Chairman
"There are famous scenic spots in many parts of the country. Rest homes, recuperation centres and camping sites should be built in these spots, so that people can visit them when they want to and enjoy themselves to their hearts' content."
"Sokdamgugok", a scenic spot which is near the Korean West Sea, is famous for its stone pond with crystal-clear Sokdam stream, and its beautiful landscape in each of the nine valleys.
"Sokdamgugok" located in Pyoksong County, South Hwanghae Province, has been known from ancient times as a scenic spot in the Korean West Sea for its crystal-clear stream, peculiar rocks, beautiful flowers, green pine trees and maple trees.
Sokdam Stream, which starts from Mt. Jinam in the Suyang Mountain Range and flows into the Korean West Sea, forms a beautiful scenery at every turn in its middle part which shows the unique scenery of the native valleys.
The fifth valley "Unbyong" is a beautiful place where cliffs, deep ponds, clear streams and thick pine forests go well with historical sites and cosy recreation buildings.
"Sokdamgugok" became famous since Ri Ryul gok, a Confucian scholar in the period of Feudal Joson Dynasty, established a Confucian Shrine and Academy there and taught the children of the nobility.
However, in the past, that was a place where the children of the nobility studied, and the feudal rulers, the rich and the Japanese enjoyed themselves. At that time, when the people were trampled down and ruled by the feudal rulers and the Japanese, the beauty of the spot could not give us any pleasure, but only adding grief and sadness.
"Sokdamgugok" has been turned into a scenic spot for the people by President
On August 21, Juche 37(1948), President
On arriving at "Sokdamgugok", he inspected every corner of the surrounding areas. He said that if a rest home for the people to enjoy entertainments was built, it would be good for Haeju citizens to come and have a rest as it was famous and very beautiful.
Looking around both the exterior and interior of the Sohyon Confucian Shrine and Academy in "Sokdamgugok", he said many working people could come there because of the wonderful scenery of Sokdam and went on that the history of Sokdam should be told to the working people as the feudal rulers oppressed and exploited the people and led an indolent life with their tension relaxed.
For a while, looking at hundreds of years-old ginkgo trees and pine trees around the Confucian Shrine and Academy he told them to take good care of those trees and plant much more in the place where there were few ones.
Looking at the overall view of "Sokdamgugok" again, he told the officials that it was all the property of the people and precious national cultural heritages as if he saw the people enjoy themselves there in an another service center.
Thus, thanks to the warm care and devotion for the people of Chairman who thought first the recreation ground where people could spend a happy time whenever he visited scenic spots, the plan to build a rest center for the people was made instead of a sanatorium.
Upholding faithfully the idea and leadership of the President, Chairman
On September 20, Juche 49(1960), he inspected different valleys and historical relics of "Sokdamgugok" one after another for a long time and gave precious instructions to change it into a holiday resort in accordance with its peculiarities as the President wished.
Not only it was beautiful in its natural scenery, but it had many historical relics and its history was educational, so that if they would unearth and order its relics, it could be more unique.
Informing the truth that "Sokdamgugok" became famous in connection with Ri Ryul Gok, Chairman said there were many military officers and famous people who had bravely fought against foreign aggressors, together with those with advanced ideas like Ri Ryul Gok throughout our history. He continued it would be good to teach these historical facts to the coming generation by putting them into shape, and thus they could foster the young generation with national pride and patriotism.
Looking around the pond, the Chairman told the officials to arrange the pond well and tell the people about legends associated with it as there was a legend that Ri Ryul Gok with Ri Sun Sin had co-studied a military vessel with its model floating on the river.
At the Chonggye Hall, he took measures for the officials to figure out the whole historical relics there and put them in good order in accordance with historical facts, so that they could hand down them as a national treasure.
As mentioned above, Chairman saw through the wisdoms and talents of the Korean nation in every historical site and was deeply concerned about the education through them.
After looking round "Sokdamgugok", the Chairman said that measures should soon be taken to build a rest home instead of the old sanatorium as taught by the great leader, stressing that Sokdam was a proper place for a rest home for its good scenery and a reservoir.
Later, thanks to the benevolent love of President and Chairman, the Sokdamgugok rest home was built, harmonized well with the beautiful natural scenery and historical sites.
In November Juche 63(1974), Chairman
As taught by the Chairman, the staffs are fostering trees better, taking good care of the trees and historical relics of the long history of "Sokdamgugok", including the hundreds-year-old zelkova tree.
They plant many fruit trees such as jujube, pine nuts, persimmon, plum, peach, apricot and cherry trees, and are gardening them well to add beauty to the scenery of the rest home.
Today, the "Sokdamgugok" rest home provides the summer recreation of factory and office workers of all parts of the country from April to October and in winter for farmers from December to next February.
The recreation halls and cultural and welfare establishments have been modernized so that they could enjoy themselves to their hearts' content, singing and dancing, playing sports games, having picnics, mountaineering, historical tours, going fishing, cooking rice-gruel mixed with fish and gathering chestnuts.
The rest home organizes holiday-makers' daily routine in a colorful and interesting way and provides them with sufficient food tables with foodstuffs supplied by the state and self-produced meat, vegetables and edible herbs.
Handing down the warm love and care of the Workers' Party of Korea for the people, "Sokdamgugok" becomes more beautiful as a scenic spot for the people with loud laughter of holidaymakers and tourists.