culture

Pak Ryong Hyok, a third-year student of the senior course of Moranbong Middle School No. 1, is very fond of literature.

“Literary creation is a very pleasant part of my life,” he says.

According to his mother Pak Jong Sil, her son began reading books when he learned Korean language at the age of three. It was so praiseworthy of him that she bought many children’s books including picture books to her son and Ryong Hyok read them avidly.

From the kindergarten days, he would record in his diary what he felt after reading books and they were fairly good, she said.

On the day when he entered a primary school, he wrote a poem in his diary expressing his joy of entering the gate with floral decorations for learning, amazing his parents.

His unusual literary talent was further cultivated in the literature group of the school later.

Ju Ryo Hwa, teacher in charge of the literature group, also encouraged Ryong Hyok to write various kinds of literary works based on the seeds on various themes in the reality as he visited different places of the capital city and developed high faculty of imagination and expression in the course of this.

“Once, he visited Chairman Kim Jong Il’s birthplace in the Paektusan Secret Camp with his parents. At that time he presented several children’s songs and poems before the group members. I was surprised to see his outstanding talent for expressing his thoughts and feelings vividly in concise poetic language,” said Ju.

He produced children’s songs and poems in succession to be awarded the April 15 Mangyongdae Production Prize of Loyalty in 2017 when he was ten years old and “Our Classroom” Literature Prize the following year.

In the days when he cultivated his talent to the full, he was honoured to present his collection of literary works, titled “Hill of Yearning”, to the respected fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un, giving pleasure to him.

He also created several instructive yet interesting fables including “After bragging of his ability” and “Who is stupid”, and even presented an energy-saving house model to the national exhibition of children’s science fiction and models, attracting the attention of the participants.

All the classmates like and follow him, who is good at amusing friends and telling stories attractively with rich expression and humour.

“Books are a silent teacher. You can find stories and the world of good ideas in books. My creation of literary works will continue in the future,” said Ryong Hyok when he received praise from the people.

Many people look forward to the bright future of Ryong Hyok, who will graduate from the middle school next year.