page_title: National symbols of North Korea
section_title: Others
hierarchical_section_title: National symbols of North Korea / Others
caption_attribution_description: A half-cabbage of kimchi made in the royal Kaesong style from YongSusan at 950 South Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles (213-388-3042).
context_page_description: Upon its liberation in 1945 and subsequent foundation in 1948, North Korea adopted national symbols distinct from the national symbols of South Korea. The traditional flag of Korea, the Taegukgi, and the symbol Taeguk, were swapped for communist symbols.
  Some of the symbols of North Korea – the national emblem, flag, anthem and capital – are defined in the constitution of North Korea, while others such, as the national sport Ssirum or the national dish kimchi, are traditional. Some traditional symbols are shared with the South but with different connotations. Mount Paektu, for instance, is recognized as the symbol of Korea across the peninsula, but North Koreans revere it as the birthplace of Kim Jong-il. Some North Korean symbols are complemented with symbols for the ruling Kim family. For example, the Magnolia sieboldii is the national flower but the hybrid orchids Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia are also respected.
context_section_description: The national day on 9 September is the Day of the Foundation of the Republic, a public holiday that commemorates the date when Kim Il-sung appointed a cabinet in 1948. Both the birthplace of Kim Il-sung at Mangyongdae and the Juche Tower are considered national monuments.
  The national dish is kimchi, a spicy, fermented vegetable dish. North Korean kimchi tends to be less spicy than its Southern counterpart. Both are inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The national drink is Pyongyang Soju. The traditional Choson-ot (hanbok) is the national dress. The national sport is Ssirum, traditional Korean wrestling, but the martial art Taekwondo is important, too.
  Kim Il-sung, founder and president of the modern North Korean state and his successor Kim Jong-il are considered national heroes if not personifications.
  Mount Paektu is recognized as a symbol of Korea in the North and South alike, but North Korea has attached special significance to it by claiming that it is the birthplace of Kim Jong-il. Tangun, who is considered the founder-king of the Korean nation, is also said to be born at Mount Paektu and is celebrated in North Korea especially. In 1993 North Korean archaeologists located and dated remains in a tomb that they declared Tangun's grave.
caption: Kimchi, the national dish
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