Our Home Is Full of Happiness

North Korea Housing

Some days ago I visited the newly-erected Ryomyong Street. Inside the street my eye was soon caught by the peculiar appearance of a 70-storey skyscraper.

What kind of persons are living in this wonderful apartment with a unique exterior? I thought, entering the apartment. I went up to the ninth floor by a lift and pushed the door-bell of flat No. 5.

The host of the flat was Kim Kwang Hyok, 33, a mathematics teacher of Kim Il Sung University. Told of the purpose of my visit, he welcomed me in. When I told him that he would be very glad to live in a new home, Kim said, “Several months have already passed since we moved, but we are still receiving congratulations from many people. I feel just as if I were in a dream. Still I can hardly believe that this big and excellent flat is really mine.”

Then he showed me round the rooms such as a living room, a children’s room and a room used by a couple and for study, which were fully equipped with furnishings including a set of sofa, a bed, a bookshelf, a desk and chairs. The host told me that his family of three members was too excited to say anything on the day of their moving to such a wonderful new house.

After looking round the flat with great admiration, I talked with the host and his wife. The wife Kim Song I was also a young teacher of the College of Literature of the same university.

“These days my family has had some happy events. My husband has received an official commendation for the achievement in his education and scientific research work, and we have received this new marvellous flat in the newly built Ryomyong Street. Whoever meets us expresses their envy.” Then the man said, “At the time we are moved to tears at the thought that the State brought us up into educators held in respect.”

The State valued a dream harboured by Kwang Hyok who was an ordinary boy in a mountain village and saw to it that he was enrolled at Kim Il SungUniversity. Feeling the benevolence of the State that helped him develop his talent to the full, he made up his mind to repay it. It is eight years ago that he began to work as a teacher of the university. His mind burnt with the determination to support the country with much more education and research achievements.

So when there were suggested tasks of modernizing important enterprises including the Pyongyang Mushroom Farm, he readily volunteered to solve relevant difficult problems while others were hesitating to do so. Eating and sleeping at the relevant places, he solved many knotty sci-tech problems, thus being held in respect as an able man recognized by the university.

Looking back upon the past days with deep emotions, he could hardly end his words. So his wife said, “We still have a long way to go. We will always work hard to train able persons all our life.”

After saying goodbye to them, I came out when my eye was caught by the illuminated appearance of the street. It seemed to be a signal of a bright future of a talent power and a sci-tech power.

Kim Chol Ung