Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), eternal president of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, enjoys high praise and respect of the progressive people of the world.
Among many anecdotes about the respect Kim Il Sung enjoyed is a story about a necklace portraying Kimilsungia.
When a vocal soloist of the Dhaka art troupe in Bangladesh visited the DPRK, she participated in an artistic performance held in the presence of President Kim Il Sung, and she sang the Korean song, Grateful Is the Fatherly Love, in Korean.
Grateful is the fatherly leader
People live in harmony in his embrace
Happy we are as we live with him
The world looks at us with envious eyes
…
Kim Il Sung posed for a photograph with the participants at the end of the performance.
The Bangladeshi artistes were very pleased. Their emotion lasted after they returned to their lodging.
The girl singer shed silent tears.
When a Korean official asked her if there was anything wrong, she said:
When I was leaving for Pyongyang, my father told me: Your journey to the DPRK, a land of morning calm, is the greatest happiness for our family. If you have a golden opportunity to see President Kim Il Sung, please ask him to write his signature; then our family will become more celebrated and prouder. Remember that if you participate in a performance held in the presence of President Kim Il Sung, it is a great fortune for us all,
Her father was a jewel craftwork manufacturer well known across Bangladesh, and her mother hailed from Colombo of Sri Lanka, which is called a country of jewels.
The girl, as the only child of the family, graduated from the musical department of the University of Dhaka.
On receiving the report about her that evening, President Kim Il Sung wrote his signature on her pocketbook, reading Kim Il Sung.
Seeing the autograph of President Kim Il Sung on her return home, her father and mother were very pleased.
That night her father thought that he would make a mark of respect and glory for his daughter.
After many days of thinking, he decided to make a necklace portraying Kimilsungia.
He hoped his daughter would always keep the memory of President Kim Il Sung in her mind and sing songs about him, making the whole world resound with the songs singing the praises of Kim Il Sung.
He started to make the necklace; he used to make a jewel craftwork for several weeks, but this time it took several months for him to finish it.
Naturally-coloured Kimilsungia, which is depicted in the shape of the heart, was embossed in the centre of the necklace, and its surroundings were decorated with jewels.
It was indeed a very rare necklace.
Later, his daughter sang songs about President Kim Il Sung in international artistic performances, wearing the necklace.
