The Old People in Eternal Youth
Some time ago we visited the Pyongyang Rest Home that was newly built on the bank of the beautiful Taedong River. Going up along the river past the Munsu Water Park, we saw a two-storey building with a Korean-style gable roof.
The well-arranged building and the fences patterned on flocks of cranes, an emblem of longevity, impressed us as a building for the old. At the front gate we were met by Directress Choe Chong Sim, who showed us into the hall. The hall had a large mural painting of the Ullim Falls. Before it, we felt as if its cool water were falling on us and we were hearing its roaring sounds. One of the old men sitting nearby said, “Having a headache often probably because of my age, I come here every time and then I feel refreshed in my mind and body as if sitting in a deep mountain.”
The directress led us into a bedroom. Saying that most of the bedrooms were provided with underfloor heating, she told us a story. “From olden times Korean people liked the warm floor, and so there is an old saying: Warm back makes the stomach full. In particular, old people love the warm floor. It is the leader
We entered the bedroom with a sign with the inscription: The Underfloor-heated Bedroom Visited by the Respected Leader
Living in the old-age home for over 30 years, she does daily tasks on schedule, including cultivation of the vegetable garden, in order to live even longer in this good society, she added. Then, she rose as it was time now for medical examination. We went together with her who walked on with spirit, holding the handrail of the balustrade. On our way to the clinic, we saw many doctors busy coming and going in the passage. As we were puzzled, the directress explained that they were department chiefs from the central hospitals such as the Ryugyong Dental Hospital and the Kim Man Yu Hospital, who regularly came to examine the health conditions of the old people, giving medical aid on the spot, and if there was anything wrong with them, immediately send them to relevant hospitals for treatment.
Beside the clinic, there was a dental office which drew our attention. The dental office, furnished with up-to-date facilities, was as big as a treatment room of a large dental hospital. Jin Yong Il, a dentist, said, “Our people regard having good teeth as one of the five blessings (the five good lucks a man may enjoy in his life). It is now also a major sign of longevity. Recently I often hear the old people say that they feel like growing young again since they feel fine and eat their meals with relish because they receive regular dental treatment.”
Now, we went upstairs lured by the voices of shouting time, “One, two. One, two.” The voices were coming from the exercise room. The room had more than ten exercise apparatuses such as walking and stepping devices and each of them was occupied by old people. Delighted because of her new record in physical exercise, Kim Hyon Suk (74) said, “I had had a trouble in one leg and it had got worse day by day with age. After I came here, I exercised my leg every day and it became much better. I am sure now I can go anywhere.”
We also visited the kitchen. There, lunch was being prepared. “Every day, 300 g of fish is served to the aged people. Fish is dressed into several kinds of dishes agreeable to the old people’s tastes. Noodles with sliced raw fish will be served for today’s lunch,” said chef Ri Chung Sim. The directress said that there is a fishery station on the East Sea of Korea that specializes in the supply of fish to the nursery homes, orphanages, orphans’ primary and middle schools, and old people’s homes across the country. She added that a lot of meat such as boar, pheasant and roe deer, as well as early fruit, has been supplied preferentially to the home this year.
Outside the building, old people were absorbed in dancing. Kim Sun Ok (77), in rapture with dancing, said, “When dancing, I feel I’m a little girl. Then, this grandma thinks I’ve still a mother. That’s the love of our respected leader
Ri Kum Chol