TAEDONGGANG BEER

The Taedonggang beer from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is enjoying a growing popularity.

THE BEST IN NORTHEAST ASIA

Western media, like VOA, Economist and the Reuters have all reported that the Taedonggang beer is better than any one of its counterparts in northeast Asia.

An American with some experience in Pyongyang gave his impressions of the beer to VOA. He compared the beer to a bestselling beer in Asia, saying that the former was matchless and that he felt like drinking it more and more. He opined that the other Americans would, too, like the beer and the beer would enjoy popularity among them, adding that it is the best among the beers exported from northeast Asia.

Such compliments can be heard from many other foreigners in Pyongyang, like members of foreign missions, and other foreign diplomats and tourists from abroad.

Ri Pong Hak, manager of the Taedonggang Brewery, said that a former director general of the Associated Press and Ri Jun Sik, a Korean resident in America, visited the factory and, after having a taste of the beer, all gave the thumb up without any reservation.

A foreign publication carried an article on the physical and chemical analysis of the beer accompanied by the analysis of its taste, and it could not but admit the excellence of the beer.

A UNIQUE CHARM

What is the charm of the Taedonggang beer that draws beer fans?

It is ascribable to its uniqueness.

As a mild beer, its taste is, first of all, pure. Its ingredients―barley malt, white rice and hops―go well together, making it taste the same before and after drinking.

 The beer also tastes soft and sapid for the appropriate combination of bitter, refreshing, rich and fragrant tastes. Its fermentation rate is 72%, which means high, and it is aerated appropriately, exciting the drinkers’ visual sensation and appetite and making their mouths water.

Its fragrance is unique as well.

 Not only healthy people but also those on diet to treat diabetes and obesity enjoy drinking it for the rich contents of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients and low sugar quality.

 Another characteristics of the beer as a masterpiece of Korean drinks is the emotional colours of Korea―deep, sedate, bright and strong―sustained in its taste, color and fragrance like in other Korean traditional dishes.

 The beer is not so excessively simulative and explosive that it suits to both the Asians and Europeans irrespective of their physical constitution.

 Its magnetic power is also ascribable to the thoroughgoing scientific guarantee on its safety.

The Taedonggang Brewery has won ISO 9001 certification and HACCP certification by introducing CTP approved by the world.

 Scientific quality management and maximum safety guarantee of its products are the core of the brewery’s business strategy.

The brewery produces 7 kinds of beer; barley beer, beers with 30%, 50%, 70% and 100% rice, 13ºC stout with 20% of rice, and 11ºC stout.

To beat the world-renowned beers in foreign markets is the ambition of the manager of the brewery and other producers.

A COLOURFUL SCENE

The Taedonggang beer is popular in the DPRK not only in the sweltering summer days. Its popularity never diminishes even in winter. The pubs ubiquitous in Pyongyang are crowded with people all the year round.

By a state measure, the beer is provided to Pyongyang citizens at a cheap price.

In disregard of social status or strata, whether they are shop-floor workers, farmers, office workers or the elderly, people drink it, relaxing themselves enjoying their life. This is a colorful scene of the Korean-style socialism.

 The pub in the picturesque Pothonggang area in Pyongyang is always crowded. It serves 7 kinds of beer. Women can be seen among the crowded drinkers. Generally, the most popular beer is the one made from barley with 30% of rice while women tend to prefer the one made from only rice. Foreigners like tourists and representatives of international humanitarian organizations come to this pub occupying an area of 2 000m². They say that there is no such a big pub as this in the world, and that they would not forget the memory of the Taedonggang beer.

In Pyongyang there are about 150 pubs.

Drinking the cool, refreshing Taedonggang beer, Korean people imagine a more civilized and happier tomorrow.

DEMAND OF PRESENT TIMES

The Korean nation is a homogeneous one of the same blood with a time-honoured history spanning 5 000 years.

 The Korean people, however, are now suffering from the tragic division of the country into the north and the south, owing to the military occupation of its southern half by the United States, which had set foot on it nearly 70 years ago in the guise of “liberator.”

 National division and the consequent inter-Korean confrontations have inflicted untold misfortunes on the Korean nation. Colossal amount of human and material wealth, which should have been used for independent development and co-prosperity of the Korean nation, has been wasted on fostering confrontations between fellow countrymen. Even at present the inter-Korean relations are repeating vicious cycles of mud-slinging and showdown, which increases the danger of an imminent nuclear war on the Korean peninsula.

 Distrust and confrontation between the north and the south of Korea cause the greatest damage to the Korean nation, and also endanger peace and stability in the region and the rest of the world. It is, therefore, imperative for the Korean nation to put an end to the history of confrontation between the fellow countrymen, so as to clear up the danger of war threatening them and turn the Korean peninsula, one of the hottest spots in the world, into a permanent peace zone.

For this reason not only the Korean nation itself but also peace-loving people of the world demand that the inter-Korean confrontation should be stopped.

 The present situation in which the political and military showdown has gone to such extremes that conflicts and a risk of war would ensue makes it more urgent to improve the inter-Korean relations.

 It has been long recognized worldwide that the Korean nation is intelligent one with unrivalled creativity, and thus Korea, when it is reunified, will become stronger and more prosperous in all fields of politics, military affairs, the economy and culture.

 Now is the time when the north and the south of Korea should put an end to the history of confrontation in accord with the demand of the times and the aspiration of the nation and open up a new era of independent reunification and peace and prosperity by joining efforts and wisdom.

 When the relations between the north and the south are improved, it will provide a sure guarantee for ensuring peace on the Korean peninsula and open a broad prospect of unified development and common prosperity of the Korean nation. It was eloquently proved by the fact that the inter-Korean relations of distrust and confrontation were favourably turned to those of reconciliation and unity after the adoption of the June 15 Joint Declaration at the inter-Korean summit in June 2000. Now the Korean people are looking forward to the return of the June 15 reunification era, reminiscing with emotions about those days when the people in the north and the south from all walks of life travelled freely and shared compatriot feelings.

 At present, the situation on the Korean peninsula has deteriorated to a very grave state that cannot be looked on with folded arms. At this critical moment, if any side regards the improvement of inter-Korean relations as beneficial to the other side and seeks only for confrontation, it is not a sincere attitude of those responsible for the destiny of the nation. Shunning the disgrace and misfortunes suffered by the nation and wasting time, captivated by narrow-minded factional interests and deep-rooted distrust in the fellow countrymen is as good as trampling down the national wish for reunification and committing crimes that will be cursed by the generations to come. The fierce confrontation and continuous mud-slinging between the fellow countrymen even in international arena is also an ugly scene to anybody.

 It is not an impossible issue to eradicate north-south confrontations. It is surely possible if both sides have a firm will to dispel distrust and terminate confrontation of the past days from the standpoint of “By Our Nation Itself.”

 The radical improvement of inter-Korean relations depends entirely on the attitudes and efforts of the both authorities.

 Kim Jong Un, leader of the DPRK, said in his New Year Address that an atmosphere conducive to the improvement of inter-Korean relations must be created. As a part of this, the DPRK National Defence Commission made crucial proposals to the south Korean authorities that both sides must halt all sorts of recriminations and that the latter should stop unconditionally and immediately all military moves with the outsiders against fellow countrymen, and declared that the north would act first with substantial measures. It also proposed taking mutual measures in practice to prevent a nuclear holocaust.

 The international community welcomes the DPRK’s proposals and sincerely hopes for their implementation.

 But it is not by the efforts of one side that the relations between the north and the south can be improved.

 The proposals with realistic and practical measures the DPRK made to the south Korean authorities have created conditions favourable for developing the inter-Korean relations in compliance with the aspiration of the times and desire of the nation. Now, the ball is in the court of south Korea: the south Korean authorities should refrain from shunning the DPRK’s appeal reflecting genuine patriotism and love for the nation, and make a bold decision. We urged them to discard their hidebound sense of confrontation and take a resolute step to join hands with their fellow countrymen in the North, no problem cannot be solved in inter-Korean relations.

 The international community anticipates improved relations between the north and the south of Korea at an early date.

Psychiatric Hospital in Washington

American President Barack Obama is showing symptoms unique to a psychopath who is indiscriminate and unrestrained. It is now expressed in the US policy hostile toward the DPRK President Obama is bulldozing through.

 When the DPRK launched an artificial earth satellite for peaceful purposes in December 2012, he branded it as a “long-range missile” so as to create frightening atmosphere and cause flutters across the world. His imprudent behaviours remind everybody of Don Quixote who mistook a windmill for a “giant” and a flock of sheep for a “host of troops” and charged toward them.

 Owing to the visceral reaction to the DPRK, he made much ado about a computer hacking recently committed against the Sony Pictures Entertainment of the US. Though it was later proved it was an inside job, he hastily blamed the DPRK for it, even before the results of investigation were made public, and slapped “additional sanctions” against it.

 The DPRK is now making rapid progress in building a thriving socialist country, enjoying from its people absolute trust and support that others can never copy nor imitate, and also the worldwide admiration. This country, however, is labelled by the American president as a “country to be undermined as soon as possible,” which makes people think him a sleepwalker. The country to be undermined is not the DPRK making leaps forward, but the United States of America that outlives its life and falls into decay and ruin, being likened to the Roman Empire.

 President Obama is so antagonistic to the DPRK that he seems to go crazy.

 Although the DPRK made public its peace-oriented proposals at the outset of this year, the US president refused to accept them and pushed ahead with the joint military exercises codenamed Key Resolve and Foal Eagle aimed at “thwarting its leadership” and “occupying Pyongyang.” He pays no regard to the fact that if a new war breaks out in Korea, the US mainland reportedly having not a single bomb dropped on would be engulfed in fierce flames. His recklessness cannot but be interpreted as that of a lunatic.

 Not only the US president has gone mad, but the so-called main-props of the US administration are called lunatics in a majority.

 Secretary of State Kerry in charge of foreign policies of the US seems to mingle with traitors, defectors and deportees rather than heads of sovereign state and authoritative diplomats. Far from lending an ear to just reasons of a sovereign state in regard to human rights issues, he prefers to listen to false statements made by those expelled from their countries for money. By doing so, he revealed that he is as inferior as those turncoats. Some time ago a defector from north Korea confessed that his “statement” of slandering the DPRK in regard of human rights was completely false, exposing Kerry to disgrace in international arena.

 Aston Carter, a new Defense Secretary, is also a nuke war maniac.

 In 1994 he worked out a plan of air raid on some regions of the DPRK where peaceful nuclear facilities were located, and claimed a pre-emptive strike against it in 2003, asserting that it was hard to wait for the North Korean regime to collapse. He, a draft dodger himself, is boisterous about challenge to the DPRK, world’s military power, reminding of a newborn puppy knowing no fear for a tiger.

 Such lunatics bring a dishonourable appellation to the Obama administration, “Psychiatric Hospital in Washington,” an American journalist commented. Not only Americans but many mass media across the world, including Russia, jeer at the present US administration.