Koreans have treasured the pine tree and regarded it as a symbol of the nation's indomitable stamina.

Ri Song Chol, deputy section chief of the National Authority for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, told KCNA:

Under the Workers' Party of Korea's policy of protecting the national heritage, tens of pine trees have been listed as natural monuments scores of years ago.

They are found in Pyongyang City and North and South Phyongan, Jagang, North Hwanghae, Kangwon, North and South Hamgyong and Ryanggang provinces and other areas.

Typical of them are pine-Yonjibong growing in the highest place of the country, pine-Hamhung with rare-to-be-seen peculiar shape (450-odd years old), pine-Changdo with 21 meter-wide crown (430-odd years old), pine-Kajin (350-odd years old) and pine-Tanchon (250-odd years old).

The forest of pine-Ryongsanri around the Mausoleum of King Tongmyong, founder of Koguryo (B.C. 277-A.D. 668), the forest of black pine-Maengsan which is believed to be hundreds years old and covers hundreds of hectares of land, and other pine forests are also a precious treasure of the country.

The State has taken due measures to protect them from natural disaster and pushed ahead with the work to register pine trees with scientific and ornamental value as natural monuments.