The Pictures on the Stamps should Symbolize Korea

Chairman Kim Jong Il said:

"In order to truly love one's motherland and strive for its prosperity and development, one should treasure, love and give prominence to the things of one's own country."

The fact that our stamps have marked the Juche-oriented course of development as the name card of our country and the face of socialist Korea is unthinkable apart from the immortal exploits of Chairman Kim Jong Il who gave clear instructions that the stamps should reflect the vibrant reality of the country and the spirit of the times.

In his early middle school days, Chairman gave precious instructions to the school youth and children that the pictures on stamps should reflect the reality and symbolize Korea.

Chairman dropped in at the Pyongyang Post Office(then Central Post Office) to buy stamps with students on August 7, Juche 46 (1957).

He told the students about the type of savings which the post office started taking charge of and its popular character, while a student bought some stamps.

The stamps were published in Juche 46 (1957) and they had various types of themes including the image of a historical figure, Ulmil Pavilion which was one of the old historical remains, the image of Lenin and a smelter of our country who was looking into the molten iron.

Looking at the stamps together with the students, he asked them what they thought of the pictures of the stamps.

At that time, some students were happy to see the pictures and others had no idea about them.

He asked again if they thought that the pictures on stamps fully symbolized our country.

While examining the pictures again, the students did not aware the deep meaning of his questions.

Looking round the students with a smile on his face, he said that the stamps included the images of Jong Ta San, Ulmil Pavilion and Lenin, and that the stamps should include pictures introducing the national culture of the society and pictures showing international friendship and solidarity with the peoples of different countries, but more important thing was, as Korean stamps, they should reflect Korea's today and symbolize it.

Korea's today!

(What does Korea's today mean?...)

Looking at the students in question, Chairman said that the face of Jong Ta San and Lenin could not symbolize Korea's today. He continued that our people turned out in carrying out the First Five-Year Plan then and in all parts of the country they were waging the general onward movement to carry out the first five-year national economic plan in the DPRK ahead of schedule in hearty response to the important teachings of President Kim Il Sung, adding that this was the true picture of our country and the image and spirit of Korea's today, and we should put this kind of pictures on the stamp. Like this, he gave clear answers to the students.

He also said that the stamp should reflect the picture of the times, adding that one of this year's stamps showed the face of a smelter looking into the boiling molten iron and this should be seen as a good reflection of the reality of our country where workers and peasants had become masters, and he said that he could find such a good picture on that year's stamps.

Stamp "Increased production and economization!"

The stamp "Increased production and economization!" highly appreciated by the great General was a work reflecting the exciting period in which all the people across the country were dynamically waging the general onward march for carrying out the Five-Year National Economic Plan ahead of schedule in hearty response to the important instructions made by President Kim Il Sung at the plenary meeting in December Juche 45 (1956).

Juche 45(1956) was a very complicated year beset with hardships and ordeals.

The situation in and around the country was very tense and complicated because of the anti-DPRK smear campaign of the imperialists and international reactionaries, the "northward expedition" racket of the separatists, the pressure and interference of the great nationalists, and the maneuvers of the anti-Party, counter-revolutionary factionalists who crawled into the Party.

At such a time, President Kim Il Sung advanced the militant slogan "Let's produce more, practise economy, and overfulfil the Five-Year Plan ahead of schedule!".

The stamp made us recall with pride once again how our country and people had followed the road of victory braving the trials and hardships in the presence of President Kim Il Sung in Juche 45 (1956).

The stamp depicts the smelter who is looking into the boiling molten iron.

In the center of the screen is depicted in detail a worker with his eye goggles folded, grasping the tapping bar near the taphole.

The image of the worker full of joy is vividly depicted, and the sparks from the molten iron are depicted in a fresco way in the background.

The theme idea of the work was stressed by the slogan "Increased production and economization!" reflecting the call of the Party for increased production and economy to the maximum on the upper part of the stamp.

The students who saw the stamp carrying this story were in a great reverence to see Chairman who gave such a clear answer to the picture of the stamp.

Prior to leaving the post office, Chairman gave precious instructions to make sure that the picture of the stamp reflect the spirit of the times and symbolize the country more clearly.

In this way, Chairman Kim Jong Il led the students to become genuine patriots of Korea who can make a contribution to the revolution and construction with a good understanding of what belongs to our country through the pictures on the stamps.