In the DPRK the title of Labour Hero is the highest honour the state gives to the citizens who have made outstanding feats in socialist construction.

Among those who receive the commendation are women with many children.

Jong Yong Ran in Angol Workers’ District, Sungho County of North Hwanghae Province, Song Un Hui in Jenam-dong, Tokchon of South Phyongan Province, and O Sun Ok in Sinji-ri, Songchon County of South Phyongan Province, Pak Un Jong in Rimgyong Workers’ District, Kangdong County of Pyongyang and many other women gave birth to more than nine children. They are called mother heroes.

A saying goes that 50 000 man-days of labour is needed to raise a child. Therefore, it would not be hard to imagine how much efforts are needed to bring up nine children.

In the DPRK such women receive preferential treatment amid public respect. The government provides them with all kinds of benefits for their life in acknowledgement of their painstaking childcare efforts.

“It is not me who brought up my kids. It is my country who did it in my stead. Almost every day the doctor in charge of my family visited us to check my kids’ health conditions. The relevant government organs showed special concern to us as we are a family with many children. They provided us staple and subsidiary foods and clothes on a preferential basis. Thus my kids could grow without anything to worry about. After they entered schools, they were provided with uniforms, school things, satchels and shoes,” said Jong.

These mothers educated their kids to study hard to be honour students, foster good virtues that are needed to repay the benevolence of their country, schools and teachers and cultivate friendship. They sometimes put up high demands for their kids. All this have provided good foundations for their children’s development. After the kids graduated from senior middle schools, they led them to do good things for society and the collective.

O Sun Ok recalled that she almost decided to refrain from childbearing after she gave birth to her sixth child. It was an onerous task to bring up six children while doing farm work. But she changed her mind after she came back home after attending the Fourth National Conference of Mothers held in November 2012. To repay the benevolent care of the country which gave her social promotion including an opportunity of glory of life she opted to have more children and worked harder than ever before.

They deserve praise not only because they gave birth to many children but also because they themselves worked with all sincerity for the country and brought up their kids as pillars that would shoulder its future.

Still, they do their part in the endeavours for the country’s prosperity with a high sense of citizenship.

Yang Ryon Hui