In recent years young scientists in their twenties and thirties of Kim Hyong Jik University of Education are bringing about many achievements in their educational work and advanced scientific research. Among them are Ho Chung Hyok and his wife Jong Un Gyong, teachers of the faculties of life science and mathematics respectively.
Eight years ago, they became postgraduate students after graduating from the university. At that time they were full of determination to break through the cutting edge over the world. Chung Hyok set it as his research task to develop a new nutrient that could help sportspersons give full play to their physical capability and make remarkable achievements in competitions, and Un Gyong decided to develop an educational support program for improving the students’ intellectual faculties.
Though different in major field of study, they are one and the same in mind. They always spent hours in research together at the library of the university or the Grand People’s Study House. Their unusually affectionate chats and their steps on the way back home were all directed towards science and the things for the future of the country. Their common desire for learning and tireless enthusiasm, at last, made themselves attached to each other, which bore great fruit.
Two years later, the man developed the new nutritious material for sportspersons Tauricam, and the woman Teaching Practice Evaluation Support Program 1.0 and Numeral Mathematics Education Support Program which were highly appreciated at the national exhibition of youth’s scientific and technological successes held in 2014
After marriage, they kept devoting all their wisdom and efforts to the educational and scientific research work. Chung Hyok succeeded in rearing Loach of Pyongyang breed, a new kind of loach which grows fast and whose weight increasing rates are five times higher than the native. His wife won first place at a national teacher training universities’ teaching contest, displaying her ability once again. Later she drew the attention of the academic world by presenting treatises on Symplect Geometry, which is regarded as the most difficult subject in mathematics.
They have won scores of diplomas and certificates of registered sci-tech achievement at such festivals and exhibitions as the national exhibition of youth’s scientific and technological successes.
Now they have become twin pillars of the university who can compete with veteran scholars. Though with short career and poor experience, they developed so much thanks to the devoted support of Ho’s mother Jang Son Suk. Jang works as a department head of the basic science faculty, Korea University of Physical Education. She is a veteran educator who has trained lots of heroes, People’s Athletes and Merited Athletes, including the pommel horse king Pae Kil Su, the DPRK Hero Jong Song Ok, the quadruple world champion judoist Kye Sun Hui and People’s Athlete Ri Myong Hun.
She always encourages her son and daughter-in-law, saying, “An educator should take genuine pleasure and pride of life in their disciples’ growth and achievements to exalt the honour of the country. So it is important for us educators to possess a high ability. Students’ ability depends on their teacher’s, I think.” Back home from work, she is wont to give them advice on their problems arising in improving their teaching and making the education practical, modern and IT-based and those in their research work, and takes care of them in such a way that they can be engrossed in educational and research work.
So Ho and his wife hold her in high esteem as not only their mother but also their senior and teacher. The couple has a four-year-old pretty daughter named Ye Jin. They say they hope to train the daughter to become an educator like the grandmother and them.
