It was once a barren, windswept land, locals say. Now thanks to employees of the Sunchon City Department Store, it has turned into a forest of fruit trees full of scents of flowers and fruits from spring to fall.
The department store is well-known for efficient commodity supply service for local people.
The store staffed mostly with women started reclaiming the stony land in 2011.
It set the goal of planting over 10 000 fruit trees in 10 hectares of land by 2017 which marked the 50th anniversary of Chairman Kim Jong Il’s visit to it and mapped out a phased plan.
“With the thought that the more we exert ourselves, the more people will benefit, we carried out the uphill tasks as we pulled out rocks and stumps, dug pits and carried manures on our backs,” said Kim Jong Ae, manageress of the store.
They managed to achieve the first-stage target in three years and harvested 700 kilograms of fruits from dwarf apple trees in the fall of 2013.
As they found pride of their labour in the happy faces of citizens and children who were supplied with the apples, they planted more fruit trees every year to finish the plan by 2017 as scheduled. So far, they have planted more than 15 000 fruit trees in 12 hectares.
They have introduced different methods to make an effective use of land under cultivation and manure and cultivate trees in a scientific way.
They plant such crops as bean and sweet potato between fruit trees and feed their by-products to domestic animals in winter. They also trim and prune trees and thin out flowers and fruits according to their characteristics. Especially, they prevent plant diseases with the lime-sulphur mixture they make.
They have also planted thousands of Changsong larch and other trees of good species and created a herb garden in two hectares of land. And they produce a large number of saplings and herb seedlings every year at their nursery covering an area of hundreds of square metres.
More From Pyongyang Times
The election of the president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea representing the DPRK and its
March 23, 2026
The election of the president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea representing the DPRK and its
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko warned NATO and Ukraine against covetously looking over his country at a recent press
March 23, 2026
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko warned NATO and Ukraine against covetously looking over his country at a recent press
The 25th Winter Paralympics which opened on March 6 in Italy was closed on March 15. The president of the International Paralympic
March 23, 2026
The 25th Winter Paralympics which opened on March 6 in Italy was closed on March 15. The president of the International Paralympic
The First Session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK elected the Standing Committee of the SPA as follows: The
March 23, 2026
The First Session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK elected the Standing Committee of the SPA as follows: The
The First Session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK conducted the important and responsible work for electing
March 23, 2026
The First Session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK conducted the important and responsible work for electing
The First Session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK elected the State Affairs Commission as follows: The State
March 23, 2026
The First Session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK elected the State Affairs Commission as follows: The State
March 21 is International Day of Forests. The UN General Assembly held in 2012 designated March 21 as International Day of Forests
March 22, 2026
March 21 is International Day of Forests. The UN General Assembly held in 2012 designated March 21 as International Day of Forests
Such commemorative events as seminar, book exhibition and film show were held at the Khabarovsk Territorial Branch of the United
March 22, 2026
Such commemorative events as seminar, book exhibition and film show were held at the Khabarovsk Territorial Branch of the United
May 22 is World Water Day.According to the decision made at the 47th session of the UN General Assembly in 1992, the day has been
March 22, 2026
May 22 is World Water Day.According to the decision made at the 47th session of the UN General Assembly in 1992, the day has been
Young people in Kangwon and Ryanggang provinces have volunteered for difficult and labour-consuming sectors of socialist
March 22, 2026
Young people in Kangwon and Ryanggang provinces have volunteered for difficult and labour-consuming sectors of socialist
The strike and demonstration staged by women workers in Chicago, the US, on March 8 117 years ago were an eruption of their wrath
March 21, 2026
The strike and demonstration staged by women workers in Chicago, the US, on March 8 117 years ago were an eruption of their wrath
Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's
March 20, 2026
Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's
In recent years a dramatic change has taken place in the agricultural production in the country. The Workers’ Party of Korea has
March 20, 2026
In recent years a dramatic change has taken place in the agricultural production in the country. The Workers’ Party of Korea has
The South African Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation called the US ambassador to the country on March 11 to
March 20, 2026
The South African Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation called the US ambassador to the country on March 11 to
The State Stamp Bureau of the DPRK issued new stamps (two sheets and six individuals) in commemoration of the Ninth Congress of
March 20, 2026
The State Stamp Bureau of the DPRK issued new stamps (two sheets and six individuals) in commemoration of the Ninth Congress of
Grand choruses were performed respectively by graduating class students of senior middle schools in North Phyongan Province and
March 20, 2026
Grand choruses were performed respectively by graduating class students of senior middle schools in North Phyongan Province and
The Fourth Session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference took place in Beijing
March 19, 2026
The Fourth Session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference took place in Beijing
Vladimir Topeha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian embassy in Pyongyang, hosted a reception at the Taedonggang
March 19, 2026
Vladimir Topeha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian embassy in Pyongyang, hosted a reception at the Taedonggang
According to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un's grand plan for capital city construction and under his energetic guidance, the
March 19, 2026
According to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un's grand plan for capital city construction and under his energetic guidance, the
Graduating class students of senior middle schools in North Hamgyong Province have volunteered for forefront border military
March 19, 2026
Graduating class students of senior middle schools in North Hamgyong Province have volunteered for forefront border military
More Articles