culture

Ra Kwan Ho, 44-year-old electrician, and his wife Han Myong Hui, 42-year-old weaver, both at the Pyongyang Kim Jong Suk Textile Mill, are a couple of innovators and pride of the factory. 

It is said that they have been innovators since they were single.

Ra, a discharged soldier, grew into handy man of wide knowledge and capacity for electricity with his sincere efforts and the assistance of his seniors after being assigned to the factory, thereby contributing to solving many technical problems.

“When handsome and mild Kwan Ho was appointed to our workshop, I only thought he would only carry out his assignments steadily. But he has done more than that for the factory unassumingly,” said workshop manager Ju Sang Su.

According to Ju, several sci-tech achievements and dozens of original ideas Ra had come up with greatly contributed to ensuring the full operation of facilities and modernizing them. 

Kwan Ho worked faithfully and passionately without seeking fame, Ju added.

The factory often put him forward as an innovator.

According to Wi Chun Gum, a colleague of Han Myong Hui, she has been very ardent and assiduous since maidenhood and made strenuous efforts to become an innovator like those of the factory well known throughout the country, including Mun Kang Sun and Ri Myong Sun, with deep admiration for them. 

After entering the ranks of innovators Han came to often see the name of Ra Kwan Ho in the billboard of honour and got familiar with him through the meetings arranged by the factory to congratulate innovators.

“We came to fall in love with each other with such meetings and billboard as an intermediary,” Han recalled fondly.

Trust for and understanding of each other lied behind the union between the calm and introspective man and passionate and vivacious woman.

On the day of plighting their troth, Han told Ra to think about marriage once again carefully, because after marriage he would frequently have to do household chores alone. At that Ra only said smilingly, “Watch me.” 

Since marriage they have remained innovators while helping and caring for each other.

Kwan Ho’s mother also supports his wife actively and the factory gives them much help blessing the future of the innovator couple.

In that course, Han overfulfilled her national plans for decades in some years to be honoured with the title of Meritorious Person of Socialist Patriotism and elected deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly. And last year, her family was provided with a flat in Kyongru-dong in the Pothong Riverside Terraced Houses District called a “village of patriots”.

“Our couple has been able to become what we are now not just by our efforts. It is thanks to the constant care of the country and factory, assistance of neighbours and encouragement of family members,” said Han.