Jo Nov 13, 2022
Kamhong-ro, one of the three old famous spirits well known across the country which has developed centered in Pyongyang over a long period of time, is a valuable traditional inheritance of our nation.
Our country has a very long history of making and drinking liquor, but records of reddish sweet Kamhong-ro finally began during the feudal Joson dynasty. “Kyongdo Magazine” and “Pyongyangji” compiled in this period wrote that Pyongyang Kamhong-ro was famous. “Rimwonsipryukji” published at the beginning of the 19th century described the way of making Kwanso Kamhong-ro, according to which the bottom of the pot for dewdrops was plastered with honey and they were mixed with gromwell. It wrote that it was the best of all kinds of liquor as it was sweet and strong and it looked red like a lipstick. The term Kamhong-ro means a sweet (kam) reddish (hong) spirit (ro).
Until the 19th century, fermented liquid prepared from traditional Korean malt was distilled three times and it was mixed with gromwell and honey to make sweet red Kamhong-ro, high-quality medicinal liquor. In old times our people came to find medicinal herbs good for health and longevity in the course of conquering the nature and paving the way for their life and they actively introduced them to their life to make herbal tonics, which have still been conveyed down to the present day. Kamhong-ro, too, has been accepted as healthful medicinal drink and one of the three old famous spirits. Right amount of medicinal spirits helped our people to protect health and they were served on important days like family events or holidays.
Chairman
Today Kamhong-ro, which adds our national flavor and native savour, is served in public service facilities for people, giving our people national pride and delight.
Sin Kwang Il, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Nov 8, 2022
Sinji letters are the first national letters made after several stages of letter life as a result of a long time of thinking and painstaking inquiry of the ancient Korean people who created their own language Korean to use as a powerful weapon for struggle and creation in the remote past.
Sinji letters were invented by a man called Sin Ji in Ancient Korea. The word sinji meant a big man, so it usually referred to a ruler, a master or a boss. In the historical records, the word sinji is written in several Chinese characters ―神誌 (sinji), 神志(sinji), 巨智(koji), etc. ― which have no connections with the meanings of each character but are of the same sound as the native Korean word sinji. Sinji letters are also recorded as wangmun (王文), which means that they were used by rulers including kings. It reflects the social and historical characteristics of the past societies like a slave society where the ruling classes used to hog letters, and at the same time it has some connections with the meaning of the name “sinji letters”.
Historical books “Kyuwonsahwa” and “Pyongyangji” have some records associated with sinji letters. In later national classics “Haedongryoktaemyonggaphilbo” and “Nyongbyonji” are recorded sixteen of the sinji letters of Ancient Korea, which became widely known to the world. Due to the lack of the remaining data, things like the number and system of the sinji letters, sound values of each letter and norm of use have not been fully illuminated yet. However, it is clear from the form of the letters that they were phonetic and syllabic letters and they were written downwards. The fact that similar letters are engraved on several archaeological relics such as earthenware of Ancient Korea and blocks of Rangnang old tombs proves that sinji letters were widely used in Ancient Korea.
In conclusion, sinji letters convincingly demonstrate that the Korean nation is a resourceful nation that created their independent national letters as early as in ancient times and developed their own unique civilization on the basis of them.
Kim Kwang Jo, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Nov 4, 2022
Okryugum was invented in the 1970s as an original national flick instrument by developing wagonghu, one of the old national instruments that had been passed down from ancient times. Chairman
Okryugum consists of the body made up of a resonance box and tune adjusting pedals, and the legs. The seven tune adjusting pedals attached to the legs make variations possible in any conditions. It has a total of 33 strings. It has two bridges on the resonance box; one on the front side and the other on the eight pillars at the back.
Okryugum is a C instrument which ranges from C2 to G4. There are seven pedals that are arranged in order of C, D, E, B, A, G and F from the left.
Okryugum produces clear, elegant and beautiful tones true to the meaning of its name. Its tone is so diverse that a single pluck sounds like a harp, a piano, a kayagum or a guitar. Such tones blend well to produce a silvery one. Since it fully supports a chromatic scale and vibratos like a kayagum, it is regarded as a unique and excellent national instrument with a great power of expression. It is used as a solo instrument and plays an important part in a national instrument ensemble as well as in guaranteeing the national colouring and sentiment of the mixed orchestra of a Juche type with extraordinary tones and ample volume.
Ri Yong Ho, section head at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Nov 1, 2022
A mask dance that has been enjoyed by the Korean people is the oldest of all Korean folk dances. The mask dance evolved from a hunting dance that primitive people used to do wearing animal masks.
An animal mask dance was dominant in the primitive and ancient times, while a human mask dance that gave a vivid description of human life was also popular in the period of the Three Kingdoms. Some of the human mask dances were painted on some murals of the Koguryo tombs and some others were similar to “Kiak Dance” of Koguryo and Paekje. In the period of Palhae and Later Silla, there were several kinds of mask dances like Dragon Mask Dance of Palhae, “Choyong Dance” of Later Silla, Lion Mask Dance described in “Hyangak 5 Dances”, Woljon, Sokdok and Taemyon. During the Koryo dynasty, the mask dance became more diverse in kind and mask dance dramas that showed historical facts as they were also became fashionable. During the feudal Joson dynasty, the mask dance performed by village dancers, developed into a folk dance with provincial features. The mask dances in the latter half of the feudal Joson dynasty are classified with each local distinction into Pongsan Mask Dance and Haeju Mask Dance in Hwanghae Province, Lion Mask Dance in Phyongan Province and Hamgyong Province, Sandae masked drama in Kyonggi Province, Ogwangdae Dance and Field Dance in Kyongsang Province.
The folk mask dance loved by our people is valuable heritage of our national dance and an excellent cultural treasure that deserves to be boasted of to the world. As mask dances were performed mainly on outdoor stages, movements of arms and legs rather than acting or words raised artistic influence by giving a vivid and skillful portrayal of life.
To sum up, the Korean mask dance is one of the precious legacies of national culture with a long tradition and rich contents that represents the national aesthetic sense and emotions by dint of diverse and unique dancing techniques, and it is still widely danced with eternal viability.
Kim Son Yong, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Oct 27, 2022
The Korean people possessed of special love for their children had a custom of adorning the sleeves of their children’s coats with small pieces of coloured cloth.
Pieces of coloured cloth in rainbow-like harmony of colours ― mainly red, green, blue, yellow, pink, purple, white, etc. ― are usually attached to sleeves. Some of them are plain and some have patterns like flowers and butterflies and letters.
The breast of a rainbow-striped garment is decorated with striped or triangular pieces of cloth in various colours and the body is made in colours like green, jade green, yellow and pink for a good harmony of colours with the sleeves.
Rainbow-striped garments include saektongjogori, saektongkhunjogori, saektongmagoja, saektongturumagi, etc.
From ancient times, mothers in our country have dressed their sons and daughters in colourful coats and jackets distinguishable from casual ones on their first birthdays, which is a peculiar custom of the Korean people. Such customs are never found in other countries.
Since these clothes not only look beautiful and smart, but are to a children’s taste as well, they have been worn on first birthdays, birthdays and holidays and other visiting occasions.
The beautiful manners and customs peculiar to the Korean people have been improved by constant supplement of fresh elements over a long period and rainbow-striped garments have been developed into the ones representative of the national features.
Kim Kyong Il, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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Jo Oct 24, 2022
Korean traditional dishes have developed in the course of a long history and they are widely-known to the world for their original flavor, aroma, appearance and colour and for their diversity in kind.
Korean traditional dishes have several good qualities.
First of all, Korean traditional dishes taste exceptionally good.
The original taste of each dish is guaranteed by several sorts of seasonings including soy, bean paste, peppered bean paste, sesame oil, garlic, spring onion and ginger harmoniously mixed with main ingredients ― various kinds of cereals, vegetables, fish, edible herbs, fruit, etc. that are grown in our country. For example, vinegared soy is used for oily dishes while vinegared hot pepper paste or mustard paste is used for slices of raw fish. Minced raw beef is mixed with sesame oil.
Secondly, Korean traditional dishes are wonderful in harmony of colour and delicious-looking.
Fruit of Schizandra chinensis or red pepper is used to make dishes red, and pine pollen or yolk of an egg is added for yellow colour. Green is made by wormwood or green soybeans, and black is made by black sesame or boletus. Fruit like ginkgo nuts or pine nuts are used to decorate dishes. Korean traditional dishes such as sinsollo, yakbap (sweet rice dish mixed with sugar, dates, chestnuts, pine nuts, sesame oil, etc.) and Pyongyang raengmyon (cold noodle) bring water to mouths for their natural colour and beautiful and good-tasting appearance.
Thirdly, diverse and scientific ways of cooking and cultural and hygienic ways of table setting are another feature of Korean traditional dishes.
Fermenting and aging like making kimchi, fermented rice cake and fermented fish together with boiling, baking, frying and stewing are the major ways of cooking, which not only make dishes delicious but also improve people’s health and prevent or cure diseases. As for table setting, cold and pungent dishes are served on small plates while those that are not pungent are put in large bowls. Besides, every food container has their lids for preserving the warmth and aroma of the contents and preventing them from going bad.
The last feature is the diversity.
The Korean people have lived on rice from olden times and the rice alone is made into many kinds including boiled white rice, bean-mixed rice, rice cooked with red-beans, bibimbap (mixed with spices, vegetables, meat, etc.), boiled millet, etc. They have made many kinds of rice cake as special dishes ― glutinous rice cake, rice cake steamed on a layer of pine needles, rice cake with flower patterns imprinted, cake made of rice flour and wormwood paste, steamed rice cake, etc. to name a few. Kimchi, which is original and widely known to the world, is diverse in its kind: whole cabbage kimchi, pickled sliced radishes, watery kimchi made of sliced radish, radish pickles with wild garlic, pickled mustard leaves and stems, etc. The number of Korean dishes is beyond enumeration ― dishes cooked in different seasons, those for traditional holidays and those cooked in different parts and so on.
Korean national dishes with a long history and tradition are still being developed and enriched in conformity with the aesthetic senses of the times and the demands of the people.
Pak Sung Gil, researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences
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