlike reality.
The living room, study, kitchen, storeroom, …
Every element in the dwelling including the arrangement and colour of all the furnishings and lighting was on the highest level in the aspects of practicability, aesthetics and environment.
We could enjoy the beauty of the Pothong River flowing placidly in front of the spacious balcony where some fresh and green young pine trees were growing like a piece of painting.
Indeed, it was like a dream that ordinary working people are living in such luxurious dwellings in Kyongru-dong with fine scenery and good living conditions.
This is not a dream, but the reality in the DPRK.
We were totally absorbed in looking round the rooms when Ri Mu Chol told us as follows.
“It is really unbelievable that I am honoured to live here. I couldn’t believe that this is my own house even when I was handed over the entrance certificate and even when I was looking round it after the completion ceremony. But it turned out to be the reality, not a dream. Ordinary educators, scientists, workers, writers and artists like me became the owners of these new dwellings.”
This is not the remark from his heart alone.
It is from the hearts of all educators and scientists including Ri Tong Ju, a section head at the Faculty of Mechanical Science and Technology, O Su Yong, a section head at the Faculty of Heat Engineering, Kwon Chang Dok, a section head at the Faculty of Mining Engineering, Ri Mu Chol, a section head at the Bioengineering Institute, Son Ryong Chol, a section head at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Jong Kwang Chon, a researcher at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Min Chol U, a researcher at the Robotics Institute, Kim Chol Ryong, dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, etc. It is from the hearts of all the people across the country.
It is not a dream, but reality.
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Jo May 6, 2022
Ssirum (Korean wrestling), part of the superior national heritage created and developed by the Korean people from ancient times, is a traditional sporting event where two people who grasp each other’s thigh bands compete to bring down the opponents onto the ground using their hands, legs and bodies.
Korean ssirum, registered as part of the intangible heritage of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, has a long history and tradition.
Korean Ssirum is said to have made a start in Ancient Korea and have been perfected in Koguryo.
Although several nations and countries including Mongolia and Japan did have similar strength events called ssirum, Koguryo ssirum had some unique features ― wrestlers wearing heavy cloth bands around either thighs and no garments on their upper bodies competed in strength with their chins tucked on the opponents’ shoulders in bare feet; ssirum was well organized according to strict rules; wrestlers were trained to be professional.
Unlike Koguryo ssirum, however, Mongolian ssirum allowed wrestlers to wear shoes and upper garments similar to leather waistcoats.
Meanwhile, influenced by Korean ssirum, the Japanese did ssirum with thigh bands, bare upper body and bare feet. This explains Japanese ssirum originated from Korean ssirum.
This assertion is also supported by the figures discovered in Inbe Hachimanyama Tomb (around 6th century) situated on the basin of the Ginogawa River in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.
Figure 10 of strong man erected in the east of the group of tombs bears a close resemblance to Koguryo ssirum wrestlers.
It proves that Japanese ssirum was not invented and developed in Japan itself, but introduced from Koguryo.
Such information is also found in “Japanese History” and other Japanese historical records.
In a word, Korean ssirum, which was developed in Ancient Korea and perfected in Koguryo, was disseminated through the neighbouring countries of the same blood Paekje, Silla and Kaya to the Japanese archipelago, exerting a significant influence upon the cultural development of the island country.
Indeed, the time-honoured and superior culture and tradition created by the Korean nation from olden times was introduced into other countries, thus leaving an indelible mark in their history of cultural development.
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Jo May 2, 2022
Among the national instruments reflective of national emotion and aesthetic sense that have undergone constant development by the Korean nation is a pipe with a long history.
A pipe with which you make a sound by blowing at one end across a hollow rod with several holes on it is one of the widely-used woodwind instruments.
Having been used for their emotional life by our nation from the earliest period, it served as a popular instrument since it is portable and simple in type and it produces an elegant and clear tone.
Since primitive times Korean people have played pipes made of different materials like animal bones, leaves or stems of trees, reeds, etc.
The Bronze Age cultural stratum of the Sopho Port Site in Rason City was unearthed with a bone pipe recognized as dating from the 3rd millennium B.C. It was made of the bone of a bird’s leg and drilled with 10 holes, which is just enough to demonstrate that Korean nation is a wise and talented nation that made instruments for their cultural life in the earliest days in the world, and that a pipe has a time-honoured tradition.
In Ancient Korea, not only soft-toned pipes made of animal bones and bamboos but also others of a pipe kind such as tophy (a roll of a leaf of a peach tree), ka (a simple kind of a single tone with no holes on the side), etc. made of a variety of materials were devised and used as musical and signal instruments.
In the period of Three Kingdoms, Koryo and Feudal Joson Dynasty, various kinds of pipes with different tone colours and ranges were also made to improve the descriptive power of instrumental music and these pipes took charge of main melodies of music.
Besides, pipes were played in every single piece of folk instrumental music and popular with people of all levels of society over a long period in the Middle Ages, and every part of the country has had fine customs of children playing on willow pipes in early spring.
In summary, a pipe is one of the typical national instruments that have been penetrated deep into the life of the Korean people and have made a great contribution to the development of national music while dominating musical performances.
Today under the scrupulous care of the Party and state, which value the traditions of our nation, pipes are on the way of progress forming the main part of national instruments.
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Jo Apr 19, 2022
See-saw is one of the folk games enjoyed by the Korean people.
There exist several arguments for the origin of see-saw. Some historians claim that it originated from a woman who went on the see-saw outside the wall of the prison to see her imprisoned husband in the period of the Koryo Dynasty while some others believe that it started from the women’s practice of looking over the fence on a piece of board in the yard as a sign of resistance to feudal restraints. It is also said to be derived from the principle of a treadmill used for pounding cereal in the past.
See-saw used to be done mostly on the Lunar New Year’s Day and Jongwoldaeborum (January 15 by the lunar calendar). That was because it was appropriate time for people to enjoy themselves breathing in as much fresh air as they wanted in the currents of warm spring air after the long period of the severe cold striking from morning to evening.
It was so good for women’s health and life that there went an old saying, “A see-saw in January keeps pricks away from soles that year.”
As it is easy and can be played everywhere, middle-aged women as well as young girls can train themselves jumping up and down merrily. In addition, it is in accordance with active and optimistic Korean women’s sentiments of life.
Thanks to the policy of the national heritage conservation of our Party and state, see-saw, the Korean folk game, is still encouraged as the one enjoyed by our women and as one of the national sporting events.
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Jo Apr 18, 2022
There are a great number of world-famous specialities in the DPRK, the land of beautiful mountains and rivers, and among them is Koryo Insam.
Koryo Insam, a special medicinal plant in the DPRK with a time-honoured tradition, has such a mysterious and unique medicinal effect that it is well-known all over the world as a cure-all and a tonic bringing eternal youth.
Even though a lot of kinds of plants in the insam(jinseng) family are growing and are being cultivated in many countries and regions in the world, none of them is more effective, greater in demand and more time-honoured than it.
The word insam originated from its root which resembles a human body. We call those growing naturally in the mountains wild insam while those cultivated artificially is called insam.
Well-known insam plants that have been used by people all around the world so far include Koryo(Korean) Insam, Chinese Insam(Samchil), Japanese Insam(Jukjol insam), Siberian Insam(eleuterococcus senticosus), Western Insam(Hwagisam), etc.
The most famous of all these is none other than Koryo Insam.
The custom of cultivating and using Koryo Insam was nominated as part of the national intangible cultural heritage and the method of cultivating and processing it has still been inherited.
It is classified into two according to the processing method: hongsam(red) and paeksam(white).
Hongsam is insam steamed and dried at a certain temperature and paeksam refers to insam which is cleaned and dried. Insam in its original state is called susam.
As insam is rich in essential amino acid, various vitamins and minerals, etc., it is used as a basic ingredient for a variety of Koryo medicine and tonics.
It, in addition, renews vigor, relieves fatigue, improves mental and physical abilities and promotes health.
Nowadays a large number of insam products such as insam tea, insam extract, insam liquor, insam sweet medicine, etc. are making an active contribution to the improvement of our people’s health and cosmetics produced with insam as major ingredients are also in great demand.
A foreign specialist in crude drug wrote that the value of insam is represented clearly by the international market price and Koryo Insam cultivated in the DPRK is twice to four times more expensive than those from China or Japan although they are of the same kind, and that it is mainly attributable to the cultivation techniques including choice of superior kind, fertile soil, scientific manuring and prevention from blights and harmful insects.
Under the wise leadership and warm care of our Party, farms, factories and institutes for professional cultivation, processing and research are well established in Kaesong, the original home of insam, and they are working hard to conserve and preserve the peculiar features of Kaesong Koryo Insam, a speciality of our country, and to boost its yield.
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