In september 2008 I travelled by train from Vienna to Pyongyang. 2008-09-20: By train inside North Korea, somewhere between Hamhung and Kovon on the eastcoast mainline from Tumangan via Kimchaek - Hamhung - Kovon to Pyongyang. Travelogue: http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com/

In september 2008 I travelled by train from Vienna to Pyongyang. 2008-09-20: By train inside North Korea, between Tanchon and Kuum-ni on the eastcoast mainline from Tumangan via Kimchaek - Hamhung - Kovon to Pyongyang. Travelogue: http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com/

In september 2008 I travelled by train from Vienna to Pyongyang. 2008-09-20: By train inside North Korea, between Tanchon and Kuum-ni on the eastcoast mainline from Tumangan via Kimchaek - Hamhung - Kovon to Pyongyang. Travelogue: http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com/

In september 2008 I travelled by train from Vienna to Pyongyang. 2008-09-20: By train inside North Korea, somewhere near Kilchu on the eastcoast mainline from Tumangan via Kimchaek - Hamhung - Kovon to Pyongyang. Travelogue: http://vienna-pyongyang.blogspot.com/

Pyongyang, May 2 (KCNA) -- Working people in different parts of the DPRK held colorful functions to mark the 118th May Day Thursday. Meetings took place in all provinces, cities and counties and complexes. Working people in Pyongyang had sports and amusement games in parks and recreation grounds including the Mangyongdae Fun Fair and recreation grounds on Moran Hill, Mt. Taesong and Rungra Island. Workers of factories and enterprises in Hamhung City of South Hamgyong Province held football and basketball events, tug-of-war, obstacle race, Korean wrestling, yut game and other sports and folk games. The stadium, Folklore Street and the recreation ground in Mt. Jongbang in Sariwon City of North Hwanghae Province were animated with sports games, performance given by artistes of the Art Troupe of the North Hwanghae Province, art performances and folk games of members of the women's union and agricultural workers' merry peasant and masque dances. Various sports and cultural events were held by workers of the February 8 Jiktong Youth Coal Mine, the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex, the Kanggye Disabled Soldiers' Clothing Factory, the Hyesan Textile Mill and other factories and enterprises in different parts of the country. Agricultural workers of the Ryongsan Co-op Farm of Kaesong City and the Saegil Co-op Farm of Sinchon County had sports and amusement games and held national dish shows. Scientists and technicians of the Hamhung Branch of the State Academy of Sciences, the Pyongyang Information Centre, the Academy of Medical Science and other institutions had pleasant May Day.

Pyongyang, August 7 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il gave field guidance to the Hamju Pig Farm and the Hamju Phyongphungdok Goat Farm. The first leg of his guidance was the newly built Hamju Pig Farm. After being briefed on the farm before a big painting showing a panoramic view of the farm, he went round the exterior and interior of the farm to learn in detail about its construction and the pig breeding. He highly appreciated the feats performed by the builders and their helpers, expressing great satisfaction over the fact that South Hamgyong Province has successfully built a modern pig farm with huge production capacity on its own. He highly praised the officials and builders for displaying the patriotic devotion in building a stock-breeding base of eternal value serving the people, noting that the farm is located in a nice place and has been built qualitatively and it was designed in such a way as to ensure the efficacy of feed and raise the efficiency of its carriage. He dropped in at a feed processing room and fattening sty and various other places to acquaint himself with the technical equipment and the breeding on the farm. He encouraged the employees of the farm in their efforts to increase the supply of pork to the people. He set forth tasks to be fulfilled to keep the production on the pig farm going at a high rate, saying that a sharp increase in the production on the Kwangpho Duck Farm and the appearance of another modern pig farm in the area of Hamhung have made it possible to increase the supply of meat to the workers in Hamhung and the people in other parts of the province. The next leg of his guidance was the Hamju Phyongphungdok Goat Farm. The goat farm covering a vast mountainous area in Phyongphungdok in Hamju County is a large farm to be proud of as it has 24 branches. After being briefed on the farm before a huge painting showing a panoramic view of the farm, he made the rounds of a milk processing room, goat pens and other production facilities and the Phungdok Branch of Phungsong Middle School, Phyongphungdok Shop and other cultural and welfare service facilities to learn about the production on the farm and the living of agricultural workers. Going round the milk processing room where a variety of processed milk products are being churned out, he acquainted himself with the production equipment and processing methods and expressed great satisfaction over the milk processing base built by it through its own efforts. After walking round the production and supply service facilities, he mounted an observation platform to command a bird's-eye view of the farm. Feasting his eyes for a long while on the attractive appearance of the farm which looks like a picture, he expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the party members and other working people of Hamju County built such a modern goat farm in a difficult period when they were hard pressed for everything. He highly appreciated the feats performed by the people in Hamju County, noting with pleasure that they came to enjoy happiness after undergoing sufferings by waging a strenuous struggle, bearing deep in mind the slogan "Live not for today but for tomorrow!" in the period of "the Arduous March", a forced march when the country was faced with the grimmest trial. Noting that the goat farm has a bright prospect of its development as it has favorable natural and geographical conditions, he underscored the need to push ahead in a planned manner with the work to create additional production capacity in order to turn the farm into the nation's leading goat farm. He showed great benevolence for the farm and set forth tasks to be fulfilled by it. The officials, party members and other working people in Hamhung City, Hamju County and other areas of South Hamgyong Province have brought about a stirring reality as we see today by working out an ambitious operation and waging an indefatigable struggle, true to the WPK's policy on raising grass-eating animals in a big way, he said, adding that they are the proud explorers and pace-setters who have proved the validity and vitality of the WPK's policy on massively raising goats of high economic efficiency. Saying that processed milk products are being massively produced by a lot of goat farms built by the army and society to greatly help improve the diet, he stressed that this signal turn is the brilliant fruition of the great era of Songun.

America Comes of Age - The 1st Marine Division The Chosin Campaign The withdrawal to Hungnam - The Hamhung-Hungnam Operation -- The terrible cost of success The crucial battles of the Chosin Campaign, which had a decisive impact on the future course of the war, were fought in the ten day period between November 27 and December 6 , 1950. This is just a small part of that story. Film and Photos The National Archives The Library of Congress The Department of Defense Audio Retrospectives The Veteran's History Project - The Library of Congress Music Aaron Copeland fanfare for the common man Richard Rodgers guadalcanal march John Williams omaha beach The United States Marine Corps Band the halls of montezuma conceived and produced by Dale Caruso For more information on the Korean War and the 1st Marine Division Korean War Veterans Association http://www.kwva.org/index.html The 1st Marine Division Association http://www.1stmarinedivisionassociation.org/ The Veterans' History Project - The Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/vets/

Dancing Parties Held by Youth and Students and Members of Women's Union Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- Dancing parties of youth and students took place in various parts of the country Monday on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of General Secretary Kim Jong Il's start of Songun revolutionary leadership. The participants presented beautiful dances expressing ardent reverence and admiration at Kim Jong Il at the plazas of the Tower of the Juche Idea, the Monument to Party Founding and the April 25 House of Culture and other venues of dancing parties in Pyongyang. They enthusiastically danced to the tune of such songs as "Jeep Is Running on a Long Trip to Front", "Journey of Songun Brings Happiness", "Let's Hold Our General in High Esteem," "Let's Become Army of General" and "Let's Meet Each Other on the Front". Dancing parties of youth and students also took place in different provincial capitals including Phyongsong of South Phyongan Province, Sinuiju of North Phyongan Province and Hamhung of South Hamgyong Province, cities and counties that day. A dancing party of members of the Korean Democratic Women's Union took place at the plaza of the Arch of Triumph today on the same occasion. Prior to the party, Ro Song Sil, chairwoman of the Central Committee of the KDWU, made a speech. Then its participants danced to the tune of songs, representing profound thanks to Kim Jong Il for having shown great loving care and trust in the Korean women, while making ceaseless long journeys of Songun for the prosperity of the country and the people's happiness.

Pyongyang, August 14 (KCNA) -- The current torrential rains are causing an enormous damage to the various sectors of the national economy in the DPRK. Tens of pits of coal mines in Tokchon and Kaechon areas, South Phyongan Province were submerged and many facilities were destroyed as of August 13. More than 20 collieries were inundated completely. Over 60 pits were deluged and 400-odd facilities including winches and over 70 cutting faces were inundated in more than ten mines including Jungsan Mine of South Phyongan Province, Unpha Mine of North Hwanghae Province and Sudong Mine of South Hamgyong Province. Owing to the rainstorms, more than 500 high voltage power towers collapsed, five electric power substations of large capacity were inundated and more than ten transformers and other facilities were severely hurt in North Hwanghae, South Phyongan and South Hamgyong provinces. Landslides of 14,000 cubic meters broke over 20 sections of railroads under the Hamhung Railway Bureau and nearly 100 sections under the Pyongyang and Kaechon railway bureaus, paralyzing transportation. Landslides and flood buried or washed away hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of timbers in forestry stations in Jagang and South Hamgyong provinces. Forest roads and railways were destroyed by landslides. Heavy losses were reported from the building materials, land, city administration, fishery and other industries, too. The damage is steadily growing.