Juche

    Grand Bull Prize national ssirum contest takes place every year on Rungna Islet which was face-lifted as the people’s place of recreation.

    The Grand Bull Prize national ssirum contest that takes place on the picturesque Rungna Islet on the occasion of the folk holiday amid the tinkling of a gold cowbell makes a fragrance of the national emotion and the habit of optimistic cultural life prevail across the country.

    

    The contest is associated with warm affection of Chairman Kim Jong Il who added luster to the Korean people’s superior tradition of national culture.

    One day in January 2002, Kim Jong Il sat together with the officials to give a precious instruction to organize well the national ssirum contest in keeping with its original tenor.

    Ssirum is an athletic event that was originated by the Korean people in the process of labor life covering a long period of time.

    In the past, the nationwide ssirum contest had been taken place under the deep concern of the country according to the national tradition of holding ssirum contest frequently from the olden times. But the contest failed to be held on a due level, thus losing popularity among the people gradually.

    Kim Jong Il who acquainted himself with such reality said that the ssirum contest failed to be organized in a popular way although it is a peculiar event preserving the Korean people’s national identity, adding that the organizers of the contest should think more deliberately and the organs concerned at the local and national levels direct their attention to the contest.

    He also stressed to regain its popularity, saying that he would send cows at the Songam Myonggi Cattle Farm as distribution of prizes.

    Hence, the national ssirum contest could be developed into a Grand Bull Prize national ssirum contest.

    The contest could attract the people’s attention as the winner is rewarded with a distinguished golden cowbell as an honor along with a grand bull.

    Amid great concern of the people across the country, the 1^st Grand Bull Prize national ssirum contest was held in 2002 at the ssirum site on Moran Hill. The contest became more conspicuous as it was attended not only by the young people of twenties and thirties but also the old people who were almost seventy years old. At sunset of the day when the final game was to decide the owner of the bull, Chairman Kim Jong Il who was coming back from his field guidance asked the officials concerned how the ssirum contest was held that day and how big the bull was. Listening to their answer that the bull weighed 900kgs, he was pleased and repeatedly said that it was literally the grand bull and the contest came off well. He said that such contest should become the traditional one.

    The grand bull of 900kgs awarded to the winner was provided by his special concern. Earlier, he gave task to the officials concerned to select and raise a bull well, saying that he has an idea. The bull could be as big as 900kgs from 600kgs by the efforts of the breeders at the Songam Myonggi Cattle Farm and thus prepared for the contest.

    The Grand Bull Prize national ssirum contest that began on Moran Hill has been held on Rungna Islet since 2005 thanks to Chairman Kim Jong Il who made efforts to add more brilliance to the time-honoured tradition of national culture.

     Like this, the ssirum contest that takes place on the ssirum site on the picturesque Rungna Islet amid the tinkling of a gold cowbell is the result of the leadership of Kim Jong Il who led the Korean people to add luster to the superior tradition of national culture.