Warm palace for happy children

    In Korea there are many extracurricular educational centres for schoolchildren including children's palaces, children's halls and children's camps, where happy children are enjoying themselves, singing and laughing.
   The Students and Children's Palace on the scenic Jangdae Hill in the capital city Pyongyang has circle rooms, laboratories and practice rooms where schoolchildren acquire knowledge of latest science and technology as well as art circle rooms. After school, schoolchildren develop their talents at the circle rooms for extracurricular activities according to their aptitude and hobby.

    Kim Song Hwan, Deputy Director of the Pyongyang Students and Children's Palace, has this to say:
   "Many foreign visitors to our palace say with admiration that the Pyongyang Students and Children's Palace is a palace of hope, a palace of learning and a palace of happiness which fully develops the wisdom and talents of the schoolchildren, and speak highly of the noble outlook of the great leader President Kim Il Sung on the rising generations. They unanimously say with admiration that the universal 11-year compulsory education now in force in Korea is wonderful and it is really surprising that all activities at the children's palace and other after-school educational centres are free of charge. Our palace alone proves the great social benefits given to the children."

     In November 1947, two years after Korea's liberation, patriotic businessmen in Pyongyang donated a lot of money to the state for the building of a new Korea. The economic condition of the country was very difficult at that time. But President Kim Il Sung saw that the contribution was spent to build a palace for the children. He selected the site for the palace on the scenic Jangdae Hill, saying in the past palace was occupied by the king, but it should belong to the rising generations now that the country was liberated. The palace under construction was devastated due to the war provoked by the US imperialists. After the war, the Pyongyang Students and Children's Palace was rebuilt according to a decision of the Cabinet. President Kim Il Sung saw designs and miniatures of the palace several times and earnestly said it should be built largely and splendidly as befitting a palace for the children, "kings" of the country.
   In September 1963 the Pyongyang Students and Children's Palace was built as the largest edifice in the capital city at that time. President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il visited the palace on tens of occasions and paid concern to it so that it was provided with best educational facilities and materials. Many of those who learned in the palace became famous scientists and artistes and people's athletes.

    People's Artiste Choe Sam Suk has this to say:
   "From my childhood I loved music very much. I cannot forget those days when I fully developed my musical talents in a circle room of the palace after school every day. At that time I was too young to understand all the love for us. But whenever I was applauded by the audience on the nice stages, I could not repress my surging emotion, warmly feeling the love of the fatherly Kim Il Sung and
Kim Jong Il who provided us with all conditions to fully develop our talents since young."
   When the Kwangbok Street was under construction in the capital city, too, President Kim Il Sung proposed building another schoolchildren's palace in the new street and ensured that the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace was built there. When the construction of the palace was at its height, he took measures to provide all necessary materials and equipment, saying it should be built well with great efforts as it is a place for children, "kings" of the country, to conduct activities and there is nothing to spare for the children. Under his loving care, the Korean children grew up as future masters, strong pillars of the country.
   The future of socialist Korea is more firmly guaranteed under the benevolent care of respected Kim Jong Un who is carrying forward the noble outlook of the great leaders on the rising generations.

Voice of Korea