In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea it is the duty of women to give birth to many children and bring them up as pillars of the country.

This being a hard fact, the country takes various measures to give preferential treatment to women who give birth to many children.

I have seven children. I had a reason to do so.

My husband and I are the only son and the only daughter. So, we decided to have many children, and became rich with children.

A saying goes that a mother with a large brood never has a peaceful day. But I live with extraordinary pride and self-confidence under our socialist system.

The state issues a certificate of a family with many children to the families with three or more, be they children by blood or adopted, and ensures that they receive preferential medical services at any hospital. It also gives them a special subsidy until their youngest graduates from a senior middle school, and ensures that they enter a vocational school and a university according to their wish.

My eldest son and eldest daughter are now performing labour feats at socialist construction sites. They also cultivated their talent to their heart’s content as they attended the fine art and accordion groups at the Pyongyang Students and Children’s Palace.

As the song says, every child in our country is born in the baby’s palace and enjoys a happy life at the children’s palace as he or she grows. My children, too, are growing happily with nothing to envy in the world.

Medical workers of the polyclinic call at my home almost every day to learn about their health and officials in my district timely solve problems arising in their life.

I still remember the day when my eldest son left for a grand socialist construction site after graduating a school.

That day, officials in the district and my neighbours organized a gathering to congratulate him and presented him with many souvenirs.

As the state provides me with all conditions in consideration of my busy work for taking care of many children, I have no worry about bringing them up.

I have devoted nothing for the country but for growing many children, but last year the state invited me as a delegate to the 5th National Conference of Mothers and awarded me a high state commendation. And I was honoured to have a photo taken with the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un .

And now, my family moved into a new flat in the skyscraper in Jonwi Street. Everyone envies my family.

Mine is indeed a blessed family. I have nothing more to desire.

I want to shout: My motherland is the true country of the people.

Ho Kum Ju, resident in Neighbourhood Unit No. 38, Jonwi-dong No. 2, Hyongjesan District, Pyongyang