The DPRK, which is bounded by sea on three sides and rich in rivers and lakes, has inexhaustible mud resources which have special efficacy for the treatment of diseases.

Book Encyclopedia of natural cure resources in Korea Vol. 2 (mud therapy resources) describes in detail the distribution and physicochemical properties of mud therapy resources, characteristics and classification of their components, general actions of the resources, mud therapies according to treatment methods and systemic diseases and results of analysis and study of components of the resources of each region.

The sediment of river, tide and ocean current, the components of mud are mainly the inorganic substances which are the destroyed substances of rocks and minerals and the organic substances which are remains of animals and plants.

Organic substances have found their way into mud from the land through rivers, but many of them have accumulated in mud as microorganisms and other living things on tidal flats have died through the long historical process.

Among the substances that are contained in tideland mud there are those that have various physiological and biochemical effects including parahormone, immune defence, biogenic stimulation and growth and regeneration promoting action. As it contains lots of microelements, mud is called the “storehouse of microelements”.

The microelement content of mud is incomparably higher than ordinary water and thousands of times higher than seawater.

According to medical workers, mud is widely used as materials for curing diseases since it has special efficacy for the treatment of diseases and the promotion of health of the people.

In particular, the mud of Lake Sijung in Thongchon County, Kangwon Province, and the coastal tideland mud in Sonchon County, North Phyongan Province, are known to have good effects on the treatment of various diseases and widely used for preventive and curative care in medical institutions and sanatoriums throughout the country.

As the former contains fat, carbohydrate, amino acid, vitamins, enzyme, microelements, different organic and inorganic substances, hydrogen sulfide, other gas components, hormone and the like, it is said that it is highly effective for the treatment of neuralgia, neuritis, traumatic sequels, chronic gastritis, chronic interstitial hepatitis, stomach and duodenal ulcer, chronic enterocolitis, women’s diseases and organa genitalia disease.

As its thermal capacity is high and its thermal conductivity is twice lower than water, the mud cools down slowly, once heated, and as its plasticity strong, the shape of mud clod prepared for treatment remains almost unchanged.

In order to raise the thermal, mechanical and chemical treatment effects of mud, pelotherapy is combined with balneotherapy.

Modern sanitariums are found at places with rich mud resources and they give medical treatment to working people with mud resources as the basic means.