“The Day of the Sun” Shines Bright over Korea

“The Day of the Sun”

Shines Bright over Korea

Kim IL Sung the President and founder of Socialist Korea was born on the15th April 1912 and died on the 8^th July 1994, the Korean people celebrate his birthday as “The Day of the Sun” and in July an Oceania Memorial Committee visited the DPRK to join with all the Korean people and other world delegations to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the demise of the Great President KIM IL SUNG.

For the Korean people the revolutionary exploits of their Eternal President live on in their hearts and minds and for them from a historical perspective as he led them in their struggle for freedom and independence against the Japanese military fascists with August 15^th now celebrated as Liberation Day and the struggle they waged during the period of the Korean War against US imperialism and their allies from 15^th satellite countries including Australia and New Zealand. For the Korean people July 27^th 1953 which was the day that the Korean Armistice agreement was signed is celebrated as the victory of the Fatherland Liberation War, a great victory that they won under the wise and brilliant leadership of President KIM IL SUNG.

The Oceania Memorial Committee for the 20^th anniversary of the demise of President KIM IL SUNG was formed in February this year and accepted an invitation from the DPRK Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries through the Korea – Australia/New Zealand Friendship Societies for a delegation to visit the DPRK. The Oceania Memorial Committee delegation consisted of two, Mr. Sam Bullock, President of the Brisbane branch of the Australia – DPRK Friendship Cultural Society and Mr. Raymond Ferguson, National Secretary of the society.

After spending two days in Beijing to collect visas we set off to Pyongyang the capital of DPRK by train on the 2^nd July to arrive in Pyongyang on the 3^rd. The train trip which takes approximately 26 hours and crosses the border from China into the DPRK at Dandong across the Yulo River is a great experience and provides an opportunity to see the countryside of the DPRK as the train travels south from Dandong to Pyongyang.

Fortunately we shared our cabin with two Koreans Mr. Pak, who is an executive committee member of the Korean –Australia Friendship Cultural Society (who previously has visited Australia a number of times before the government black ban was imposed) Mr. Kim Secretary General of the Korean–Cuba Friendship Society. Both of them were returning from Jakarta after participating in an International E-Seminar for the 20^th anniversary of the demise of KIM IL SUNG.

Arriving at Pyongyang Railway station, there to meet us with a very warm welcome was Mr. Hwang Sung Chol, Secretary General of the Korea-Australia/New Zealand Friendship Societies and his assistant Miss Kim. From the train station we journeyed to the Harburtonsun Hotel right in the heart of Pyongyang city where the delegation would be homed for the next seven days. Although I have visited the DPRK on previous occasions, my last visit being only last year, each time I visit, one can’t help but recognize the changes to the city landscape with new apartment buildings being completed and others under construction with other new projects underway with newly designed trolley buses carrying commuters around the city of Pyongyang and everywhere you look taxis could be seen.

After arriving at our hotel and checking in we met with Mr. Hwang and Miss Kim to discuss our program of activities for our stay in the DPRK. As expected the program was full of political/cultural events.

Formation of Workers Party of Korea

The next day we visited the birth place of President Kim IL Sung at Mangyondae just outside of Pyongyang central districts. It was here that President Kim IL was born into a poor peasant family under the Japanese Militarists occupation and at the age of 16 left home to join the struggle for independence against the Japanese and pledge never to return until Korea was free and independent. Following our visit to Mangyondae it was only appropriate that we then visited the monument to the foundation of the Workers Party of Korea which was formed on the 10^th October 1945 with the merger of the Communist Party of North Korea and the New Peoples Party.

Although US military forces had firmly established themselves in the South of Korea, political activity for independence and a united Korea was a feature of the South Korean compatriots and the South Korean Workers Party was a major force in the struggle in unifying the country and on the 11^th June 1949 the Workers Party of South Korea merged with the Workers Party of Korea uniting the communist forces right throughout Korea, twelve months later as a result of US provocation the Korean War broke out and the Korean nation has been divided ever since. The party symbol consists of the traditional hammer and sickle separated in the middle with the Korean Calligraphy (brush) representing the working intellectual.

In addition we visited other important political landmarks that symbolize the historical struggle of the Korean people for independence and reunification including the Arch of Triumph, the Tower of Juche and the Museum of the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War. We also had the opportunity to visit some of the cultural facilities that the government provides for the people to relax and enjoy. Some of the more recently completed leisure facilities that we visited included the Mirim Riding Club, Rungra Dolphinarium, Munsu Water Park and the Pyongyang Folklore Park.

Mirim Riding Club is approximately 20klms on the outskirts of Pyongyang and the site was originally used for KPA purposes. Officially opened late 2013, the riding club is built on 45 square hectares and the construction of the facilities were jointly constructed by the KPA and a local construction enterprise and were completed in a period of nine months.

Cultural and Leisure Facilities for the People

The riding school has dual purposes, one to train the horses and selected riders to the highest standards to compete in all facets of riding skills on the international circuit. The other purpose of the school is to provide the locals with an entertainment and leisure facility.

The riding club has 7 training circuits, 300 staff and 150 trainers, with 125 Korean, British and Russian bred horses and ponies. Interestingly the Russian bred ponies are grey and when they reach the age of four their colour turns to brown. The club operates six days a week with one day being set aside for maintenance and cleaning purposes.

Equally impressive was our visit to the Munsu Dolphinarium where highly trained dolphins and staff provide spectacular entertainment to the onlookers. After twelve months construction, the Dolphinarium was opened in July 2012 on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the birth of President Kim IL Sung. The complex is managed by 250 staff and 25 trainers and is open five days a week, each show lasting approximately 2 hours with two days being set aside for cleaning and care for the dolphins. This entertainment Centre, while situated in Pyongyang, is also enjoyed by the citizens who live outside of the capital with special days and events being set aside for them to visit.

Even more spectacular was our visit to the Munsu Water Park which was opened in October 2013 after a construction period of 9 months with an area of 12 hectares the whole complex is solar powered including the pools that are heated. The water park has a staff of 450 and can cater for 10,000 people and is opened six days a week over the warmer period of the year. As well as operating as a “fun and leisure park” the facilities also caters for people who are disabled and or require dedicated health treatment by professional trained staff.

As well as the pools and the water slides, the facility also has restaurants, bars, games rooms and a fitted-out gym with badminton and volley ball courts. One can understand why such a facility is popular with the masses and is one more example of a genuine socialist country and the DPRK Government continuously trying to improve the living standards of its people.

A visit to Pyongyang would not be complete unless you visited the Kim IL Sung University. Founded on the 1^st October 1946 it is the first university to be built in the DPRK. It is located on a 37 acre campus along with the main academic buildings the campus contains 10 separate offices, 50 laboratories, E libraries, museums, printing presses R&D center dormitories and a hospital. The DPRK has now introduced 12 years mandatory education for all students (primary to secondary). The university caters for all students throughout the DPRK free of charge and has large number of international students particularly from developing countries and other socialist countries including China, Cuba, Laos and Vietnam as well as students from Russia.

In addition to the above facilities the university also has two indoor swimming pools for both training and leisure purposes. Courses undertaken in the department of social sciences take 5 years while those of the department of natural sciences take 6 years to complete. Currently the university has around 17,000 students enrolled plus international students and has an academic staff of 1,200 with an administrative staff of some 3,000.

With education being mandatory for 12 years and with higher education facilities like the

KIM IL Sung University, little wonder that the DPRK can boast a literacy rate of one of the highest in the world.

From the Kim Il Sung University we travelled to the building of the Committee for Friendship & Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (CFCRFC) where we met Mr. Pak Kyong IL the President of the Korea-Australia/New Zealand Friendship Societies and Vice President of the CFCRFC who officially welcomed the delegation to the DPRK and expressed his appreciation to the OMC and both the Australian & New Zealand Friendship Societies for their activities in promoting friendship, peace and cultural relations in the interest of the Korean and Australian/New Zealand people. As well he wished the delegation good health and sincerely hopes that our stay in the DPRK would be enjoyable and further strengthen relations and joint activities. He thanked our delegation for the gift that we presented on behalf of the OMC to Kim Jong Un for the Korean people.

A Mark of Respect

It is customary for all Friendship delegations as a mark of respect to make a visit to the Kumsusan Suns Palace mausoleum and as July 8^th was the 20^th anniversary date of the demise of President Kim Il Sung and along with hundreds of other foreigners, diplomatic people and Koreans we paid a visit to the Kumsusan Suns Palace mausoleum where both President Kim IL Sung and General Kim Jong Il lay in state.

The mausoleum is situated some 10klms on the outskirts of Pyongyang surrounded by a lake and gardens and built of marble. Once inside the complex you can sense and feel a history of revolutionary exploits and as well as visiting the mausoleum to pay respects to both of the comrades you gain appreciation of the deep respect that other world leaders had for both by observing the many photos taken with other world leaders home and abroad and the diplomatic gifts that are displayed. As a further mark of respect we then paid a visit to the bronze statues of both Generalissimo Kim IL Sung and Kim Jong IL on Mansuade Hill where the delegation laid a floral basket of flowers before the statue.

That afternoon we participated in a commemorative memorial meeting along with other foreign guests, diplomatic people and some 3,000 Koreans representing workers, farmers, youth, WPK and KPA at the Supreme People’s assembly hall. Led by Marshall Kim Jong Un members of the SPA, WPK and KPA took their seats on the presidium and were greeted with a thunderous round of applause from the audience. The memorial speech which lasted for one hour was delivered by the President of the SPA Mr. Kim Yong Nam who spoke about the history and revolutionary exploits of Kim Il Sung as the founder of socialist Korea.

The Children are well looked after

One of the great highlights of Pyongyang was a visit to the Oykra children’s hospital which was officially opened in March 2013. Looking at the complex when we arrived, it was difficult to imagine that we were visiting a hospital as it was surrounded by gardens and fountains with playgrounds. When we entered the building you could have believed that we were visiting a huge kindergarten. Instead of normal hospital décor we saw children’s playgrounds, toys with the walls decorated with children paintings. The hospital is seven stories high with a helicopter landing pad and accommodates children from all parts of the country and is directly connected to 200 regional and remote health centers and provides all forms of health treatment.

Designed and constructed with beds to accommodate 350 children, the hospital also provides services for 250-300 for children outpatients on a daily basis. As well as providing health and medical services for children’s needs the hospital also has its own education facilities for children who are required to spend lengthy times at the hospital so as to avoid them falling behind on their education timeframe. A tour of the hospital revealed that it is very modern and high-tech with the latest X-Ray, Catscan and MRI equipment (from Siemens) with a hospital staff of 500, including 180 doctors, 200 nurses and 6 teachers.

Despite the unjustified sanctions and restrictions that they face, the Korean people can feel very proud of this magnificent facility and the services their children will receive free of any charges and one more example of Juche Independence.

From the children’s hospital we paid a visit to the Kyong Song Kindergarten and this time we knew we were in a kindergarten, it is a district kindergarten catering for the children who live in the area aged between 5–6 years before they reach the age for primary education it is not a new facility as it was opened in 1959 but has undergone extensive renovations in 2012 and now accommodates up to 300 children.

The kindergarten specializes in providing all different forms of music tuition for the children and over the years some of the children have competed on the international stage. We witnessed a little girl who was 6 years of age playing the piano with such competence and precision and unless you saw her one could have thought that the pianist was a competent musician. The kindergarten has 30 teachers and is open from 9am to 4.30pm it also has its own community bus that provides a service of picking up and dropping off the children to their homes all free of charge. If there is a privileged class in the DPRK then surely it must be the children. President Kim IL Sung is well known for often saying “The children are my God” and they are certainly treated in that manner.

Departure Message from Marshall Kim Jong Un

Unfortunately our stay in Pyongyang was almost over but we had one more commitment to complete, a visit to the Australian Friendship School Kumsong Middle School No1 where we met with some of the school officials including the principals and deputy principal. The school has two principals, one for academic purposes and the other for sport and music lessons.

The school was opened in 1969 and currently accommodates some 2,000 students from Pyongyang and other parts of the DPRK and engages 80 teachers with a class on average of 25 students with 6 years secondary study. Internationally the school students have performed cultural events in 58 countries, 800 performances (that figure will grow this year).

Overtime and as part of our solidarity activities, the Australia Friendship Society has been able to arrange for qualified people to provide English lessons to the students and the principals and other officials in attendance were elated to hear that a teacher who has visited the school on many occasions and has actually written a book about his experiences with the school would be back in April next year. In addition we advised our Friendship Society has launched a financial appeal to assist in purchasing education equipment for the school.

The principal Mr. Kim and on behalf of the administrative staff and the students expressed his sincere appreciation for our solidarity activities and was very proud and honored that our society had adopted their school as our Friendship School. He also expressed great delight and the school would be honored to welcome back their good friend and teacher.

Sadly our time in Pyongyang had come to an end and it was time to depart for Pyongyang Railway Station for our journey back to Beijing. As we were departing the hotel to board our bus with our very reliable driver at the wheel Mr. Hwang informs us Mr. Pak Kyong IL the Chairman of the Korea-Australia/New Zealand Friendship Societies would like to see us before we departed.

After expressing his appreciation for our visit in paying respect for the 20^th anniversary of the demise of President Kim Il Sung and wishing us a safe trip home, the chairman then rose to inform us that he had a personal message from Marshall Kim Jong Un to deliver,

“Marshall Kim Jong Un would like to thank the OMC delegation for visiting the DPRK and joining with the Korean people in paying our respects to President Kim IL Sung, he also would like to express his sincere appreciation for the gift that the delegation had presented for him to receive on behalf of the Korean people and that the gift is further evidence of the close bond that our friendship societies have with the Korean people.”

“He wishes a safe trip home and welcomes and looks forward to the next time we visit the DPRK.”

Inspired by that very kind comradely message from Marshall Kim Jong Un and after saying goodbye to Hwang sung Chol and Miss Kim and our reliable driver we boarded our train for Beijing.

Although it has been 20 years since the demise of President Kim IL Sung our visit to the DPRK was a great experience and we left confident that the bonds of friendship and our joint activities with the Korean people have been further strengthened.

Furthermore, the revolutionary exploits of President Kim IL Sung are still shining bright over Korea providing inspiration, determination and courage to the Korean people as they overcome all of the obstacles and difficulties as they march forward in building a prosperous, powerful socialist country with the final goal of reunification of their nation “By our Nation Itself” under the banner of Songun Politics with the flag of Juche flying high.

Compiled by Ray Ferguson

Sam Bullock

OMC delegation to DPRK July 2014