Paektusan - Kim Jong Il's Birthplace


Samjiyon Revolutionary Battle Site

Pyongyang, April 12 (KCNA) -- The Samjiyon Revolutionary Battle Site is situated in the Mt. Paektu area in the northern part of Korea. Samjiyon means three lakes in the forest. It was built up as a center for education in the revolutionary traditions and an open-air museum 20 odd years ago.

The President Kim Il Sung conducted revolutionary activities in this area in May Juche 28 (1939) when he was waging the struggle against the Japanese imperialist aggressors who occupied Korea. There is the Samjiyon grand monument which comprises a statue of the President, groups of sculptures and a tower of torchlight. The statue represents the President looking at mountains and streams of the fatherland with a pair of binoculars in his hand standing on a rock against the background of Mt. Paektu, a holy mountain of the revolution. Standing on its left and right sides are groups of sculptures, which are depicting soldiers and people with firm pledge to liberate the country at an early date holding the President in high esteem as great lodestar of the nation and reverence for him.

Some groups of sculptures show soldiers of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army who were battling against the enemy, marching and camping. Especially, the granite sculpture "bugler informing of advance," which was the background of a group of sculptures representing battle and forward march, was awarded people's prize for its high ideological and artistic value in September 1988.

There is also the revolutionary museum in which historic relics and data on the whole period of the anti-Japanese armed struggle including the battle in the Musan area are systematically displayed. More than 370 relics and data are exhibited in the museum, which has the general review room and 8 other rooms. The museum was built like a log cabin in good harmony with the nature and weather of the area around the lakes.


Revolutionary battle sites in area of Mt. Paektu

Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- There are many revolutionary battle sites in the area of Mt. Paektu in Korea. Over ten secret camps have been restored to the status quo on Mt. Paektu, Saja Hill, Mt. Kom, Mt. Kanbaek and so on. The secret camp on Mt. Paektu was a revolutionary fortress where the main force of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army was active in the latter half of the 1930s and the first half of the 1940s and a guiding center of the Korean revolution.

There the President Kim Il Sung made preparations for party founding and conducted activities for strengthening the internal forces of revolution and ushering in a great event of the country's liberation. In the camp is the native home where General Secretary Kim Jong Il was born on February 16, Juche 31 (1942). He grew up there, hearing the gun report of the great anti-Japanese war. Jong Il Peak, 1,798 meters high, stands by the native home. Not far from the secret camp on Mt. Paektu is the Sajabong secret camp where the President dispatched small units or received political workers and local revolutionaries and guided meetings. The camp played an important role in printing and disseminating revolutionary publications.

In the area of Mt. Paektu are revolutionary battle sites where the President conducted military and political activities, commanding the Korean People's Revolutionary Army. The battle sites include Chongbong, Konchang, Pegaebong, Samjiyon and Mupho camping areas, Taehongdan and Sinsadong. Preserved in the original state at secret camps and camping areas are the headquarters, barracks, campfire remains and trees bearing slogans and other relics. Samjiyon grand monument, the monument to the victorious battles in Musan area and other monuments and monuments to dedicated poems have been built in the battle sites, so that the area of Mt. Paektu is a grand open-air museum for education in the revolutionary traditions.


A New Room Arranged for True Records of Five-year Revolution

Pyongyang, February 18 (KCNA) -- A room for showing the last five-year career of revolution of General Secretary Kim Jong Il newly fixed up at the Korean Revolutionary Museum on the occasion of the holiday of February. The room consists of three parts: The first part of the realization of the cause of perpetrating leader's memory showing the great leader's noble and endless world of loyalty and filial piety to the former leader, the second part showing that he consolidated the base of the Korean revolution as an invincible fortress under his army-first guidance of revolution and the third part of his appointment at the head of the Worker's Party of Korea and the revolution.

Displayed in the room are over 300 pieces of historical evidences including his photos, famous works, revolutionary documents of his exploits, revolutionary relics and records. As this room fixed up the Korean nation could hand down the century-old exploits of revolution achieved by Kim Jong Il before the fatherland and people, era and the revolution who upheld the majesty and honor of Kim Il Sung's nation in the adversity of the harsh ordeals unparalleled in history.


Kim Jong Il's birthplace at Paektusan secret camp

Pyongyang, February 14 (KCNA) -- More people and excursionists are visiting Kim Jong Il's birthplace at the Paektusan secret camp to mark the auspicious holiday of February. More than 3,040,000 people of different social standings, overseas compatriots and foreigners have visited there since the secret camp opened in Juche 76 (1987). The secret camp native house is a historic place where General Secretary Kim Jong Il was born on February 16, Juche 31 (1942) and spent his childhood. He grew up at this house as a great son of the nation, hearing gun reports like a lullaby. Preserved at the native house are historic relics including a blanket, a wooden pistol, a pair of binoculars and a Korean map which he used.

Set up at the yard is a monument engraved with an ode the President Kim Il Sung wrote in praise of the immortal revolutionary feats of Kim Jong Il on his 50th birthday. Jong Il Peak beside the house rises high in the sky. The Korean people carved big letters "Jong Il Peak" on the peak in November 1988, carrying their infinite respect and reverence for him. It was confirmed by an observation datum that 216.42 metres high from the yard of the house to the top of the peak coincide with the date of his birth. Trees bearing slogans inscribed by the Korean people, celebrating his birth as the great auspicious event of the nation and highly praising him as "Paektu Kwangmyongsong" (bright star over Mt. Paektu), are seen at the secret camp and many other places of Korea. Mt. Paektu, sacred mountain of the revolution, has become the native place dear to the Korean people for his birthplace on the mountain.


Winter Excursion of KPA Soldiers to Native Home of Kim Jong Il

Pyongyang, February 9 (KCNA) -- Young soldiers of the Korean People's Army left Hyesan yesterday on a winter excursion to the native home of General Secretary Kim Jong Il at the secret camp on Mt. Paektu on the occasion of his 58th birthday. The excursion contingent is made up of more than 1,500 officials of organizations of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League and exemplary soldiers selected from the three services of the KPA.

It is expected to visit the native home at the secret camp on Mt. Paektu via Pochonbo and Rimyongsu, and then make an excursion to revolutionary battle sites. Prior to departure, the excursionists laid a basket of flowers and bouquets before the statue of the President Kim Il Sung in Hyesan city. Then followed a meeting to start the excursion. A reporter and speakers called upon all the excursionists to learn from the noble revolutionary spirit of the anti-Japanese revolutionary forerunners in order to prepare themselves more firmly to be fighters strong in faith and will and vanguard of the working class, who devotedly defend the Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il in any adversity and wipe out the aggressors to the last. Meanwhile, officials and members of the union of agricultural workers of Korea made an excursion to the native home from Feb. 3 to 7 on the occasion of the February holiday.


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