culture

The Korean people with a 5 000-year history have widely used Koryo medicines in the treatment of diseases.

As Koryo medicines that suit the life style and constitutional features of the Koreans contain various ingredients, they can treat diseased organisms in an all-round and comprehensive way and even cure the diseases that cannot be treated by Western medicines. Therefore, the world people show growing interest in the traditional Korean medicines.

Koryo medicines have little toxicity and side effects, and are harmless and easy to use.

The Korean ancestors picked medicinal herbs to dry and pulverize or decoct them. The Koryo medicines have become diverse in kind and variety along with the development of manufacturing methods. In particular, they have been developed into the form of extracts which are convenient to use and maximize medicinal efficacy.

Medicinal herbs in the DPRK are widely distributed in the mountainous areas of Jagang Province, which is rich in herb resources.

The Kanggye Koryo Medicine-processing Factory in the province introduced a reflux extractor into the process of producing Koryo medicine extracts, thus making it possible to increase the output of extracts several times by relying on the capacity of existing equipment without reinforcing extracting facilities.

The factory, which has realized the making of extracts of Koryo medicines and put their production on a scientific, germ-free and dust-free basis, produces various traditional medicines and over 30 kinds of extracts with such plants as barrenwort, Siberian ginseng, Crataegus pinnatifida and broad bellflower.

The extracts of Koryo medicines are recognized as popular and profitable ones since they can be used for the effective treatment of various diseases for each system of the human body.

The method of preparing Koryo medicines, which have been developed and enriched throughout the long history of the nation, was recently inscribed as a national intangible cultural heritage element to contribute to developing and enriching the fine traditional medicine of the Koreans.