A research group from the History Department of Kim Il Sung University has published research results which are of great significance in documenting the history of Koguryo Kingdom (277 BC-AD 668) between the 1st century and early 5th century after conducting an extensive study of the remains and relics so far unearthed in the Rimhung-dong area in Taesong District, Pyongyang.

Through the excavation and historical study of the relics and remains dating back to the Koguryo period in the Rimhung-dong area between 1991 and 2020, the department of the university shed fresh light on the fact that Koguryo had taken the area of Pyongyang as an important regional stronghold and created developed culture after moving its capital to the Walled City of Pyongyang.

In the area the research group found out parts of a building site, two wells (Wells Nos.1 and 2) of Koguryo, one underground structure built with bricks, pieces of tiles and earthenware and many other relics around it.

The Koguryo wells were discovered about 2 500 metres south of the Rimhung-dong seat of Taesong District. When they were unearthed, only most of their internal structures remained, with parts of the upper well walls destroyed.

Well No. 1 was built by laying small gravels, sand and clay on the floor and compacting them, fixing 98*98*56cm square frame of logs and erecting walls with stones trimmed in the shape of quadrangular pyramid to form an octagonal plane in the beginning and then a circular plane.

Inside the well were discovered pieces of stone paduk board, tiles, earthenware, iron oven, wheel and lacquered wooden pot and many other relics.

In Well No. 2 the floor was compacted in the same way as in Well No. 1. The wooden frame on it is in a right octagonal shape 100 cm in diameter and the well wall was built with river gravel up to 160cm height and the rest with flat stones.

Also discovered there are many pieces of earthenware, pieces of paduk board made of clay, grindstone, fine-toothed bamboo comb and others.

Historical sites excavated in the area include a building site with four cornerstones, two drainage systems which were dug and filled with river stones and an underground brick structure 200cm long from east to west, 150-160cm wide from south to north and 90cm high. Lots of relics in various kinds were also collected in the surroundings.

Through the excavation the research group gave a new explanation about the features of development of Koguryo culture.

It verified that the broken pieces of stone paduk board discovered for the first time in Well No. 1 are parts of the paduk board with 19 lines in the earliest period in the world and Koguryo paduk board with five starting points in one line was carried on to the end of the feudal Joson dynasty through Koryo.

It also explained the water quality improvement technology in wells in the period of Koguryo by uncovering the fact that underground water was filtered again in the well and the mission of wooden frame as well.

The Archaeology Society of the DPRK acknowledged that the Koguryo relics and remains unearthed in the Rimhung-dong area are of great academic significance, and Rimhungdong Koguryo Wells Nos. 1 and 2 were listed as preservation relics after their value was estimated.