President
"Sports are an important affair in consolidating the nation's strength and heightening the country's external prestige."
In the history of the revolutionary leadership of President
One day in March 1975, some days after our table tennis players came back to the country with the honour of winning the 33rd World Table Tennis Championship held in India, Pak Yong Sun, the first-prize winner, was wanted by the President beyond her expectation.
The President warmly welcomed her with a delightful smile on his face, saying that he was eager to see the world table tennis champion, and praised her highly again and again for her great efforts in winning the championship. Then he held her hand and personally led her to the seat beside him.
Looking at her with affectionate smile, he asked how old she was, where she was born and where and when she started learning to play table tennis. He was told that she was 19 years old, was born in Chongsu, North Phyongan Province and began playing table tennis while she was studying at Chongsu Middle School (at the time), and then asked again what the game was like.
After carefully listening to the whole story of the championship, including the preliminary matches and the fiercest quarter final, he said that he was particularly satisfied with her unyielding fighting spirit of attacking to the last moment without any disappointment. Highly appreciating her as a model of the country's athletes, a sports heroine who glorified the country of Juche all over the world, he expressed his thanks on behalf of the Party Central Committee and the government of the Republic and on his own behalf. Then he had a memorial photo taken with her, which was great love for her.
Thanks to warm love of President
