My mother Song Sun Yong is neither a famous scientist nor a meritorious person.

Her career is ordinary. She graduated from the then Wonsan Higher Economic College in Kangwon Province and Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies and became a teacher at Wonsan Secondary School for Orphans. Then she moved to Pyongyang following her father and worked as a staffer at a unit in the agricultural sector.

What is unusual in her career life is that she won a patent certificate and a national invention certificate.

The following is a story of how she won the national invention certificate.

In the 1990s the imperialists’ moves to isolate and stifle our country and consecutive natural disasters that hit it created a number of difficulties in people’s living.

She often pondered how to contribute to increasing agricultural production.

So, when she retired in 2000, she engaged herself in research work at a unit.

By drawing on her knowledge of economics and foreign language, she assiduously studied the literature and advanced technologies of foreign countries. On the basis of this, she cultured tens of kinds of composite lactic acid bacteria and other microorganisms and developed an effective liquid nutritive Koryo biochemical fertilizer.

The fertilizer was introduced into several farms, greatly helping them to increase grain production, even on low-yielding lands.

The “composite bacterial strain for microbial fertilizer and methods of its application” was granted a national invention certificate in 2009.

She could have been content with this. To apply the fertilizer in all farms across the country, she visited many farms in the capital city of Pyongyang and provinces from spring to autumn every year.

More than 20 years of her devoted efforts are reflected in the rich harvests at farms which bear her footprints and in the certificates, medals and other commendations conferred on her at national inventions exhibitions, presentations of technical experience in the agricultural sector and shows of scientific research achievements.

And she won the patent certificate in 2017 for the functional health goods she had developed using black pearl.

Still she visits farms with a resolve to make a contribution to the country’s agricultural production.

I think the road she follows is the road of patriotism.

We, her children, also try our best to do more for the good of the country and people, following in her footsteps.

On the occasion of Mother’s Day I offer my best regards to my mother, nay to all mothers in this country.

Jon Hyon Chol, chief engineer of the Central Posts and Publications Forwarding Bureau of the Ministry of Information Industry