“Go among the people!”–Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), eternal president of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, regarded this as his lifetime motto and creed from the first days of his revolutionary struggle for the country and the people.
Once when he met President Kim Il Sung, the managing editor of the Kyodo Press of Japan felt a great admiration for the DPRK leader’s encyclopedic knowledge. Surprised by his knowledge of all fields such as industry, agriculture and mining, the Japanese asked him the fields his advisor was specializing in, if he had any.
Kim Il Sung answered: I always go among the workers, farmers and scientists to talk with them; they present excellent opinions; if one goes among the people, one cannot resort to subjectivism; people are my teacher.
He spent whole life on the field guiding the people.
In late December 1956, he visited the Kangson Steel Plant (the present Chollima Steel Complex) situated in the western part of the country. In those days the country was thrown in a difficult situation; the aggressive moves by the hostile forces against it reached an extreme, and the factionalists within the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, with the backing of big countries, challenged the leadership of the Party.
He met with the workers in a building that was used as a storehouse. He explained to them the prevailing grave situation, and appealed to them to produce 10 000 more tons of steel the following year, saying that it would greatly help the country.
In response to his appeal, the workers created a miracle of producing 120 000 tons of steel from a 60 000-capacity blooming mill.
The Chollima Movement famous in the DPRK was thus born amid the flames of creating innovations lit by the workers of Kangson spreading across the country.
The Chongsanri spirit and the Chongsanri method, new socialist methods of mass leadership, and the Taean work system, a new socialist system of industrial management, are also what he presented by incorporating the people’s desires and thoughts while sharing board and lodging with them.
Since the day of liberation till the last period of his life, he gave on-the-spot guidance at over 20 600 units, covering a total distance of over 578 000km.
As he was among the people all his life, making painstaking efforts to find the way of advance and victory, the DPRK could achieve the present development by smashing the sanctions by the allied imperialist forces step by step.
It is by no means accidental that the Korean people respect him, calling him “our leader” and “fatherly leader” still now, 26 years after his death.
Kim Il Sung wrote in his memoirs With the Century as follows:
“I look back on my life with deep emotion and I have strong memories as an ordinary man and as a politician who has served his country and people. The country and people I have served always occupied an important position in world politics.
…
“‘The people are my God’ has been my constant view and motto. The principle of Juche, which calls for drawing on the strength of the masses who are the masters of the revolution and construction, is my political creed. This has been the axiom that has led me to devote my whole life to the people.
…
“I hope that what I write will convey to posterity the truth and the lessons of life and struggle that if one believes in the people and relies on them, one will win victory every time, even the world, and if one ignores people and is forsaken by them, one will surely fail.”
