culture

On his visit to the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren’s Palace on the occasion of the New Year, the respected fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un saw science fiction models invented by eight students.

Among them was the sci-fi model “Socialist rural village in future” made by Kim Kwan Rok, a third-year student of the junior middle course at Changdok School. 

“When the fatherly Marshal came and asked me to explain about the model, I felt like I was dreaming,” said Kwan Rok. 

The main part of his sci-fi model was a socialist rural dwelling block with lovely houses, a kindergarten, school and general hospital, sci-tech learning space, vertical fish farm and granaries with the main emphasis on the socialist fields where it is possible to raise seven crops of rice and four crops of wheat a year, unaffected by seasonal influence, in large vertical hydroponic greenhouses.

After being briefed about his model comprising a Children’s Union forest section with luxuriant pine and pine-nut trees and even a fire lookout post, Kim Jong Un tenderly patted him on the cheeks saying it was admirable.

It was in May last year that Kwan Rok decided to build a sci-fi model on the theme of “Socialist rural village in future” as he heard the news that a national exhibition of children’s science fiction literary works and models was to be held on the occasion of the anniversary of the founding of the Korean Children’s Union (June 6).

One day while he was pondering on what to make, he saw a new report on TV about farmers moving into new modern houses in a rural village.

As he watched the agricultural workers dancing with the pleasure of receiving gratis the large houses built in different styles and colours and in a splendid way, a fresh vision crossed his mind.

He decided to create a model of a beautiful ideal socialist village where the work and life are as good and delightful as those in cities now that the new history of rural development is being made.

With such a fantastic idea, he delineated the features of a “futuristic socialist village” he had imaged on the model board.

Thus, he created the sci-fi model reflecting his resolve to contribute to solving the food problem over which the fatherly Marshal is much concerned by building large greenhouses capable of raising rice and wheat free from seasonal effects. His model won the first prize at the national exhibition of children’s science fiction literary works and models-2023 as it was novel in idea and perfectly practicable.

“I never dreamed that Kwan Rok would show the model to the fatherly Marshal on the occasion of the significant New Year,” said his mother Hong Ryon Hui.

He also has a great aptitude for literature.

He presented his collections of writings to Kim Jong Un in February 2018 and April 2022, and was awarded several prizes including the “Our Classroom” literature prize.