Some time ago, I visited the Kaesong Schoolchildren’s Palace situated in the central part of the country.

The magnificent appearance of the Korean-style architecture supported by angle rafters looking like the wings of cranes flying over the sky and red-tiled roofs and a sky-kissing round tower reminded me of the Dragon’s Palace in a fairy tale.

Vice-president Pak Sun Chol said: As a centre for extracurricular education of schoolchildren in Kaesong City, it was established in June Juche 50 (1961). Renovated in recent years, it has all conditions and facilities necessary for extracurricular education of children, including specialized group rooms, labs, an auditorium and a gym. Schoolchildren realize their hopes and cultivate their talents through various group trainings and popular activities. Now is the winter vacation, so the palace draws an endless stream of children.

 

He guided me to a room for national musical instruments, where pupils were skilfully playing the kayagum, janggo and jangsaenap. Instructor Han Jin Cho said that her art group has produced many talents, adding that especially the primary school pupils play the kayagum very well.

The second leg of my visit was a room for narrative art group, where many pupils were engrossed in their efforts to improve their skills.

Instructor Kwak O Yong said he would always explain the plots of a work by adapting them into a fable to help his pupils improve their cognitive faculty and polish their distinctive individualities in speaking. Many graduates of the group have developed into high-profile artistes, he said proudly.

I turned my steps to a room for gymnastics group, where its members were busy doing a rehearsal of ring dance “We are the master of the future.” Among them were Choe Tang Hwi, Ri Hyo Jong and other pupils who had been highly appreciated several times at the national schoolchildren’s art festivals.

I enjoyed art works displayed in the room for fine arts group. This group has also produced some winners of special diplomas and citations in international exhibitions of juveniles’ fine arts and world festivals of youth and students.

Burning their heart with a determination to push back the frontiers of cutting-edge science, the members of basic science group were busy giving full play to their abilities and those members of automobile group were absorbed in mastering the structure of a vehicle, its working principle and technical specifications, and driving techniques. The members of sports group were training the elementary movements of various events, including volleyball, basketball, table-tennis, Taekwon-Do, wrestling and boxing.

I enjoyed a music and dance performance in the auditorium. The entertainers depicted the bright and cheerful appearance of schoolchildren growing up into the future pillars of socialist Korea through such colourful events as singing of folk songs in unison, accordion ensemble, light music for drum quartet, and dance.

Picturing in my mind the bright and promising future of my country and the rising generations, I left the palace.

Choe Song Jun