The respected Comrade
"A valuable legacy created by our ancestors through their struggle and creative activities, historical sites and relics are an asset of the nation that should be handed down from one generation to the next."
These historical sites and relics are precious heritages created by our ancestors through struggle and creative activities and are the wealth of the nation to be handed down to posterity.
Under the wise leadership of our Party, the work of unearthing and preserving national cultural heritages is now brisk in our country on a mass scale.
The remains of the dolmen tombs in ancient times and the salt production sites used by citizens of the Koguryo and Ancient Joson were unearthed in the Wonup Workers' District, Onchon County.
In the course of escalating the survey of historical relics in Wonup County, an earth-covered stone grave has been unearthed.
It is located in a hillock, Sangsokso in Wonup, Onchon County. On the north-east seaside, not far from there, are salt-producing sites in the period of the Korean Later Kingdom and Koguryo.
The tomb lies in the direction of north-south and the plan of its view is in the shape of rectangular.
The east, west and north walls of the tomb is built of 18-20 cm thick stone blocks, and the floor is covered with 7-9 cm thick flat slabs.
The slabs on the east and west walls are put 8-10 cm inward from both ends of the slabs on the north wall.
The chamber of the grave is 133 cm wide and 205 cm long.
Under the stone walls in the north and west are small stones, which could be considered the bedding of them.
The stone slabs in the east and west are built 8-10 cm inward from both ends of the slabs in the north.
The earth-covered stone grave is a typical tomb representing the culture of the Koguryo period.
The tomb is composed of the tomb, which is composed of a stone stone, and is represented by the tomb of King Kogukwon (Tomb No. 3 of Anak), the three tombs of Kangso and the great tomb.
It was also known to the small earth tombs in Sunchang-ri, Kangdong County.
Koguryo tombs belonging to the group of Koguryo tombs in Taesong-dong were also identified as tombs with long stone walls of monolith.
The stone-chamber tomb unearthed in Wonup County, is one of the single-chamber tombs of which path is dug along the left side.
The tombs with similar structure are several tombs of the group of Okdori tombs in Ryonggang County, Nampho City, tomb No. 4 of Usan-ri and tomb of Sinryong-ri, which all correspond to type 2 and 3 of the single-chamber tombs of Koguryo earth-covered stone graves.
These data show that the earth-covered stone grave excavated in Wonup Workers' District, Onchon County Town is the same as the earth-covered stone graves of Koguryo in terms of its structure.
Single-chamber graves with inner paths inclined to flat ceiling are estimated to be used earlier than the ones with passages on their ways.
According to the literature, these graves date back to the period of the second half of 1st century to 5th century AD.
Therefore, earth-covered stone grave excavated in Wonup Workers' District in Onchon County is estimated to be built in the early 5th century of Koguryo.
Identified in this area are saltern sites once used by the Koguryo and Ancient Joson citizens, over 90 megalithic tombs and house sites and remains of the Neolithic and ancient times including earthen wares with carved patterns and top-shaped vessels.
What's more, Kungsan house site, about 4 kilometers northward from Wonup Workers' District is estimated to be built in Neolithic times, while Songhyonri earthen castle, about 4 kilometers eastward in Ancient times.
Some pieces of earthen wares with gypsum have been excavated in Kungsan remain, a Neolithic house site, which stands for salt manufacture.
Saltern sites from Neolithic times to Koguryo Kingdom and other remains densely distributed in Wonup Workers' District in 4 kilometre radius has something to do with salt manufacutre.
High percentage of sunshine, temperature and airflow in Onchon County is favourable for salt manufacturing. Large scale salt manufactories of great significance in DPRK, including Kwangryangman salt work, Kwisong salt work, Kumsong salt work and Una salt work are all situated in Onchon County.
Salt is not only essential for human life but also indispensable to various sectors of economy.
In the past, therefore, salt was an important object for the feudal rulers to exploit people and to supplement the state's financial income. When the war broke out, it was treated as strategic material, along with food.
The earth-covered stone grave is assumed to be a grave for feudal officials of Koguryo kingdom and has something to do with saltern relics.
The earth-covered stone grave, relics and remains unearthed in Wonup Workers' District, Onchon County, serve as an important base for clarifying the history of saltwork in DPRK.
