Kim Hui Su, a worker at the Daesong Amusement Park Management Office in Pyongyang, is a beekeeper by heritage.
In response to the national policy aimed at diversifying rural economy, his father was the first to organize a beekeeping team in Kosong County, Kangwon Province, in the mid-1950s, engaging in beekeeping for nearly 50 years.
Having grown up watching his father handle bees, Kim Hui Su graduated from middle school and majored in beekeeping at Wonsan Agricultural University. He later became an instructor of beekeeping at Pyongyang Agricultural University.
“As I got older, I wanted to become a beekeeper like my father,” Kim Hui Su said. He began beekeeping three years ago.
Daesong, with its picturesque landscapes and abundance of blooming flowers, is an ideal source for honey.
Every early spring, he sets out beehives, starting with acacia honey and continuing to harvest various flower honeys until autumn. Sometimes, he travels across the country in search of flowers.
He has nearly 50 beehives, each housing about 30,000 bees. From each hive, he harvests 30-50 kg of honey annually, giving an idea of his honey production.
He describes the joy of harvesting honey as incomparable.
“Beekeeping has many benefits. Bee pollen, beeswax, royal jelly, and other bee products are very useful. Managing bees has improved my health and enhanced my quality of life,” Kim Hui Su explained.
He actively incorporates the experiences and traditions of beekeeping passed down from his ancestors while also adopting modern scientific techniques in bee management and product processing, producing a significant amount of honey and bee products each year.
He is also a member of the Korean Beekeepers Association.
