Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery
Cemetery in Pyongyang, North Korea
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Taesongsan Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery (Korean: 대성산혁명렬사릉) is a cemetery and memorial to the North Korean soldiers fighting for freedom and independence against Japanese rule. The 30-hectare site is located near the top of Mount Taesong (Taesongsan) in the Taesong-guyok, just outside Pyongyang, capital of North Korea.
| Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery | |||||||||||||
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Busts and main monument | |||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery | |||||||||||||
| Details | |||||||||||||
| Established | 1975 | ||||||||||||
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| Country | North Korea | ||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°04′42″N 125°49′40″E | ||||||||||||
| Type | Military cemetery | ||||||||||||
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The cemetery with hundreds of tombs was completed in 1975, and in October 1985 it was renovated and expanded.[1] Its design inspired the design of two African cemeteries, National Heroes' Acre in Zimbabwe and Heroes' Acre in Namibia.[1]
Description
The entrance to the cemetery is marked by a monumental gate in Korean style. Each of the graves is provided with a bronze bust. At the far end of the memorial there is a conspicuous red flag made of granite.[2] Heo-nik Kwon and Byung-Ho Chung (2012) covered the cemetery in their publication North Korea: Beyond Charismatic Politics, noting the cemetery's significance in politics, where it can not only satisfy the North Korean need for revolutionary narratives, but also compensate for its large-scale absence of ordinary military cemeteries.[3]
Notable people buried
- Kim Pohyŏn, father of Kim Hyong-jik, grandfather of Kim Il Sung
- Kim Jong-suk, first wife of Kim Il Sung.
- Kang Pan-sok, mother of Kim Il Sung.
- Kim Ch'aek, general and politician.
- Ri Yong-suk, politician.
- Hyŏn Chun-hyŏk, politician.
