Indeed, he wasn’t exaggerating. The powerful panorama of the murals is as grand as a waterfall. In June 2004, a team from the JoongAng Ilbo visited the tombs with murals near Pyongyang and reported, "It feels like we have ridden in a time machine and come to Koguryo. You will never get tired of this grandeur." Korea University Professor Choe Jong-taeg, who was with the JoongAng Ilbo team, was trembling with excitement and said, "The lines are so vivid as if the painters have just completed the mural." Designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in July 2004, the Koguryo tombs have the power to move visitors.

Ri Seung-hyeok of North Korea’s Cultural Preservation Bureau showed South Korean reporters around the ancient tombs. During the tour, Mr. Ri displayed in-depth knowledge on the murals and relics. Having majored in Koguryo history from Kim Il Sung University, he spoke of the murals with affection. He said that time has ruined many of the murals. Because of a lack of funds, the murals do not get proper preservation treatment. About 3,000 tombs haven’t been excavated there.

The Koguryo Research Foundation announced that South and North Korean scholars would jointly investigate the Koguryo tombs near Pyeongyang. Mr. Ri must be most happy to hear the news. He had said that there was no demarcation line in the study of Koguryo and suggested that the South and the North should work together to preserve the murals. To Mr. Ri, who considers Koguryo "the spiritual home that brings the South and the North together," both South and North Koreans are the descendants of Koguryo.

The mural located in Gangseo-gu, Nampo, is about the mythical love story of Gyonu and Jiknyo separated by the Milky Way. The couple in the painting is so real that you might imagine that you can hear their songs of love. Just like Gyonu and Jiknyo, South Korean and North Korean scholars will meet in the tomb. It’s a model relationship for the two parts of Korea.

(Joong Ang Ilbo, March 12, 2005)