Benefit Even After A Hundred Years

One May day in Juche 87 (1998) Chairman Kim Jong Il visited the Sogwang Temple. 

Kim Jong Il said to the accompanying officials: Here the air is fresh and the forest is dense. There are many rare trees as well as a well-known spring at the temple. It’s a wonderful place for the people to relax themselves. 

Gazing at the big zelkova trees with green leaves, he said: At this temple there are many zelkova trees. I can now understand why the place is called Zelkova Valley. We should hand over such forest, scenery and wealth to the coming generations. Trees of this place should be preserved well.

After giving his opinions on the prospective development of the place, he went on: Whatever we do, whenever and wherever we do it, we should think first about the happiness of the people and the coming generations as befits genuine servants of the people and ardent patriots.

Strolling in the forest, he was immersed in a deep thought, before standing in front of a tree. He said: It would be a good idea to propagate across the country the seeds of the zelkova tree here to cover the whole country with the trees of this species. Then, the coming generations would benefit from them scores of years or a hundred years later. Our country is very beautiful wherever we go. We should improve these beautiful mountains and rivers and hand them over to the coming generations.