Kim Jong Un Gives Field Guidance to October 8 Factory

Pyongyang, August 31 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, provided field guidance to the October 8 Factory built as an icon and standard of the DPRK's industrial establishments.

Enjoying a bird's eye view of the factory, he expressed great satisfaction, saying he could hardly find any trace he saw last year, it did not look like a factory but a rest home as it turned into a thick woodland and greenery and park and the culture of workers was in full bloom in all its worksites.

He went round a monument to the revolutionary activities of the peerlessly great persons of Mt. Paektu, hall of culture, e-library, cutting shop, finishing shop, products show room, gymnasium, Unjong health complex, canteen, rest home, workers' hostel and various other places of the factory to learn in detail about the construction and production there.

He said that it was his intention to turn the October 8 Factory into a factory representing the nation's industrial establishments, a factory meeting the requirements of the age of knowledge-based economy and befitting the appearance of highly civilized socialist country and the one to be proud of in the world. Its builders successfully carried out the plan of the Central Committee of the WPK, he added.

He said that the factory has perfect computer-aided integrated production system, is equipped with latest facilities and fitted with cooling and heating system depending on geothermal power, thereby emerging an industrial establishment put on an IT and digital basis and becoming an energy-saving one.

He set forth the tasks to be implemented by the factory.

He noted with pride that the construction of the factory proved once again that with the might of great unity of army and people they can do anything in the world.

He sent thanks to soldier-builders of Large Combined Unit 593, Unit 101, Unit 489 and Unit 462 of the KPA and people who performed labor feats in the construction of the factory and personally proposed awarding high state citations to those of merit.

He had a photo session with officials and employees of the factory.

He was accompanied by Hwang Pyong So, Han Kwang Sang, Hong Yong Chil and Kim Jong Gwan.

Kim Jong Un Has Photo Session with Service Personnel

Who Took Part in KPA Drills

Pyongyang, August 30 (KCNA) -- Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, had a photo session with service personnel who participated in the actual parachuting and striking drills of paratrooper units of the KPA.

The drills were staged from August 27 to 29.

He showed such loving care as having a photo taken with paratroopers of sub-units under 323 Unit, 162 Unit and 252 Unit and airpersons of 858 Unit of Air and Anti-Air Force of the KPA who performed military feats in the above-said drills.

He came out to the photographing site and waved back to enthusiastic cheers of the participants.

He encouraged the service personnel who successfully carried out their difficult tasks in combat training which called for overcoming the biggest physical burdens under the worst conditions by making the training part of their life and habit as intended by the party.

He had a photo session with them, expressing his expectation and conviction that they would firmly prepare themselves as a-match-for-a-hundred fighters possessed of perfect fighting capabilities by undergoing intensive trainings under the simulated conditions of an actual war in the future, too.

Present there were Hwang Pyong So, Ri Yong Gil, Pyon In Son, O Kum Chol, Ri Pyong Chol, Kim Myong Sik, Pang Kwan Bok, Jang Tong Un and Pak Thae Su.

President Kim Il Sung and Zhang Weihua

A passage from With the Century, reminiscences by President Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), peerlessly great man in the 20^th century, reads as follows:

“I have expressed for a long time my wish to visit Fusong. This wish remains. I want to visit Zhang Weihua’s grave in Nandianzi, Fusong, but I am afraid that it may remain a mere desire. If I fail to accomplish this desire, I hope that I manage to visit him in my dreams.”

 “Song Ju, Weihua”

Zhang Weihua was the son of a rich Chinese man who owned dozens of hectares of land and many insam fields and private soldiers.

The ties between Kim Il Sung and Zhang Weihua were formed in their boyhood when the President was staying in China with his father who was conducting activities for the liberation of Korea from the Japanese military occupation.

Since primary school days in Fusong in Northeast China they had kept friendly relations, playing tennis and going swimming together. They promoted friendship while frequently visiting each other’s houses to study and enjoy foods together.

It was, indeed, an anomalous link that Kim Song Ju (President’s real name), an unlucky boy from a ruined country, and Zhang Weihua, the son of a millionaire, studied in the same class and established unprecedented friendship.

Zhang, however, was much fascinated with the President’s personality from his childhood. He was enrolled in the Down-with-Imperialism Union, the first vanguard organization of Korean revolutionaries of the new generation, and the Young Communist League, which were both organized by the President, felt sympathy with his idea and cause and absolutely worshipped and followed him. When the President organized the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army and led the anti-Japanese armed struggle, he sent many weapons and aid materials to the KPRA.

When they met in the spring of 1936 in Miaoling, Fusong County, China, the following conversation passed between them.

“From now on I will call you General or Commander as others do.”

“Please call me Song Ju, even though others address me commander. I, too, will call you Weihua, rather than Mr. Zhang. Song Ju, Weihua… .”

After making a promise to meet again, Zhang returned to Fusong and gave more active support to the KPRA. In October 1936 he was arrested by the enemy who had been informed by a turncoat. Though he was paroled by his father’s agency, he saw through the Japanese police’s attempt to learn clues of the whereabouts of the KPRA Headquarters and committed suicide by swallowing a doze of corrosive sublimate used in film development. At that time he was 25 years old.

He said to his wife as he faced death.

“I regret and lament that I cannot continue the anti-Japanese struggle together with General Kim Il Sung. I decided to guarantee the safety of my comrades with my death and prove worthy of the trust and friendship of General Kim Il Sung. Don’t grieve too much.”

Eternal Friendship

Here’s a part of President Kim Il Sung’s reminiscences.

“It would not be correct to think that my friendship with Zhang Weihua ended with his death. If a man’s friendship ends with his friend’s death, can such a bond be considered a sign of real friendship? If a living man remembers his dead friend, the friendship remains alive and vibrant.”

When the anti-Japanese war ended in victory, Zhang Weihua was the first man the President recalled from countless fallen comrades and benefactors.

In 1959 a visitors’ group from Korea was sent to old anti-Japanese battlefields in Manchuria. Before the departure the President assigned the officials of the group the task of learning the news of Zhang’s bereaved family. He was very pleased to be informed of how Zhang’s family had lived. In May 1984, when he was passing through Northeast China by train on his way to visit former Soviet Union and other socialist countries in East Europe he recalled Zhang and sent a gift to his son Zhang Jinquan as a token of his best wishes.

In April 1985 Zhang’s son and daughter visited Pyongyang. The President greeted them by saying that he welcomed them and showed parental affection for them. In January 1993 he visited the lodging house of Zhang’s eldest grandson and granddaughter studying in a university of Pyongyang to learn about how they were studying and living. In May 1994, a few months before he passed away, he met again Zhang’s eldest granddaughter and other descendants to do them a favour.

Always keeping in mind Fusong where Zhang’s grave was located, he sent a monument to his grave on the occasion of the 55^th anniversary of his death in October 1992. Its unveiling ceremony was held in grandeur in Fusong. The epitaph for the monument in his handwriting reads:

“The revolutionary exploits of the martyr Zhang Weihua constitute a bright symbol of the friendship between the Korean and Chinese peoples. His noble revolutionary spirit and services to the revolution will live on for ever in the people’s minds.

Kim Il Sung

October 27, 1992”