The history of love for the people that will shine forever along with Kim Il Sung Stadium

Kim Il Sung Stadium, situated at the foot of the time-honoured Moran Hill, is one of the grand monumental edifices in the era of the Workers' Party of Korea including the Tower of the Juche Idea and the Arch of Triumph built on the occasion of the 70th birthday of President Kim Il Sung.

Kim Il Sung Stadium, a great Juche-oriented sports and culture stadium, has been built on the highest level so as to sustain the national characteristics peculiar to our nation in conformity with modern aesthetic tastes and successfully hold not only sports games but also grand mass gymnastics and large political events.

Looking back on the history of Kim Il Sung Stadium that started from Pyongyang Public Playground, we recall with deep emotion the warm care of the great leaders for making the Korean people highly civilized and the best people in the world.

The history of the stadium from the significant day when President Kim Il Sung delivered a triumphant speech to the people until now is associated with the undying exploits of the great leaders who turned the stadium into a monumental edifice in the era of the Workers' Party of Korea, a great place of sports culture contributing to the sports development of the country and the people's sports and cultural and emotional life.

Chairman Kim Jong Il said:

"The immortal revolutionary achievements gained by the great leader are the priceless wealth of our Party and people and the eternal foundation for building socialism and communism. We must set the highest value on them, defend them forever and add lustre to them through revolutionary practice."

In retrospect, Kim Il Sung Stadium is associated with many meaningful events.

At that time when President Kim Il Sung made a triumphant speech, it was the Pyongyang Public Playground readjusted from a small playground which had been here before the liberation of the country.

In addition to the national sports meeting on the occasion of the first anniversary of the fatherland liberation and the national sports meeting celebrating the foundation of the Republic of the DPRK, dozens of sports events took place there to inspire the working people with confidence and courage in their struggle for building a new country.

In the postwar period when the whole country was ruined, President Kim Il Sung took a measure to rebuild the stadium first in accordance with Decision No 2 of the Reconstruction Committee of Pyongyang City even though there were so many objects to be rebuilt. He initiated the construction of a stadium capable of holding international games for the promotion of the people's fitness and the development of the country's sports in the place of Pyongyang Public Playground and wisely led the construction of the stadium. Therefore, in August, Juche 43(1954) Pyongyang Public Playground was rebuilt into Moranbong Playground with 30000 seats and in August, Juche 49(1960) into Moranbong Stadium with twice as many as seats.

On August 15, Juche 49(1960) a letter-passing relay was held at Moranbong Stadium to mark the 15th anniversary of the national liberation. A year later national sports games such as football matches and ssirum, swinging and seesaw on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the national liberation took place successfully attracting expectation and concern of all people to inspire the Korean people with the national pride and self-confidence.

President Kim Il Sung continued to provide the people with better sports conditions.

When visiting a foreign country, he visited a stadium roofed with sunshades which had been built at the cost of a huge amount of money. At that time he said that that kind of stadium had not been built for the people because of the poor economic conditions of the country.

Keeping what he said on that day in mind, Chairman Kim Jong Il personally initiated the project for renovating and enlarging the stadium on the occasion of the 70th birthday of President Kim Il Sung. He also visited the construction site again on February 16, Juche 71(1982) when the construction was under way even though the people wished him a good rest on his 40th birthday.

On that day he gave precious instructions on the issues arising in the construction for a long time. Knowing the ardent desire of the Korean people to call the historic Moranbong Stadium after the august name of President Kim Il Sung because it was marked with the revolutionary activity of President Kim Il Sung, he said that the stadium should be called Kim Il Sung Stadium when the construction was completed in the future.

Kim Il Sung Stadium was successfully completed thanks to the noble loyalty of Chairman Kim Jong Il. It has been admired by the people from around the world as well as the Korean people.

A sports official from a country visited the stadium, admiringly saying "This is a sports palace rather than a stadium. Our country, I thought, is not behind others, but there are many things I can't help envying here. " A political activist from Africa who had been to Korea three times visited it and said, "It is a real miracle to have completed such a large stadium in the coldest winter merely for 4 months." He expressed his admiration at the extraordinary revolutionary capabilities of the Workers' Party of Korea and the tremendous creative efforts of the Korean people.

Kim Il Sung Stadium was rebuilt as required by the new century under the wise guidance of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

Picture 1. Inside of Kim Il Sung Stadium

Picture 2. People cheering their team

He visited the stadium to watch the men's football match between Sonbong Team and Hoaebul Team in April Juche 104 (2015). Saying that it is the stadium named after President Kim Il Sung and a unit associated with the immortal exploits of the great leaders, he instructed that the stadium should be renovated as required by the new century.

Looking through a lot of miniatures and blueprints, he solved all problems arising in the reconstruction. Under his energetic guidance, the stadium has been turned into a sports palace for the people as the symbol showing the idea of building a civilized power of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Today, people from all walks of life, young people and school children come to the stadium for enjoyment.