General Secretary Kim Jong Il possessed of ardent love of the country and the nation looked round the monument to the great victory in the battle in the northern area of Korea, a historical remain in Rimmyong-ri, Kim Chaek City, North Hamgyong Province, in May this year.

In spite of the urgency of his affairs in his journey of Songun leadership, he gave precious instructions to preserve and manage cultural heritages of the nation with good care. Inspired by his noble love of the nation, people immensely boosted the social morale of taking good care of cultural assets this year.

In Kangwon Province with a lot of scenic spots such as Mt. Kumgang and time-honored historical relics and remains, one hundred and scores of old buildings, walls, beacon sites and tombs of great value as national treasures were repaired and rearranged to preserve their original state. They include the Murungri Mountain Walls, the Songbukri Stone Castle in Ichon County and the Hyonri Mountain Walls and Chari Beacon Site in Sepho County.

A brisk work was undertaken to restore to its original state the Sokwang Temple which embraces the cultural heritage of architecture of the Korean people covering 500-odd years from the end of the 14th century to the early 20th century.

The repair of historical remains such as the Saemaul Old Tomb and the Komsan Beacon Site was completed in South Phyongan Province and work for preserving the brick tomb in Saenal-ri, Sinchon County, Anak Tomb No. 3 and other objects made a successful progress in South Hwanghae Province.

The Myohyangsan History Museum, a leading base of preservation of cultural relics and remains and a base of education in national cultural tradition, has completed the record of preservation of relics which generalizes the course of the collection of historical relics, the method of preventing their aging, preserving measures, etc. and published an e-book giving an orderly review of the relics and remains in Mt. Myohyang.

Along with this, it has carried out the repair of 30-odd old buildings on a high level to restore them to their original state and made a progress in the work for preserving and managing natural monuments and collecting and unearthing many more new historical relics and remains.

Besides, many cultural relics and remains across the country have been repaired well and restored to their original state on the principle of historicism.

The cultural relics and remains handed down through generations inspire the Korean people with national pride and powerfully push them forward in the building of a great, prosperous and powerful socialist nation.