By Dint of Affection for Rising Generation

In December last year the Ninth Congress of the Korean Children’s Union was held on a large scale in Pyongyang, the capital city of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It was a meaningful occasion that demonstrated the mettle of members of the KCU who are growing up as future pillars of the socialist Korea, as well as an occasion that made the whole world realize by dint of what the country vibrates and why its future is promising.

In this world there are quite a few countries that are proud of developed economy and enormous military capability, but they are experiencing a trouble with the generations who are ill-prepared to shoulder their future.

The harder the situation is, the greater devotion the DPRK directs to the rising generation, advancing vigorously towards its communist future by dint of affection for them.

 “Love the future!”–this slogan permeates the country that advances by dint of this affection. 

An example is a law on bringing up the rising generation.

In early February last year the Law of the DPRK on Childcare was adopted at the Sixth Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly. The law defines that its mission is to contribute to carrying out the childcare policy of the state by establishing a strict system and order in the production and supply of nutritious foodstuffs for children and in the creation of conditions for caring for them. It gives solutions to the problems arising in setting up a well-regulated system of producing and supplying those foods to children, supplying dairy products and other nutritious foodstuffs to them free of charge and on a regular basis, and creating best conditions for caring for them. What is noteworthy in the law is the fact that it stipulates it as an important communist policy to care for the children as an undertaking involving the whole state and society and to bring them up at the expense of the state and society.

As a matter of fact, it is not something easy for any country to enshrine in law the problems to be solved in bringing up its children and carry it on resolutely. 

The DPRK, at this point when it is aspiring after comprehensive development of its socialist construction, is faced with many urgent problems in developing its 

economy and improving the people’s standard of living.

However, the law was born thanks to the affection of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and the state for the rising generation, which regard it as their top-priority policy and a most cherished undertaking to create better childcare conditions even if it would mean spending a huge sum of money. 

For the thoroughgoing implementation of the law, the Party and government organs have launched full steam the work of supplying dairy products and other nutritious foodstuffs to children on a regular basis and creating excellent conditions for nursing them.

The appearance of the DPRK advancing by dint of affection for the rising generation can be seen through its stubborn implementation of the policies related to them irrespective of conditions and situation.

The trials and difficulties it has faced over the past ten years were unprecedented in its history, but under the concern and care of the Party and state all the things needed for feeding, clothing and teaching the children have been produced and supplied in sufficient amounts, and the sounds of singing and reading rang out at nurseries, kindergartens and schools.

The country views that slowing down one step in the education of the rising generation means a ten-step, nay one-hundred-step, delay in its advance, and that this education cannot be slighted nor neglected even a moment.

Last year the freshers at all levels of schools across the country were supplied with new-style school uniforms, footwear and satchels; notebooks and other school things  were supplied to all the children and students, including those in far-flung islands; all the orphans across the country received padded coats and winter sportswear and footwear; commuter buses, trains and ships for schoolchildren ran regularly.

In particular, when the whole country was locked down by region and unit after Covid-19 entered the territory of the country, the supply of formula and rice powder for babies was discussed as an issue of national concern and relevant measures were taken to supply them even to those in the remote mountain villages.

Merry laughter of the children and their beautiful dreams accelerate the advance of a country and reflect its bright future.

The children in socialist Korea are learning to their heart’s content and nourishing their hopes. 

Though the hostile forces are resorting to every conceivable means to check its advance and development, the country is training all the schoolchildren to be pillars, who would shoulder its future; modern schools and bases for extracurricular education have sprung up in various parts of the country, and the whole society renders assistance to education; orphans in baby homes, orphanages and primary and secondary schools are growing up optimistically, uprightly and stoutly without experiencing the sorrow of being bereft of their parents; and the schoolchildren in the disaster-stricken areas go to camps while the projects for rehabilitating their dear home villages are under way. These scenes can be witnessed only in the DPRK that regards affection for the rising generation as a top priority. 

In this world many children are suffering from poverty, disease and disputes, fall prey to human trafficking, or are on the road to take refuge somewhere they do not know with adults. 

In contrast, the children in the DPRK are growing up cheerfully and vigorously, and their laughter and singing is adding to the delight, pleasure and optimism in the whole country. 

The world cannot but be struck with wonder and admiration by this reality.