The scenic Jangdae Hill commanding a fine view is in the heart of the capital city Pyongyang. Standing in the best place is the Pyongyang Students and Children’s Palace whose site was chosen by the great leader President Kim Il Sung.
Over the 50-odd years since its establishment, the beautiful dreams and hopes of children have been realized in the palace loud with pleasant and happy songs.
Xylophone instructor Kim Pong Sil says:
“More than 20 years have passed since I began to teach the xylophone here at the Pyongyang Students and Children’s Palace.
Whenever entering the palace every day, I feel like coming back to the days when I was growing up with nothing to envy in the world, fully developing my talents at the affectionate palace built thanks to President Kim Il Sung.
In those days, I had the honour of performing several times in front of the President and had a photo taken with him. Indeed, the days I spent along with the palace are the happiest days in my life.”
In the middle school days, Kim Pong Sil was a member of the xylophone circle of the Pyongyang Students and Children’s Palace. After school, she was the first to come to the palace and take wooden hammers of xylophone before others.
One day in December Juche 63(1974), she performed the light music “New School Uniform Given by Marshal Kim Il Sung” in the performance given in the presence of the President.
It was only one year after she began to learn the xylophone and so, she was too confused to play properly.
Seeing her unskilled performance, her talent only in bud, however, President Kim Il Sung praised her, saying she was performing well.
Afterwards, too, he enjoyed her performance several times. Once, he stepped on to the stage and grasping her small hands, congratulated her on her successful performance. When an accident happened in which the head of a wooden hammer slipped out and she had to use a spare one, he even encored her lest she should seriously worry about her mistake.
The girl has grown to be the xylophone instructor.
Always thinking of the days when she gave performances in front of the President, she is training many little xylophonists.
This is not a story which can be heard only in the xylophone circle room.
Besides, there are many stories telling that President Kim Il Sung sent lots of musical instruments, sporting goods and facilities for experiments and practical training and that he visited the palace several times a year to see the schoolchildren in their circle activities and enjoy their art performances. In the vocal music circle room, one can hear the story that he embraced all the circle members clinging to his clothes, jumping up and down. In the calligraphy circle room a story is told that he watched the calligraphy of circle members.
Kim Pong Sil says:
“The great leader Kim Il Sung loved the children so much.
He always found himself among the children, saying he gets 10 years younger when he is together with them. I also grew up under his loving care. I can never forget his fatherly love no matter how many years may go by.”
The great leader Kim Il Sung will always be in the minds of the schoolchildren across the country, in the minds of the Korean people, along with the story about him told on the Jangdae Hill.
