One July day in 1983 President Kim Il Sung received German writer Luise Rinser.
Listening carefully to what Kim Il Sung said, Rinser suddenly asked him if he thought that air pollution could be prevented when a factory was built.
As a writer and a Green Party member of then West Germany, she had the habit of observing environmental conditions wherever she visited.
But she found no signs of air pollution in the DPRK. Given that she was so eager to know the secret, it was understandable that she asked such a question.
Noting that it is not difficult to prevent air from polluting, Kim Il Sung said: When dealing with every problem, we always think first of the interests of the masses of the people. Once I went to Mt Myohyang and saw a gold mine under development in a valley in pursuit of economic interests, not caring of the scenic beauty of the mountain. I summoned officials concerned to stop gold mining in the scenic spot of the people.
Mt Myohyang, a beautiful and magnificent mountain, is a scenic spot and a world-famous mountain.
He added: I said that we could not barter the scenery of Mt Myohyang for some tons of gold, we can live without gold, and our people would be so happy if they go to the mountain and have a good rest.
As she was from a world of different values, Rinser had difficulty believing, even though she sympathized with him, that a large amount of gold remained buried in the earth for the beautiful scenery of Mt Myohyang.
Kim Il Sung told her that if a gold mine was left as it was in Mt Myohyang, beautiful and rare birds like broad billed roller would be frightened away by the sound of the blasting and all the sweet fish would die if the water from the ore dressing plant spilt into the Chongchon River, and that he had the project of developing the gold mine stopped at once.
We could not damage the beautiful scenery of the mountain for some tons of gold, he said, adding that now many young people of the country go to the mountain to take a rest and go on sightseeing.
Through his remarks, she realized how the beauty and grandeur of Mt Myohyang came to be preserved and how clean air came to overflow in this country with beautiful mountains, clear rivers and picturesque scenery.
