The renovated Mangyo’ngdae Schoolchildren’s Palace was formally re-opened at a ceremony in Pyongyang on December 8 (Tuesday). Attending the ceremony were Kim Ki Nam (Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Secretary for Propaganda and Agitation [information and publicity]), Choe T’ae Bok (WPK Secretary for Science and Education and Chairman of the Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA]), Ro Tu Chol (DPRK Vice Premier and Chairman of the State Planning Commission), Ri Il Hwan (Director of the WPK Workers’ Organizations Department), Lt. Gen. Kim Su Gil (Chief Secretary of the Pyongyang WPK Committee), Pyongyang’s schoolchildren and members of the Korean schoolchildren art troupe of Japan.
The keynote speech of the opening ceremony was made by Jon Yong Nam (Chairman of the Central Committee of the Kim Il Sung Youth League). According to KCNA, Jon “recalled that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) unrolled a plan to remodel the palace which was built under the loving care of Kim Il Sung (Kim Il-so’ng) and Kim Jong Il (Kim Cho’ng-il), as required by the new century and energetically led the whole course of [the] the remodeling project. It is the steadfast will and determination of our party to bring up the younger generation to be reliable successors to the Chuch’e revolutionary cause and achieve the eternal prosperity of Kim Il Sung’s and Kim Jong Il’s Korea. [A] rosy future is always in store for the thriving DPRK when its service personnel and people remain loyal to Kim Jong Un who dedicates himself to the rising generation. When they hear the cheerful laughter of the children, the whole country looks happy.” Jon Yong Nam “called for waging a dynamic drive for realizing the beautiful dream and ideal of the people and carving out the bright future of the great Paektusan (Mt. Paektu) nation, rallied close around Kim Jong Un.”
After the speaking program, Korean People’s Army [KPA] personnel and social service officials cut a ceremonial tape, and the event participants toured the schoolchildren’s palace.