One of a few days before the founding of the DPRK, President Kim Il Sung met Paek Nam Un as he got so worried about the work of education in the new Korea.
The President told him that the new government of the Republic would channel much energy into development of educational work. And then, he continued that we built schools even under the difficult condition of anti-Japanese armed struggle and began with educating the people and young boys and girls, brought up the pencil problem for the first item of discussion soon after liberation and attached primary importance to education. Finally, he pointed out that we should maintain the principle of putting the educational work definitely to the forefront of all other work.
He was greatly excited and kept in mind the lofty intention of the President who put the accent on education so much. However, he was instantly confused when the President asked him to take in charge of the educational work.
The President told him who lost confidence again and again that he was capable of managing this work successfully and let him try to undertake the work of education as it was an important work.
He got strength from the teaching of the President who gave the great trust and courage to him instead of reproaching him for hesitating about an important affair of the country.
As a result, he became the first minister of education after the DPRK had been founded.
