Brilliant Leadership

In January, Juche 42(1953), President Kim Il Sung met with a delegation from Mongolia at the supreme headquarters.

After the interview with them, he hosted a luncheon and offered them to help themselves to the food as a favor though it was simple due to hard wartime.

It was not a luncheon, but a simple lunch as it was. Deeply moved by his personal character and simple life, they could hardly start eating. At that time, the deputy leader of the delegation slipped from his seat and went out silently. The leader and other members of the delegation were at loss at that unexpected happening against diplomatic customs. The members of the supreme headquarters, not knowing exactly why, followed him out to find him shedding tears holding a tree on the hill.

He said that they highly praised President Kim Il Sung of Korea, who defeated the chieftain of world imperialism, so when they left Mongolia, they thought they would have little chance to meet such a great man in Korea. And he continued as follows:

“We expected President Kim Il Sung would work in a magnificent operation room in a dignified general uniform made of embroidered brocade. So we have never imagined him working in a small farmhouse with low eaves, so small a room in which even the military map had to be kept in several folds, and leading the war like a world war in a discolored uniform with a closed collar.”

Then, he added that he could hardly hold the emotion in check, so he came out of the room though he knew it was against etiquette.

Not only the deputy leader but also all the members of the delegation were so much touched by the noble personality of the President, who was leading a simple and frugal life, that they had tears in their eyes.