There stands a lowish old-time building opposite the Ryongwang Pavilion in sharp contrast to skyscrapers in the heart of Pyongyang. In front of it is a bust of a plain woman.
She lost her father at the age of seven, got married to a poor man at 14 and was widowed at 16.
She had nothing but a house inherited from her mother and toiled and moiled to make her living. Although she was in her 20s, she showed no interest in fancy clothes and makeup and led a frugal life without doing any holidaymaking.
She became a wealthiest person in the South Phyongan provincial area after selling a forlorn stony mountain, which she had bought very cheap, to a Japanese capitalist at an exorbitant price.
This story was spread like a tale of legendary exploit among people as the ordinary woman made fabulous profits in a deal with the slick Japanese businessman in those days when women were treated as inferior to men.
Though she was a millionaire, she was still diligent and thrifty.
And she donated large sums of money she had earned with so much effort for the good of people.
Her first donation went to the construction of a bridge.
As she saw people inconveniently crossing a shabby wooden bridge due to flood, she decided to fund the building of the stone bridge. When the bride was completed in 1914, people called her Paek Son Haeng in praise of her virtue and named the bridge Paekson Bridge.
Once she happened to know that a community centre in Pyongyang was exclusive to Japanese. Much indignant at that, she proposed building a community centre for the fellow countrymen together with influential persons and bore the full cost of the project amounting to tens of thousands of won.
As a result, the three-storey stone building was erected opposite the Ryongwang Pavilion and now it is called the Paek Song Haeng Memorial.
She also made sizeable investment for the development of national education. The then schools in Pyongyang like Kwangsong primary school, Changdok school and Sungui women’s school are said to have been run with the dozens of hectares of land and huge sums she donated as assets.
Paek Song Haeng passed away at the age of 85 in 1933.
It is said that the funeral procession stretched for as far as four kilometres on the day of her funeral.
More From Pyongyang Times
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma of Russia, said on March 17 that the US, the UK and other Western countries are
March 24, 2026
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma of Russia, said on March 17 that the US, the UK and other Western countries are
Objections to the authorities' scheme to relax the ban on arms export are being voiced in Japan. An opinion poll was recently
March 24, 2026
Objections to the authorities' scheme to relax the ban on arms export are being voiced in Japan. An opinion poll was recently
The Mt Paektu area, which was registered as a global geopark in April 2025, is rich in natural resources for tourism including
March 24, 2026
The Mt Paektu area, which was registered as a global geopark in April 2025, is rich in natural resources for tourism including
Pak Thae Song, premier of the Cabinet, made a report on the work of the Cabinet at the First Session of the 15th Supreme People’s
March 24, 2026
Pak Thae Song, premier of the Cabinet, made a report on the work of the Cabinet at the First Session of the 15th Supreme People’s
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un sent a birthday spread to Kim Tong Ok, a centenarian living in neighbourhood unit No. 3 of
March 24, 2026
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un sent a birthday spread to Kim Tong Ok, a centenarian living in neighbourhood unit No. 3 of
Employees of regional-industry factories in the City of Sinpho and Jongphyong County of South Hamgyong Province are pushing ahead
March 23, 2026
Employees of regional-industry factories in the City of Sinpho and Jongphyong County of South Hamgyong Province are pushing ahead
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
More Articles
