Global InformationKiringul information
| Kiringul | |
 Kiringul is purportedly located near the Yongmyong Temple in Pyongyang (pictured in the 1930s) | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 기린굴 |
| Hancha | 麒麟窟 |
| Revised Romanization | Giringul |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kirin'gul |
Kiringul (Korean: 기린굴; lit. Kirin's Grotto) is a cave in North Korea said to have been the home of the kirin (Qilin in Chinese), a mythical chimeric beast that was reputedly ridden by King Dongmyeong of Goguryeo in the 1st century BC.
In November 2012, the state-owned Korean Central News Agency reported that the site had been discovered in Moranbong near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. The North Korean government claims that the discovery proves that Pyongyang is the historic capital of Korea. Analysts outside North Korea have put the announcement in the context of long-running North Korean attempts to link the country's regime with the ancient Korean kings, and so position it as the legitimate heir to the legacy of Goguryeo.