People’s delight is my delight and their happiness is my happiness–this was view on happiness cherished by Kim Jong Il (1942-2011), eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
With the noble sense that people would be happy as much as he devoted, he continued his super-intense on-site guidance trips for their good throughout his life.
On these trips he had to encounter biting cold and heavy snow on the high passes, scorching heat at the farms and downpour at the construction sites. Sometimes he would leave for another round of on-site guidance in late evening or early morning after spending the previous day giving on-site guidance at several units.
If people could lead a happy life, I have nothing more to wish for–with this thought, he did not hesitate before any rough roads or trials. All the creations across the country, including a large number of renovated factories and enterprises, large-scale crop fields rezoned in standardized shapes, modern stockbreeding bases and fishing stations, power stations and gravitational waterways are associated with his devotion.
To save time, he would have a catnap in the running car or have balls of rice on the road.
He once told officials:
What is life? It is one devoted for one’s country and fellow people. Our life is nothing but one devoted for the prosperity of our country and happiness of our people.
Seeing the increasing people’s wealth and their happy look, he found the worth and joy of his life. He said that whenever he saw the people getting happier day by day, he hardened his mind to do more work for them.
In order to bring greater happiness to the people, he speeded up his field guidance in the last days of his life.
December 4, 2011 was Sunday. Though he was unhealthy, he visited the amusement park at the Kaeson Youth Park, which was laid out as a base for people’s cultural and leisure activities. That day it was especially cold, but he said that if he visited it on such a day, people would come to it on fine days to enjoy themselves.
When officials asked him to have rest, he said that it was his invariable determination and will to devote his all for the prosperity of his country and the good of his fellow people, adding that he would only advance forward holding the flag towards the future when the people would live with nothing to envy in the world. On December 15, two days before his death, he visited the Kwangbok Area Supermarket and acquainted himself with the goods to be supplied to the people.
On December 17, he passed away on the train on his way to the people.
