Brilliant Leadership

Consultative Meeting with Unusual Start

In May, Juche 70 (1981), a consultative meeting was held, in the presence of President Kim Il Sung, in the township of Undok County (Kyonghung County at present). At the very beginning of the meeting, the President asked an official who had lived longest there if he knew why the area was called Aoji. As he was tardy in answering the question, another official answered for him that in the past it was such an area unfit for human inhabitation that the inhabitants used to say to the pieceworkers to coal mines there for digging coal “Oh, please, you’d rather not come here.” (pronounced as “A, oji malla” in Korean), which was later fixed to be the name, Aoji. Guessing that it was named so because coal miners found it too hard to survive and make a living before liberation as they were forced to crawl to narrow dim coalfaces to do primitive jobs under the whips of cruel overseers, he said that the name must have been used from the period before the feudal Joson dynasty. At that time, an official came into the meeting venue and whispered something to the President. Then, the President reported to the audience that he had guessed right, saying that he had just got a reply from an official in Pyongyang whom he had commissioned to trace the origin of the name “Aoji” as he felt it did not sound like Korean. It was not Korean, indeed. Informing them of the origin, the President said that the names given by the foreign invaders should not continue to be in use. Then, he stressed the need to change all the names of the places and factories there beginning with “Aoji” into Korean. It was a significant moment that gave a valuable philosophy that when the Juche character and national identity are thoroughly embodied, we can victoriously advance the socialist construction with the independent dignity and national pride.

Establish Juche

One day several decades ago, President Kim Il Sung present at an enlarged meeting of the Party committee of Hungnam Fertilizer Factory (then) made a historic concluding speech. Clarifying tasks and ways for an increase in production of fertilizer, he emphasized it as an important matter to establish Juche in scientific research work. That day, noting that an important task facing scientists at that time was to intensify scientific research work for developing our industry with domestic raw materials, he said with emphasis that we should continue to develop our chemical industry in such a way as to produce goods necessary for our people with domestic raw materials.

A Generalissimo and a Soldier

It was April in Juche 81 (1992). In that historical spring, our people conferred the highest military title, Generalissimo of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, on President Kim Il Sung greeting his 80th birthday. The officials made repeated requests to the President that they wanted to see him in his generalissimo uniform almost every day. But he declined their requests every time. One day the officials made their earnest request once again. “President, it is our duty to hand down to posterity the image of you in the generalissimo uniform in a historical document. Please accede to our request.” The President could no longer refuse but agreed to it. It was the 22nd of April in Juche 81(1992). The President had his photo taken in the generalissimo uniform that day. In the uniform with shining generalissimo stars on his shoulders, his dignity as an ever-victorious iron-willed brilliant commander really matched well with his sacred image like the sun. That day the President proposed having a photo taken with the soldier on sentry duty, saying that as he became the Generalissimo of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, he wanted to have a photo taken with a sentry. Then, the President relieved the sentry, asked him where it would be fine for a photo, and had a souvenir photo taken under an apricot tree in full blossom. It was a souvenir photo with a generalissimo and a sentry. A generalissimo and a sentry are poles apart in terms of military rank. However, the President did have a photo taken with a sentry on that honorable day as he loved soldiers best.

On a Significant Holiday

One April 25, Chairman Kim Jong Il inspected a unit of the Korean People’s Army at the forefront. Warmly shaking the hands of the soldiers shouting “Hurrah!” full of excitement, the Chairman congratulated them greeting the holiday. Then, he watched their sports games and enjoyed together with them a performance given by the State Merited Chorus. Soon after that, it was lunch time. The soldiers got wrapped in great excitement again, for the tables with the holiday dishes prepared by the Chairman were waiting for them. Casting a friendly look around the soldiers who were too grateful to be ready to start eating, he said warmly that he would be pleased to see them help themselves as the dishes were prepared by the supreme commander for the soldiers devoting themselves at the front post. All the soldiers made a pledge of loyalty to be human bombs and bullets firmly defending the socialist fatherland.

Invaluable Guideline

One day in April some decades ago, Chairman Kim Jong Il met with a graduate of Kim Il Sung University, who was assigned to a university as a lecturer. Noting that education is an important revolutionary undertaking, the Chairman told him that how to bring up the younger generations is a critical matter linked with the rise and fall of the nation and the future of the revolution. The Chairman told him that President Kim Il Sung taught teachers are revolutionaries who bring up rising generations to be competent socialist builders who are knowledgeable, morally sound and physically strong, and explained in detail on the traits and qualifications teachers should possess. Engraving every word and phrase of his precious teaching on his heart, he made a firm pledge to dedicate his all to the education of future generations.

Let us Help People!

In April 11 years ago, the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un made a significant speech at the military parade held in celebration of the 100th birthday of President Kim Il Sung. In the speech, he said that the People’s Army should follow the traditions of the anti-Japanese guerrilla army to be the vanguard of consolidating the great army-people unity as firm as a rock, stressing that the People’s Army should continue to hold aloft the slogan “Let us help people!”, which was set forth by Chairman Kim Jong Il. He added with emphasis that the officers and men of the People’s Army, under the uplifted slogan, should do many good things for the people with the mind of devoting to their own parents and siblings and of taking good care of their homes and yards, thus fulfilling the mission and duty as the army of the people.