Jo Apr 30, 2023
“Koryosajolyo” is a book where the history of Koryo, the first unified state of our nation, is recorded in order of year, month and date.
“Koryosa” (History of Koryo), which was written in 1451, touches a huge amount of materials divided into categories, so it was inconvenient to learn the contemporary history chronologically at a glance.
That is why after the completion of “Koryosa”, a more concise one “Koryosajolyo” was compiled.
“Koryosajolyo” was completed in 1452 by Kim Jong So, Jong Rin Ji et al. who had worked at “Koryosa”, and published in the following year 1453.
The title “Koryosajolyo” means “the main parts of Koryo history” and it consists of 35 volumes, which is about a quarter of “Koryosa” in 139 volumes.
In the book is recorded the history of the feudal Koryo dynasty in order of reign of the 34 kings from the founder king to King Kongyang, and the events and facts during their reigns are arranged in yearly, monthly and daily order.
It gives a large amount of information about the feudal Koryo State ― politics including the state machinery, ranks of government posts, punitive system, anti-aggression and anti-feudal struggle; economy including the land system and tax system; culture including education and art; military affairs including the military system, national defense, etc.; nature including astronomy, geography, natural disaster, etc.; information about individuals that made contributions to the development of science and culture.
Although it reveals some shortcomings due to the class restrictions of the compilers, “Koryosajolyo” serves as an important national classic legacy that shows the history of the Koryo since “Koryosajolyo” and “Koryosa” constitute key documents to the research into the history of the Koryo dynasty by compensating each other’s defects.
Ri Won Chol, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Apr 9, 2023
Kuryong Falls is a famous waterfall in the zone of Kuryong Pool in Outer Kumgang of Mt. Kumgang, a world-famous scenic spot.
From ancient times, it has been accepted as one of the three famous waterfalls of our country along with Pakyon Falls in Kaesong and Taesung Falls on Mt. Solak, and what is more, it is known as number one of the four famous waterfalls on Mt. Kumgang.
At the bottom of the waterfall is a pool shaped like a large stone mortar dug by the falling waters.
The pool got the name Kuryong as legend has it that there lived nine dragons defending Mt. Kumgang in old days, and the water falling down into the pool was called Kuryong Falls (“Kuryong” means “nine dragons”). Above the falls is Sangphaltam (eight pools), which is well known for the legend about “eight fairies of Mt. Kumgang”.
Pak Sin Jong, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Apr 5, 2023
A catapult, a bow that works in a mechanical way, was one of the excellent weapons of Koguryo.
It was made up of two parts ― a bow and a body. The bow was for loading shooting force on the arrow and the body was for holding and directing the arrow.
Our country has the longest history of a catapult in the East. A catapult was of two types ― single-shot and multi-shot.
The most well-known multi-shot catapult was a three-arrow-shot catapult of our country in the middle ages.
Upgraded from the Koguryo’s single-shot catapult, the three-arrow-shot catapult could hold many arrows and discharge three arrows at a time.
Other countries did not have such a multi-shot catapult in those days.
The catapults invented by our resourceful ancestors were absolutely unique in structure, way of working and manufacturing technique, so they are still attracting admiration of people.
A great number of people are particularly impressed by the line of sight inscribed on the catapult that can be seen only on modern weapons.
That is why even weapon experts from other countries praised, “The simple but clever construction of a catapult amazes modern people. It is so interesting since it works like a today’s rifle. As an invention 2 000 years ago, it is absolutely amazing.”
Indeed, the catapult of Koguryo demonstrates our ancestors’ extraordinary creative wisdom and talent.
Kim Kwang Jo, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Apr 1, 2023
Jang Ji Yon (1864―1921) is the writer of the editorial “Let’s wail bitterly and loudly.”, which denounced the evil crimes of the Japanese imperialists that fabricated the “Ulsa Five-Point Treaty” in 1905, and expressed the burning indignation over the national ruin.
A patriotic literary man Jang Ji Yon, with burning love for the country and nation, was very active in writing literature for conveying the proud tradition of literature and art of our nation. One typical example is the compilation of “Taedong Selection of Poems” in Juche 8 (1919).
The book is divided into 12 volumes and 6 books. Volume 1 contains “Song of konghu” by Ryo Ok in Ancient Korea and other poems by over 150 persons including Ulji Mun Dok, Choe Chi Won, Jong Ji Sang, Ri Kyu Bo and Ri Je Hyon, who did some creative activities in the period from the Three Kingdoms to Koryo. Works by more than 1 700 persons during the feudal Joson dynasty are found from Volume 2 to Volume 10. Volume 11 and Volume 12 have poems composed by some women and Buddhist monks like Sosandaesa and Samyongdang, and other fine ones by unknown writers.
The compilation of this book by Jang Ji Yon was aimed at restoring the national spirit fading out under the cruel colonial rule of Japanese imperialists and at protecting and preserving the national poetry inheritance. “Taedong selection of poems” serves as an important reference for research into the development history of our national literature since it is a collection of a large number of national poems and songs that shows the long development history of our national poetry in a systematic and detailed way by means of those composed in each period.
Kim Son Yong, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Mar 16, 2023
People in Koryo produced high-quality paper by carrying forward the long paper-making tradition of the Three Kingdoms (Koguryo, Paekje and Silla).
The general features of a variety of Koryo paper were whiteness, durability, smoothness, softness and freedom from fuzz and moth.
In those days, Koryo paper was widely known abroad for its excellent quality.
In particular, paekmunji (white paper for official documents), kyonji (highly durable paper) and achongji (dark blue paper) were exported to China during Koryo and feudal Joson dynasties and they were owned as necessities by aristocrats in that country.
“Korean bibliography” published in Paris, France, in 1894 gives a detailed description of the excellence of Koryo paper.
“All the paper used for Korean books, no matter which era it was from, is soft and tough, so even old books in fairly thin paper have endured for a very long time. It is demonstrated by the fact that Koryo books found in temples or European libraries are not at all tinted with yellow nor moth-eaten. It is not known when paper industry was established in Korea. However, paper must have been made in Korea from ancient times, which is strongly supported by the following facts ― nothing but paper was used for writing; books were already in wide circulation and there was a well-organized research institute in the ninth century; libraries were instituted in the next century (tenth century).
Invented by the resourcefulness and talent of our people, Koryo paper was renowned as the first on earth for its excellence.
Kim Kwang Jo, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Mar 13, 2023
Sol Kyong Song (1237－1313), a doctor in Koryo, learnt medicine from his early age. When he became a doctor, he put his heart and soul into treatment and medical research.
He was well known at home and abroad as he was well versed in Koryo’s advanced clinical medicine of that time and excellent at treatment.
In 1285, he was invited to a neighbouring country to cure the king of the country from the disease that was accepted as incurable by many doctors invited there, thus showing the high standard of medical development of Koryo. After that, he was invited to the country several times more and demonstrated his excellent medical art.
Although he was in a favour with the King, Sol Kyong Song never wanted him to bestow any special benefits upon himself and what is more, he was indifferent to the living of his family. Instead, he devoted his all to treatment of patients and medical research to the last minute of his life.
Along with Ri Sang Ro, who lived in the second half of the twelfth century, Sol Kyong Song was known as one of the two great doctors of Koryo.
Sin Kwang Il, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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