The locals still remember the nine young people who had a photo taken with Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, receiving his great love and trust, as they attended the Youth Day celebrations last year.

It was really surprising for them that those who had once taken the wrong course of life had a photo session with the respected General Secretary just after breaking with the past and making a fresh start,.

One of them is Choe Jae Chon, a woodcutter at the Taegwan Forestry Station. He said that his only wish was to live proudly among the people. “After receiving the great love and trust of the General Secretary, I opened the door of my house proudly for the first time and my parents shed tears of joy for the first time,” he added.

A little over a year has passed since then.

Cherishing the honour of that day, they perform labour feats at their workplaces in the difficult an d labour-consuming sectors of socialist construction they chose.

“It is not an easy job to fulfil a pledge. It was really difficult for me to live a life completely different from yesterday at the challenging job away from my dear home, parents, brothers and sisters,” said Kim Kwang Myong, a youth sub-workteam member of the Muchang agricultural and livestock products production branch of the Rajin water supply and drainage station.

Not only Kim but also eight others worked hard for the country.

What they have experienced and learned over the past one year is one and the same.

According to Choe Chung Song, head of the Kim Kwang Chol Youth Shock Brigade of the Joyang Coal Mine under the Kaechon Area Coal-mining Complex, he had once used the materials for other workteam with a “desire” to do more work than others. At the time, officials told him that to think of himself without helping others is not collectivism and that coal miners should do their job with a clean conscience though they cut black coal, he said.

“I can never forget their words,” Choe added.

And all of them experienced the preciousness of the collective, learned how to overcome difficulties and acquired the noble spiritual and moral traits and patriotism of the youth of our times who dedicate even their lives to the Party and country without hesitation.

They said in unison they could become labour innovators today as the organizations and officials guided them at every step of their life carefully like mothers teaching their babies how to start to walk by holding their hands.

“They have redoubled their efforts to lead a worthwhile life since they made a fresh start. They work in different jobs, but they have clearly realized what true life is and what they have to do to return the favour bestowed on them,” said Paek Un Chol, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League.