Song of Eternal Longing

While tracing the world of noble loyalty that surges in the song "Longing Is Endless," a song containing the earnest heart of the entire people of the country, who endlessly long for the Great General, is resounding across the mountains and rivers of the homeland. The song "Longing Is Endless," which has brought waves of burning longing to the heart of every one of our people,

has the pure heart of our people, who forever long for and steadfastly follow the Fatherly General, deeply imbued in every phrase, thick as a canvas of the era and powerful as an echo of the era.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said as follows:

"In the heart of the Great General, the beloved country and people were always and everywhere cherished."

Born in those unforgettable days when the whole country was soaked in tears of blood, this song today rings out as the earnest voice of the millions of people longing for the Great Father.

Our General, who said that if the people lived well and were happy, He Himself desired nothing more, and who walked and walked the path of love for all the sons and daughters of the country; who unfolded new seas of fruit farming for the people and embraced the Vinalon Falls for the people—how much of His heart's blood and toil He devoted.

The figure of the Great General, who, listening to the laughter-filled, happy voices of the people ringing out from every wonderful new house, forgot all accumulated fatigue and continued along that path, braving snow and rain for the greater happiness of the people—the earnest hearts of the sons and daughters of this country, who can never forget the General's achievements, are precisely embedded in this song.

A few winters ago, when visiting Samjiyon City, the respected General Secretary could not bring himself to leave the front of the statue of the Great General for a long time. Looking again and again at the benevolent image of the Great General in field uniform, He said in a choked voice, "It's snowing... On the day we parted from the General in tears, it was snowing too... How good it would be if our General could see what miracles are being created on this land He loved like His own flesh and blood..."

Recalling the words spoken by the respected General Secretary on that historic day, the people once again passionately reflected on the endless love and devotion the Great General devoted to the country and people.

He was the Great General who said that if one wrung out His entire life, the two letters "people" would remain, and who devoted everything for the country and the people.

The Great General, who even in the final period of His sacred revolutionary life, on the path of on-the-spot guidance, asked officials if the people liked it and earnestly urged them to serve the people devotedly, was indeed the benevolent Father of the people.

Longing evokes precious memories.

Not long ago, an official from the Ryongjon Fruit Farm in North Chongchon County, whom we met, confessed his true feelings, saying that the more he sings the song "Longing Is Endless," the clearer becomes the benevolent image of the Great General, who came in the spring of 2011 and came again in the autumn, looking around various parts of the orchard where apple-picking was in full swing, expressing such satisfaction that the people could be provided with tasty and nutritious fruit, and the desire boils up to show Him once more the marvelous scene of branches laden with a hundred fruits.

And how could it be only his feelings?

"If we unfold a wonderful new street, will we see Him again? If we build a cutting-edge new factory, will we see Him again?"

Like the lines of the song, truly, whenever people see the new streets that have sprung up on this land, the miraculously erected monumental creations and modern local industry factories, they are people whose eyes become moist with the desire to show all this to the Great General.

Once, while inspecting a newly reconstructed light industry factory, the respected General Secretary taught that the love for the people of the Great General, who strove to provide more civilized living conditions for our people, is embedded everywhere in the factory, and that the factory officials and employees should never forget our General's on-the-spot teaching of that day.

The heart-rending longing for the Great General is today being sublimated into unyielding faith and will, and a heart of loyalty to build a socialist powerful nation under the leadership of the respected General Secretary.

"The oath to serve the General for ten million years and devote loyalty, today too, pure longing ah, is endless."

Forever holding the Great General high, even if tempests rage and the world changes ten million times, the millions of people have risen up like a mountain, determined never to let go of the revolutionary red flag that our General held high all His life, and to surely build a prosperous and powerful paradise on this land according to the General's wish.

Truly, this song is an outpouring of the loyalty of the entire people of the country, who hold the Great General's wish deep in their hearts.

The wish of the Great General's entire life was the prosperity and power of the country and the happiness of the people.

Upholding the lofty will of our General, who gave all the love He could give to the people yet knew not a moment's satisfaction in work for the people, our people, vigorously advancing toward a new great victory, are unanimously expressing their passion.

The reality of the country, where magnificent and splendid streets rise in the capital Pyongyang every year, and modern local industry factories and marvelous rural cultural houses spring up like mushrooms all over the country, is precisely the blooming of the Great General's wish.

Thanks to the wise leadership of the respected General Secretary, everything the Great General wished for is unfolding as a brilliant reality on the mountains and rivers of the homeland, and longing for the General is becoming an endless force pushing forward the struggle to achieve newer and greater victories.

On the path of vigorously speeding up the course for new progress in socialist construction, holding the respected General Secretary high, the song "Longing Is Endless" will further consolidate the faith and will of the millions of people who are single-heartedly loyal to the Party Central Committee and resound ever higher.

---

The Hyosong Flower with a Deep Story

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said as follows:

"The General's life was the most brilliant life of a peerless great man who upheld the sublime intention of the Leader and built immortal achievements before the Party and revolution, the country and the people."

Decades ago, teachers and researchers of Wonsan Agricultural University, with the single-minded intention of making flowers bloom on the streets and villages of the whole country on the February holiday marking the birth of the Great General, began research on flowers that could bloom even in seasons of low temperature. In the process, they produced a flower that could bloom even in February and its cultivation method.

This flower, containing the steadfast heart and boundless well-wishing of our people who will devote single-hearted loyalty, was named the Hyosong (Filial Piety) Flower.

The beautiful new flower born in our country, the Hyosong Flower, has strong resistance to low temperatures, a long flowering period, and very beautiful colors and shape.

The flower colors of the Hyosong Flower are red, pink, yellow, white, blue, purple, etc., bright and gorgeous, with a star-shaped yellow pattern in the center of the flower.

The plant height of the Hyosong Flower is about 15~30 cm, the leaves are obovate, narrow at the base, and have wrinkles on the surface.

Many flower stalks rise from between the leaves, forming umbel-shaped inflorescences, with 20~30 flowers blooming from one plant.

The Hyosong Flower primarily propagates by seed, but also propagates by division and cutting.

During the flowering period, the leaf height is lower than the flower height, and the width covered by flowers is extremely large compared to the plant width, so the flowers stand out prominently and have high ornamental value.

The flowering period varies depending on the sowing time and cultivation conditions. If seeds are sown between mid-April and mid-May, flowers begin to bloom around early February of the following year. Once this flower begins to bloom, it blooms consecutively, so flowers can be seen continuously even in April.

The Hyosong Flower with a deep story, containing the boundless admiration of the entire people of the country who will forever and steadfastly hold the Great General high, is blooming in full to make this land even more beautiful.

Text and photo by staff reporter Ji Hyok Chol

---

Sahwang Peak of Mt. Kuwol Splendidly Arranged as a Cultural Resting Place for the People

Sahwang Peak, the highest main peak of Mt. Kuwol, has been splendidly arranged as a resting place contributing to the people's cultural and emotional life.

Mt. Kuwol, with its strange mountain peaks, dense forests, deep cliffs, and clear, exquisite waterfalls, has since ancient times been called one of our country's famous mountains and is widely known among the people for its beautiful scenery, historical remains, and numerous legends.

Upholding the Party's intention to provide more civilized cultural rest conditions for our people, officials and builders of South Hwanghae Province and Unnyul County, prioritizing material supply, pushed ahead with the construction in full swing.

The builders splendidly arranged pavilions and dining areas to promote the people's convenience, and qualitatively completed several thousand meters of road paving work in a short period.

The efforts of officials and builders, who unstintingly devoted their sweat for the people, are also embedded in the intermediate resting places, parking lots, and refreshment stands that harmonize with the surrounding scenery.

Officials of South Hwanghae Province and Unnyul County inspected the newly arranged resting place at Sahwang Peak of Mt. Kuwol.

Mt. Kuwol, where the people's happiness-filled laughter blooms, will shine even more as a famous mountain of Korea that conveys the sublime people-love of the Mother Party for generations to come.

[Korean Central News Agency]

---

New Books Published

Recently, dozens of types of literary and historical books that actively contribute to the people's cultural and emotional life have been published.

Several works from the series "Immortal History" and "Immortal Guidance," which impressively portray the immortal achievements and noble traits of the peerless great men, have been republished, delighting people.

Also, the Folklore Research Institute of the Academy of Social Sciences has published the "Complete Collection of Korean Folklore" (50 volumes in total). The "Complete Collection of Korean Folklore" is a book that comprehensively and systematically organizes the folk traditions created, inherited, and developed by our people along with their long history from ancient times through the Middle Ages to modern times, based on the principles of Juche character, scientific nature, and historical materialism.

The series includes the original book "Outline of Korean Folklore" and books describing the succession relationship and development process of folk traditions by era, as well as food, clothing, farming, and hunting customs by sector.

Through scientific explanations of the laws governing the formation and development of folk customs, and the detailed succession and excellence of labor life, family life, folk art, and other aspects, the series clearly shows that our wise, diligent, and strong-willed people have created and developed their own excellent folk traditions from a period that is among the world's earliest.

Among the newly published literary books are also fiction works.

The full-length novel "Earth, You Are My Love" shows the true image of an agricultural scientist who voluntarily takes on a significant scientific research task in agricultural production and achieves success through patriotic spirit and tireless passion.

Furthermore, books that help raise the cultural level of working people have also been published.

The newly published literary and historical books will enable the people to possess multifaceted and rich cultural knowledge to contribute to socialist cultural construction.

Staff reporter

---

Socioeconomic Development and Intellectual Property

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said as follows:

"Today the world is shifting toward the intellectualization of the economy, and before us stands the historic task of transforming the country's economy into a powerful economy based on the strength of knowledge."

In today's knowledge economy era, intellectual property is becoming a fundamental driving force and powerful means for enhancing national power and socioeconomic development, and it is increasingly emphasized as the era advances and the state and society develop.

Intellectual property is the right of institutions, enterprises, organizations, and citizens to intellectual assets such as inventions, utility technologies, industrial designs, trademarks, appellations of origin and geographical indications, new plant varieties, and copyrighted works.

Intellectual property work is work that encourages the creation of intellectual assets, promotes their circulation and utilization, and protects intellectual property.

The Party importantly emphasizes that measures should be accurately implemented to pay rewards in the form of bonuses according to the merits to those who contribute to the country with knowledge and technology—be they workers or peasants—and to scientific and technical personnel, to satisfactorily guarantee their working and living conditions, and to socially esteem them.

Talented people are the foremost treasure of the country, and the intellectual assets created through their core role are becoming a great driving force for development.

In opening up the period of comprehensive prosperity of our state, the manifestation of endless intellectual creativity, along with the spirit of self-reliance, is emerging as an essential requirement for evenly developing all fields, all sectors, and all regions of socialist construction.

Establishing a proper guidance system for intellectual property work and strengthening the intellectual property protection system is important work for achieving the comprehensive development of our state through the continuous increase of intellectual creativity and the active utilization of intellectual property.

Recently, by measures of the Party and state, a system has been established to register, manage, and circulate as assets scientific and technical intellectual products researched and developed by scientific research institutions, factories, and enterprises, and practical guarantees have been prepared so that inventions and creations can substantially contribute to the development of the relevant unit and furthermore to the country's economic and scientific and technological development.

At the 13th Session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Intellectual Property Law, reflecting practical problems arising in further developing intellectual property work, was newly adopted.

With the adoption of the Intellectual Property Law, legal guarantees have been prepared to devise institutional measures so that those who contribute to social progress and development with knowledge and technology, scientific and technical personnel, live the best, and to firmly orient intellectual property work toward powerfully propelling the comprehensive development of socialism.

Working people should keep in mind that knowledge and technology are precisely the weapon and strength for progress and development in today's new era, and thoroughly abide by the requirements of the Intellectual Property Law.

Officials of all sectors and units should deeply recognize the importance and role of intellectual property work at the present time, prioritize the interests of the whole society, and fulfill their responsibility and duty in establishing a proper system for intellectual property work and strengthening the intellectual property protection system so that actual benefits and advantages accrue to those who contribute to social progress and development with knowledge and technology. Thereby, they should contribute to socioeconomic development by promoting the increase of the country's intellectual creativity and the circulation and utilization of intellectual assets.

Staff reporter

---

A Friend for Literary Study – "The Companion"

The Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il gave the following teaching:

"Mass literary creation work should be actively conducted."

In our country, conditions and environments are fully prepared for anyone to spread the wings of literary work creation. The homepage "The Companion" operated by the Central Committee of the Korean Writers' Union is also one of them.

Among the masses, there are not a few people with aptitude for creating literary works, including poetry and novels, and with the opening of the homepage, they have been enabled to fully display their creative talent and enthusiasm.

The fact that thousands of works have been submitted after the homepage was opened eloquently proves this.

The homepage "The Companion" is truly a precious schoolyard for those who love literature and hope to create works. Moreover, the homepage, which also carries articles by experts in the literary field explaining various problems arising in creative practice and writers' creative experiences, becomes more interesting the more one looks at it.

"Anyone Can Become a Poet," "To Comrades Aiming at Poetry Creation," "Writing the Full-Length Novel 'I Choose You'"...

Furthermore, through articles submitted by members with different occupations and living places, we could also fully glimpse the vitality of mass literary creation activities.

Articles including "I will join the homepage 'The Companion' and create literary works through burning contemplation and effort," "I have received great encouragement and courage from the articles of writer-teachers with whom I have become familiar through their works," contain the attachment and loving feelings for literature held by ordinary working people and youth students.

Regarding the increasing number of work submissions day by day, the management department was regularly organizing creative competitions. Currently, creative competitions titled "Season of Maple Leaves" and "Autumn" are underway.

Evaluation of works submitted to the creative competition is decided according to recommendations by writers and members, so anyone participates in the competition with confidence.

Workers, peasants, office workers, housewives, and students are also submitting works. A worker from the February 8 Jikdong Youth Coal Mine of the Sunchon Area Youth Coal Mining Complex Enterprise created three works.

Moreover, the homepage dynamically publishes excellent mass literary works, exerting great influence.

In fact, after a work is created, it takes considerable time until it is published as a book. But now, mass literary works are dynamically posted on the homepage, enabling works to be quickly viewed.

Opening the literary works section of the homepage, one can see over a thousand diverse mass literary works.

An official here told us, "In fact, the work of finding promising talent for literary creation is not easy. But after the homepage was opened, gem-like talented people are appearing here and there."

Through the homepage "The Companion," where there are respected teachers and friends sharing friendship through works, in the process of solidly conducting literary study, ordinary working people and youth have become literary correspondents and are able to produce excellent works reflecting the spirit of the times.

The respected General Secretary, amid being so busy with state affairs last year, personally looked at several poems created by ordinary literary correspondents. Countless literary correspondents across the country, holding the Party's great expectation and trust, are devoting passion to work creation.

The grateful friend that lets anyone pick up the creative pen—"The Companion"—will continue to actively contribute to realizing the popularization of literary creation.

Staff reporter

---

Visit Note: Lighting the Shortcut of Pioneering with the Torch of Science - Visiting the Central Science and Technology Information Agency

In the era of new creation and transformation, the status and role of scientific and technical information service bases are becoming more prominent day by day. Embracing that meaning anew, we recently visited the Central Science and Technology Information Agency.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said as follows:

"To develop the country's science and technology, a proper scientific and technical information work system must be established."

Deputy Director Kim Kwang Chol, whom we met, said that precisely providing the latest scientific and technical achievement materials swiftly and accurately to many people and units, including economic guidance officials, scientists, and technicians, is the basic mission of the Agency, and told us this story.

The respected General Secretary, saying earlier that a scientific and technical dissemination base is incomparable even to gold, silver, and treasures, is energetically guiding to bring about a great transformation in the country's overall scientific and technical dissemination work. Even in recent years alone, showing deep interest in the work of the Central Science and Technology Information Agency, He gave valuable teachings on making the dissemination of scientific and technical materials not a formal task but a meaningful task that substantially contributes to economic development....

The Deputy Director, saying that they are still far from following the Party's intention, guided us to the research institute in charge of the latest scientific and technical material collection and dissemination work.

Vice Director Yun Kwang Nam was explaining that upholding the Party's intention, the officials and researchers of the institute have been carrying out service work this year as well, the final year of the five-year plan implementation, in heightened enthusiasm.

It turned out that numerous latest scientific and technical materials, containing their painstaking efforts, were being disseminated for important targets in various fields that are emphasized and powerfully promoted by the Party and state, including work for carrying out prospective goals for national scientific and technological development and for implementing local development policies.

General Staff Member Ri Chang Nam interestingly told us about the story of "New Technical News," the representative publication of the Agency. In the past period, they generally wrote and published "New Technical News" based on comprehensive analysis materials, brief analysis materials, and domestic materials on the latest science and technology. To more quickly, more abundantly, and more accurately guarantee the latest scientific and technical materials needed to solve problems raised in reality, the writing group increased the types of "New Technical News" and also increased the number of publications this year by over 50 cases compared to last year, he said.

Leaving behind the reliable appearance of these people silently devoted to economic development and scientific and technological development with high ability and clear conscience, we headed to the Kwangmyong Information Technology Research Institute.

Director Cha Il Jin, whom we met, said that to allow more people to access the latest science and technology, in recent years, following the development and dissemination of the scientific and technical encyclopedia "Kwangmyong" 4.0, they also developed the latest scientific and technical information service program "Kwangmyong" for mobile phones, laying a foundation for people to quickly receive scientific and technical materials at any place and time. He confidently said that their goal is to use artificial intelligence technology to eliminate language barriers, so that any working people and youth students can easily access advanced science and technology.

In the Information Service Section, we had to wait quite a while before we could meet Section Chief Kim Tae Hun, who had gone to a relevant unit to grasp the demand for scientific and technical materials. They too were spending truly tense days to preemptively grasp the demand for advanced scientific and technical materials from numerous units in provinces and central organs and various localities, and based on this, to collect, analyze, and evaluate the relevant materials and send them swiftly and accurately to needed units.

It was not only them. Everyone was living and working busily. Establishing an order service system for numerous units in various localities, conducting concentrated consecutive service...

Upholding the decisions of the 8th Party Congress, even in just the last few years, increasing the number of units and cases every year, disseminating nearly 5 million cases of the latest scientific and technical materials on over 36,180 topics to over 16,280 units annually...

The officials and employees of the Central Science and Technology Information Agency, who silently bury burning contemplation and exploration, fiery devotion on that path, lighting the shortcut of creation and innovation, becoming rich nourishment for economic and scientific-technological development—

Leaving the country's leading scientific and technical information service base, the potential of a group that does great work without fanfare meaningfully came to us.

Text by staff reporter Ryo Myong Hui

Photos by staff reporter Kim Kwang Rim