Ssirum (Korean Wrestling) is one of the traditional sports games which Korean people created and developed through a long history of 5000 years and it helps people to cultivate physical strength, fighting spirit and wisdom.

  In the late August Juche 50 (1961), Chairman Kim Jong Il shared his place with the students and gave precious instructions on ssirum.

  The Chairman first told them about the history of our country’s ssirum. He said that the traditional ssirum was already popular in the period of Koguryo and the murals of Koguryo tombs depicted an amusing scene in which the wrestlers playing with their chest bared, proving that the Koguryo people enjoyed wrestling at the time and that the wrestling was widely disseminated in Koguryo.

  The Chairman continued that some people in the past said that our country’s ssirum was derived from Mongolian wrestling but it does not match historical facts. He clearly indicated that ssirum was born in our country before Koryo Dynasty.

  The Chairman also gave meaningful teachings on the excellence of ssirum. He said that ssirum is not only a sporting event that raises the strength but also a sporting event that can be played by anyone irrespective of time and place. He continued that all the Koreans enjoyed playing ssirum; the children have enjoyed ssirum when they play at riverside or fields, and the farmers have played ssirum in the edge of the field in the break time. He also said that the Korean people regarded it as a custom to include ssirum in various folk games organized in different villages on folk holidays and award the winner with a bull decorated with garland.

  The Chairman emphasized that ssirum is a traditional folk game favoured by Koreans and that national ssirum, the pride of our people, should be widely encouraged.

  At the end of January Juche 91 (2002), the Chairman instructed to organize national ssirum events on a nationwide scale in a peculiar way, and gave detailed instructions on the forms and methods of the game. Then he took a benevolent measure to use the big bull of the Songammyonggi Cattle Farm as the prize.

  From that time on, the Grand Bull Prize National Ssirum Contest is taking place amid great expectations and interest of the peoples of the whole country on the occasion of Chusok (Harvest Moon Day) every year.