The National Geopark Committee of the DPRK is stepping up the preparations for registering the Mt Paektu area as a global geopark.

As to this, The Pyongyang Times reporter Kim Rye Yong interviewed Kim Myong Gon, member and contact person of the National Geopark Committee of the DPRK, and Pak Song Chol, professor, PhD and lab chief of the institute of geology of the State Academy of Sciences.

In connection with the Mt Paektu area’s eligibility as candidate for a global geopark, would you explain its geological features?

Pak Song Chol: Mt Paektu is a composite volcano which was formed in the course of several rounds of volcanic eruptions after the first outburst in the Miocene epoch of the Cenozoic era. It has a unique geological structure which is not found in volcanoes of other countries including the world-famous Deccan basaltic plateau in India, the Columbia basaltic plateau in the US and the volcanoes in Kamchatka of Russia and the Japanese archipelago.

The volcanic eruption in Mt Paektu was much stronger than others with its strongest eruption in the past 2 000 years being VEI>7 like that of Tambora in Indonesia in 1815.

Moreover, the volcano is of great geological research value as it has potential danger of eruption.

Besides, in the Mt Paektu area natural elements exist in unique correlation among them, such as diverse flora and fauna associated with alpine natural environment, hydrologic dynamics originating from Lake Chon and soil that was formed by the combination of pumice eruption and alpine plants. The area is also blessed with scenic spots with curious and mysterious spectacles.

Korean experts recently conducted a field survey as part of the preparations for registering the area as a global geopark and confirmed 35 sites showing unique geological features.

How do you estimate the state of preservation and the level of economic and cultural development of the Mt Paektu area?

Kim Myong Gon: Mt Paektu which has been regarded as the ancestral mountain of the Korean nation is associated with the history of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle which was organized and victoriously led by President Kim Il Sung, saviour of the nation. Therefore, the area has been preserved especially well to draw lots of tourists from home and abroad.

At present, the area is a revolutionary battle site special reserve, nature reserve and international biosphere reserve (registered thus in April 1989), and the Mt Paektu Geopark Management Committee conducts positive activities to preserve it properly.

Pak Song Chol: Samjiyon City in the Mt Paektu area has turned into a model of modern mountainous city this year and it will give a fresh impetus to the economic and cultural development of the area.

How is the registering work going?

Kim Myong Gon: The preparation for registration that started at the recommendation of UNESCO in 2016 is progressing apace.

The application dossier was completed and submitted to the UNESCO last month.

We hope that our application dossier will be positively evaluated through the on-desktop review by UNESCO and GGN (Global Geopark Network).