President Kim Il Sung and Korean Women (1)
Parental Care for a Table Tennis Player

Chairman Kim Jong Il said:

"Under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung, our women's movement has travelled a road filled with victory, producing a great number of heroines and patriots."

President Kim Il Sung showed warm, parental care to the Korean women so that they could make a brilliant career. One of the stories about it relates to the life of Pak Yong Sun, who, under his care, developed from a little country girl with a fervent hope for table tennis to a world-famous table tennis star, a sports heroine and table tennis queen embodying the indomitable spirit of the Koreans.

Pak was born into a worker's family in Chongsu, North Phyongan Province in 1956. She had an unusual interest in table tennis from her childhood. Thanks to state policies the President had initiated to help all children with inherent aptitudes and tastes develop their talent as much as they wanted to, she joined a table tennis club in her childhood and learned table tennis techniques to her heart's content. When she was 12 years old, she won a national table tennis contest of secondary school students.

Under the President's tender care she moved to a national sports team in Pyongyang, which was a landmark in her career. She learned higher techniques which brought her victories at international competitions at the age of 15.

The President's care for her was so great that she became a world-famous star. In the women's individual singles of the 33rd World Table Tennis Championships held in Calcutta, India in February 1975 she defeated all her formidable rivals, won the world championship and received the crown and belt, symbols of the world table tennis queen, from the International Table Tennis Federation and the championships organizing committee.

The day after she became the champion, the President called a Political Committee meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Holding high a Rodong Sinmun newspaper which carried the news about her win and showing it to the participants, he said excitedly that the world population numbered billions and that Pak Yong Sun from his country had taken first place. Then, he told to organize a national welcoming ceremony so that the proud daughter of the nation, who had lifted the national flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea high in the world arena, could be known to the whole country and the whole world.

One day in mid-March Juche 64 (1975) while she was engrossed in training, the President met her. Hearing from her about details of how she had played in the preliminaries, quarterfinals and finals of the 33rd World Table Tennis Championships, he spoke highly of her, saying that she had defeated world-famous aces, that she was the model for the sportspeople of the country in terms of strong will and indomitable fighting spirit in sporting activities, and that she was a sports heroine who demonstrated the glory of the Juche Korea to the whole world.

He said that although she is young, she has fought quite well at the world table tennis championships, the first ever world arena for you, he praised, and said warmly that he would like to extend thanks to Pak Yong Sun and other participants in the championships on behalf of the Party Central Committee and the Government of the Republic and on his own.

The President expressed his great expectation, asking Pak not to rest on her laurels but train herself harder to retain her championship at world table tennis competitions for several years to come. Then, he gave her his gift, a watch bearing his name, which he personally put on her wrist.

Pak was so grateful for his solicitude that she could not say even a word to express her thanks. She was only shedding tears of gratitude, when the President said it was not becoming for the table tennis queen and told her warmly to stop being tearful. Then, he asked her to wear the crown on her head, sling the queen's belt over the shoulder and hold up the trophy she had got from the championships. Then, he stood Pak beside him to have a photo taken, which was something glorious to be handed down from one generation to the next.

Stroking her on the shoulder, the President encouragingly told her to continue to train herself strenuously and win one trophy after another. He was so kind to see her off to the doorway.

Feeling there was something still to be offered to her, he later made sure that she was awarded the Order of the National Flag 1st Class, a high decoration of the state, and the title of People's Athlete.

Thanks to the trust and care of the President, Pak won another victory at the 34th World Table Tennis Championships in late March-early April 1977, thus retaining her championship and exalting the honour of her country. This meant a victorious report of her loyalty to the President.

In later years the President continued to bestow infinite care on her. He ensured that she was given the title of Labour Hero, the top honour for the DPRK citizens, in Juche 74 (1985).

When she died of an incurable disease, President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il, feeling more sorrowful than anybody else, made sure that her child was put to the care of the Party and that she was laid at the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery at Sinmi-ri so that her memory could be kept alive for all eternity.

The story of the great care of President Kim Il Sung for Pak Yong Sun will be told and retold from one generation to the next along with the DPRK which is the Korean people's home of happy life and worthwhile creation.