On the Occasion of the 108th Anniversary of the Birthday of
H.E. KIM IL SUNG
April 15 this year marks the 108th anniversary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), the founding father of socialist Korea.
Greeting this day, many people in the world recall the career of the greatest of the great men in the 20th century.
Kim Il Sung devoted his whole life for the welfare of his country and people; his on-site-guidance journey, covering a total distance of over 578 000km, can make 14 and a half rounds of the earth; he continued the journey on Sundays, holidays and even on his birth anniversary days.
One Sunday morning, he called an official, and said that he would visit with him some units in the western areas like Kangso, Ryonggang and Onchon. The official suggested taking a rest in the morning and leaving in the afternoon as it was Sunday.
Kim Il Sung insisted on going, saying: I have never been in my house on Sundays; I would like to study the actual situations in the nearby areas and meet the local people; this is the most satisfactory rest for me on Sunday.
He gave on-site guidance to several units including Chongsan-ri, Kangso District in the city of Nampho, and Okto-ri in Ryonggang County, all day long.
He often forgot his birthday. On his birthday one year, some officials working close to him visited his house and made a bow wishing him a good health. He wondered what day it was that day. The officials answered that day was his birthday, saying that they wanted him to take a rest at home that day. Realizing that it was his birthday, he thanked them, and said that it was not a special day for him. That day he spent busy time dealing with state affairs as he had done before.
The Sundays and holidays, on which he worked, number over 2 530.
In the world there have been many politicians who held the slogan “For the People,” but none of them has devoted their all for the welfare of their peoples, working even on Sundays, holidays and their birthdays as President Kim Il Sung did.
There cannot be a break in the work for the people and my greatest happiness is in the work for the welfare of the people–this was the view of happiness of President Kim Il Sung.
