[Photo] Mount Baekdu in springtime

North Korea’s official newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, published several photos of Mount Baekdu and the surrounding Ryanggang Province on its third page on May 21. Mount Baekdu straddles the border between North Korea and China, and is viewed by many North and South Koreans as their countries’ spiritual home. North Korea’s Ryanggang Province is bordered by China along the Yalu River and the Tumen River. One of the photographs depicted Heaven Lake (Chunji), a crater lake on top of Mount Baekdu that holds symbolic value to many South Koreans as they cannot ascend the mountain from the North Korean side.