Jo Jul 12, 2025
From childhood, the people of Koguryo possessed of exceptional martial habit were all good at horse riding and they accepted it as an important requirement of life.
The mural paintings of Koguryo tombs including murals of dancing, Yaksuri mural paintings and murals of hunting give a lifelike portrayal of the life of Koguryo people who enjoyed riding with excellent horsemanship. In particular, the delightful scenes depicting some people hunting wild animals with bows and arrows while dashing vigorously on horseback show master horsemanship and archery of the Koguryo people in an intensive way.
Through such hunting, the Koguryo people further refined their riding skills and trained courage and matchless capability to defeat any aggressors at a single blow without fear.
The Koguryo people learned riding skills through their routine martial arts training as well as from hunting wild beasts.
The mural painting of Tokhungri tomb vividly depicts the horse-riding archery training on a fixed target. The wall is painted with 4 competitors, 2 judges and one scorer.
Although the mural shows the scene of horse-riding archery only, the Koguryo people further improved their riding skills through various martial arts training including racing, fencing and spearing on horseback.
As a result, the distinguished horsemanship of the Koguryo people played a decisive role in the war to defend the land and the dignity and sovereignty of the country and nation.
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Jo Jul 9, 2025
Kangso Mineral Water is not only unique in its taste but also efficacious for treating various diseases and protecting health.
Our people already started using Kangso Mineral Water hundreds of years ago.
“Kangsogunji”, published in 1936, says the following.
There was a mineral spring in Jonghwa ri of Kangso myon. Over 250 years ago, a crane which got hurt in the leg flew down to the spring to drink the water and wash its body with it every morning. After a few days, it was fully recovered and flew away. Thus, the mineral water was discovered to be of medicinal value.
It tastes refreshing and stimulates the tip of the tongue, which tastes just like a fizzy drink. In addition, habitual drinking of it helps cure many diseases including gastric disorder, anemia, constipation, inflammation of the bladder, etc.
This tells us that Kangso Mineral Water has hundreds of years of use history and it has been one of our country’s specialties well known from long ago for its unique taste and mysterious and marvelous medicinal effect.
On December 7, 1947, when he visited the Kangso Mineral Water spring, President
Today, the modern Kangso Mineral Water Factory near the spring is producing a huge amount of bottled mineral water to supply to every part of the country including Pyongyang City.
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Jo Jul 6, 2025
Tobacco has been grown in our country since the end of the sixteenth century. At the beginning, it was used for medicines, and it gradually turned into crops for luxury items, which led to further spread in its cultivation.
Around the end of the seventeenth century, tobacco culture was spread to every part of the country, and as a result, some places famous for tobacco culture came into being.
The most famous place of them all was Songchon area of South Phyongan Province.
From long ago, Songchon Tobacco was called “gold thread” as it resembles gold thread when it is cut into thin strips and “Songchon fragrant tobacco” for its fragrance. After that, it finally got its name “Songchon Tobacco” as it is from Songchon.
President
Thanks to the wise guidance of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Songchon Tobacco is still gaining worldwide fame as one of the famous specialties of Korea.
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Jo Jul 1, 2025
July is the hottest month of the year.
The seasonal divisions in July include Soso and Taeso.
Soso means the gradual beginning of hot weather. It falls on early June by the lunar calendar that falls on 6th-8th of July by the solar calendar.
Taeso means the spell of the hottest weather. It falls on late June by the lunar calendar that falls on 22nd-23rd of July by the solar calendar.
Around Soso and Taeso, all kinds of cereals and fruits grow exceptionally fast. Therefore, frequent weeding and good care of the crops at this time of year guarantees bumper harvest.
July has early dog days and mid dog days. They are two of the three dog days, the hottest period of the year.
Our people have cooked several kinds of dishes at this time of year. They include tangogi soup (dog meat soup) and samgyetang (insam-chicken soup), etc., among which tangogi soup is a distinctive national dish preferred by our people during the summer heat. “Tongguksesigi”, compiled before 1849, says that tangogi soup was known across the country as the best dish during the summer heat. In general, both the early and mid dog days last ten days each. There is also a year where the mid dog days last twenty days, which is said to have the prolongation of the late dog-day period.
Our people have regarded eating hot tangogi soup mixed with boiled millet or white rice in a sweat as the best invigoration. Therefore, tangogi soup was widely known as a nourishing soup that stimulates the appetite lost by the summer heat and provides nutrients to the weak constitution.
The folk games enjoyed by our people in July are koni game and ball-throwing.
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Jo Jun 2, 2025
The Elephant Rock of Pidan Island is a natural monument located in Sindo County of North Phyongan Province.
When the sea water entered the Korean West Sea area at the end of the fourth glacial period, the rocks on the relatively high hills exposed above the sea formed an extraordinary topography by a long time of abrasion and weathering.
The rock has been called Elephant Rock as it resembles an elephant.
The rock is 40 meters long and 15 meters high, with the top of 8 meters in width.
The “trunk” is 9 meters round.
At the “head” of the rock is a small rock resembling an “ivory” and in the middle of the “trunk” is a small hole. Grass is growing on the rock.
The rock is submerged and exposed by the tide. When it is submerged, it looks like an elephant swimming in the water, and when it is exposed, it looks like being caught in the marshland.
The Elephant Rock, which is of significance in studying the change in the nature after the formation of the Korean West Sea, is a natural monument adding beauty to the beachscape.
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Jo May 11, 2025
Chongbaek Juniper growing in Chongbaek-ri, Kumya County, South Hamgyong Province was planted around 1550. It is 10 meters tall, with the root collar of 5.4 meters round and the canopy of 18 meters from east to west and 21 meters from north to south.
At the height of 50 centimeters, it spreads in three big branches that are 2.6 meters, 2.1 meters and 2.2 meters round, respectively.
It looks like a collection of small clouds from a short distance and like a large furled umbrella from a long distance.
The oldest and largest tree on the eastern coast is a natural monument that is significant for studying the size and age of juniper trees and adds beauty to this area.
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