Opinion

This year, too, the DPRK witnesses happy events of house-moving one after another in the wake of last year.

House-moving events took place in many farm villages including those that happened in January on ten-odd farms like the Yakjon Farm in Sukchon County, the Songsong Farm in Chongjin City and the Munam Farm in Pujon County.

Looking at the dwellings built in diverse and distinctive forms to preserve the features peculiar to rural areas and promote the convenience of agricultural workers as well as physiographical conditions, agricultural workers are delighted, saying “Our native place has changed”.

“Our village is located at the very end of our mountainous county. Therefore, more people didn’t know it than those who were aware of it from olden times and relatives hesitated to visit it. However, visitors are drastically on the increase as it has undergone a cataclysmic change like an urban one,” said Sim Song Ok, farmer of the Kumchang Farm in Hochon County.

She added that the village where only mountains could be seen has now formed an excellent section like a town and all the visitors are envious of the houses, saying they look like villas situated in a gorge.

The country built houses with great care in order to make those residing in the mountainous village live in modern dwellings as early as possible.                                                                     

Agricultural workers, who moved into new houses in the Jisin Vegetable Farm in Huichon City, said that their native village has turned into a place with nice mountains and clear water which is good as urban one thanks to the country.

An observation platform which commanding a bird’s-eye view of the village and a quiet resting place surrounded by good species of trees have been built to contribute to the cultural and leisure activities of agricultural workers.

“When I joined the army, my home was partly damaged by flood. I can’t forget the walls getting soaked by rain. At that time, I thought that when I would leave the army, I would spruce up my home with my hands again. But the country fulfilled my desire,” said Kim Il Chol, farmer of the Chongsu Vegetable Farm in Sakju County. 

He was surprised to see his native farm village that had undergone tremendous changes when he returned after his demob.  

It looks like an earthly paradise in the picture book as there is a kitchen garden spacious enough to grow a variety of vegetables around the dwelling, such fruit trees as plum, apricot and persimmon grow healthily and the road stretches widely.

After seeing that living rooms, a kitchen, washroom and warehouse were designed to promote the convenience of farmers, he expressed his determination to repay the favour granted by the country by doing farming well as he shed tears of gratitude.

Farmers also change as their villages do.

College students who are involved in the study-while-you-work system are on the rise at the Sangsan Farm in Kowon County, farmers become intelligent agricultural workers and aged farmers learn science and technology related to agricultural production by displaying enthusiasm.

It is the unanimous aspiration of agricultural workers to repay the favour the country bestowed for their civilized and abundant life by producing many more grains.

Therefore, they have produced more manure for farm fields this year, invented new farm machines conducive to effecting the overall mechanization of agriculture and directed efforts to the development of stockbreeding, thus enriching the dining table of children in the nursery and kindergarten with meat and dairy products of the farm. 

Farmers there say that as they see their native village, they are convinced that their future is brighter and for that they will make more strenuous efforts.