Chilgol Primary School in Mangyongdae District, Pyongyang, is famous for high-quality national music education.

Its pupils have won the national musical instrument division of the annual artistic individual contest of schoolchildren for 20 years.

In the last year’s event, too, its pupil, Sin Yun Gyong, became the winner of kayagum (19-stringed Korean harp) solo though she was the youngest of dozens of competitors selected from across the country.

Teachers of the school ascribe the consecutive wins to Rim Jong Hwa, chief of the arts section.

Rim is a model teacher who has instructed the national musical instrument group of the school for nearly 30 years.

She was a kayagum player at a central art troupe in her maidenhood and later became music teacher of the school with a determination to train talented instrumentalists.

The unique sound of the national instrument and her distinctive playing techniques and graceful posture attracted the interest of schoolchildren, and the members of the national musical instrument group in her charge increased to dozens soon and young prodigies were produced in succession, adding more to the pride of the school.

The school focuses on basic education, especially on the teaching of traditional beats, so as to make children have a good understanding of captivating Korean rhythms and embody them in performance.

It also promotes tutorial guidance so as to give free rein to the individuality of pupils and enable them to make the most of their characteristic features.

Therefore, the jury members of the annual contest lavish praise on the entrants from the school for the fascinating execution and high artistic levels, expecting their promising future.

“In the course of playing national musical instruments in national costume, pupils develop love for the traditional instruments and noble national sentiments,” said Rim.

Their parents unanimously said that as they started to learn to play national instruments, they came to acquire moral traits and affection for national things.

Many kayagum players who finished the school are conducting artistic activities at central art troupes and other organizations, winning great popularity.

They often fondly remember their teacher who taught them the rudiments of music and their alma mater as well.

Pak Un Sim who was the first to win the contest for the school two decades ago is also a kayagum teacher at the school like her former teacher.

The hall of the national musical instrument group is small, but the unique resonant sound of such national instruments as kayagum and janggo (hourglass drum) implants the fine qualities and sentiment of the nation in the minds of pupils and makes them aware of its preciousness.