President Kim Il Sung when an European Saw Him

Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), the eternal President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, met as many as 70 000 foreigners during his lifetime while conducting diplomatic activities for global independence. Among them was Prof. and Dr. Giancarlo Elia Valori, Chairman of the Development Bank of the Mediterranean and Director-general of the Italian General Investment Group.

The Man Who Moves the Earth

Since his boyhood Valori was taking the pride in being an Italian with ancient Roman culture and traditions and worshiped Giuseppe Garibaldi. Garibaldi was respected in modern history of Italy as a national hero who fought for Italy’s freedom and unification. Though he was highly acclaimed as a brilliant military commander, Garibaldi had not his own political philosophy.

So Valori, in his search for acceptable political philosophy, delved into the biographies and works of famous personages from ancient history to modern times, and met many renowned figures of political, social and academic circles of the world to discuss sensitive socio-political issues, but in vain. He could not find any compatible political philosophy.

Then in late 1960s he happened to read the book carrying the answers President Kim Il Sung of the DPRK had given to the questions raised by the journalists from Japanese Mainichi Shimbun and several other countries. He finally found in the book the political philosophy he had long sought for.

From then on he assiduously studied the works of the President on the Juche idea and the books explaining the idea. The more he read, the keener he was on the theory run through with the most genuine and infinite love for human being and the stronger urge he felt to meet the President, the author of the Juche idea, as early as possible.

When he was working as the General Secretary of the Italian Institute of International Relations, Valori paid his first visit to the DPRK after forming a European committee for friendship with the DPRK in January 1975. President Kim Il Sung met him and acquainted himself with the activities and future programs of the institute. He said to Valori that the present era demands independence and that apart from independence, man cannot live a life worthy of a human being. Then he taught him in detail and in an easy way the feature of the present era, intrinsic demands of man and the ways to realize them. Afterward Valori visited the DPRK more than 20 times like a pilgrim to the holy place to take instructions of the President.

He remembered what a close friend of his, former defence commander of Italy, had said to him. His friend told him that it was beyond comprehension with the established military common sense that the United States was defeated in the war against the DPRK, a small country and less than two years after its founding. Saying that the DPRK’s victory over the US was as good as a toddler knocked out a giant, he added that the Korean people were unusual nation.

At that time Valori had failed to satisfy the query of his friend. Only after he met President Kim Il Sung and received his instructions, he could find the correct answer: It was the spirit unique to the Korean people, that is the Juche idea created by the President.

One day he attended an international seminar on the Juche idea and listened to the speech made by a figure from Mauritius. The Mauritian said: Archimedes of ancient Greece said that he could move even the earth if he was given a fulcrum and a lever, but he failed to find them and could not move the earth. President Kim Il Sung, however, has provided the fulcrum and lever—the Juche idea and the masses of the people respectively.

Listening to the speech, Valori shouted inwardly that President Kim Il Sung who was ushering in a new independent world on the strength of the Juche idea, was indeed a peerlessly great man moving the earth.

God of Love

When President Kim Il Sung met Valori in 1975 and knew that he had an old mother, he said that he should accompany her the following time. So Valori visited the DPRK again that year with his mother, Emilia Valori. Very busy as he was, the President met them, hosted a luncheon and presented Emilia with the silk costume of Korean style and other gifts.

Afterward the President invited them to his country several times and met them. Informed that Emilia had a problem with her legs, he took concrete measures for her to receive medical treatment including a spa therapy. Emilia, having been completely cured in the DPRK, used to say proudly to her relatives and neighbours that she owed a lot to President Kim Il Sung.

When Valori and his mother were staying at the DPRK in September 1987, Emilia’s 85^th birthday came around. Valori felt anxious inwardly about how to celebrate her birthday, who had had so much trouble to help her husband and son in their anti-fascist struggle, and that in a foreign country away from home. Knowing the story, the President had a birthday table prepared for Emilia and sent a birthday cake with designs of magnolia flowers, Korea’s national flower. He even visited her lodging to congratulate her and gave her gifts. Emilia repeatedly talked about the President’s ennobling personality, wishing eagerly there were such a great person as the President in Europe.

On her deathbed she took her son by the hand and said that President Kim Il Sung was, indeed, the God of love.

In 1994, on hearing the sad news that the President suddenly passed away, Valori rushed to Pyongyang and said: I will never forget President Kim Il Sung. The President, the incarnation of human love, will always live in my heart and in the memory of mankind.

Kim Jong Un Inspects KPA Unit 863

Pyongyang, June 14 (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, inspected KPA Unit 863 honored with the title of O Jung Hup-led 7th Regiment.

He went round the room devoted to the education in the revolutionary history and the room dedicated to the history of the unit.

He said that the unit which was organized by the strategic plan and far-sighted wisdom of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il developed into matchless combat ranks under their wise leadership and care.

Recollecting with deep emotion the days when Kim Jong Il visited battalions under the unit, Kim Jong Un underscored the need for the unit to always remember the exploits the President and Kim Jong Il performed by leading the unit and achieve proud successes in rounding off the combat preparations and bolstering up the combat capability.

He heard a report on the combat duty to be performed by the unit and examined its operational plan.

Looking with keen attention at the documents on the operational plan of the unit, he clarified the issues arising in further completing the Juche-oriented naval tactics and skillfully applying them suited to the enemies' changing scenarios for war of aggression, methods of combat actions and features of weaponry and indicated the tasks to be fulfilled to remarkably increase the naval attack operation capabilities of the fleets of the KPA in the East and West Seas and ways to do so.

Noting that this unit has an important role to play in performing the combat duty of the combined unit, he specified to which it should pay attention in making combat preparations and on what it should focus its efforts to create battle environment favorable for the operation of the unit.

The operational combat plans on the table for operational plans at the Supreme Command are to be carried out by the commanding officers in charge of the units, he said, adding that the commanding officers and staff officers of the unit should devote all their wisdom and enthusiasm to rounding off the combat preparations so that they may fight a battle at a lightning speed once a war breaks out right now.

He instructed the unit to conduct high-intensity combat drills under the simulated conditions of a real war and thus prepare all its service personnel as stalwart fighters capable of rendering various services and performing multi-functions and Mt. Paektu tiger-like soldiers.

Stressing the need for commanding officers to take the lead in raising a hot wind of drills, he said that an officer who is not a brave fighter cannot train his soldiers as good fighters and an officer from whom one cannot feel the smell of gunpowder cannot lead his unit in the charge under a hail of bullets and shells during a decisive battle.

He underscored the need for the commanding officers and men of the unit to build a-match-for-a-hundred combat capability with utmost effort, saving every second and minute from the firm stand that there can be no satisfaction in rounding off the combat preparations.

After learning in detail about the supply service at the unit, he indicated the tasks to be fulfilled by it to further improve the living of its service personnel in conformity with its specific conditions.

He was accompanied by KPA Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So, director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA.

Kim Jong Un Inspects Ryo Islet Defence Detachment of KPA

Pyongyang, June 13 (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, inspected the Ryo Islet Defence Detachment standing guard over a forward post off the East Coast of Korea.

Warmly shaking hands with commanding officers, Kim Jong Un said he was very pleased to see the islet clad in thick verdure. He praised them for having thoroughly carried out the last instruction to plant a lot of trees given by leader Kim Jong Il to the detachment.

Walking along the nicely paved road in the compound of the barracks, he said with joy he felt as if he were entering a rest home.

Watching various species of fruit trees including tall apricot and persimmon trees, he expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the detachment successfully turned the islet into a thick woodland, greenery and orchard as intended by the Central Committee of the Party.

He went round the monument to field guidance given by the peerlessly great men of Mt. Paektu and the room devoted to the education in the revolutionary history and the room dedicated to its history.

He noted that the detachment could be developed into matchless combat ranks capable of resolutely beating back any surprise attack of enemies thanks to the wise leadership of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

He called upon the detachment to intensify the education in the immortal exploits the President and Kim Jong Il performed in commanding the army so that its service personnel may more successfully undergo their military service, cherishing the pride and honor of defending the combat post visited by them although they are performing their duty on the islet far away from the land.

He heard a report on the detachment's performance of the combat duty.

Underscoring the need for the commanding officers and soldiers of the detachment to always think of a decisive battle against enemies even in peacetime, he clarified issues arising in rounding off the combat preparations of the detachment.

He said that the Ryo Islet Defence Detachment is an outpost like gateway in the East Sea leading to the yard of the Central Committee of the Party and its soldiers are sentries defending the country in the van.

It is an important combat mission of the detachment to definitely turn the islet into an impregnable fortress and unsinkable battleship and thus not to allow enemies to invade the socialist homeland, he added.

He instructed the detachment to effectively conduct the education in faith, the working class, patriotism and morality among its service personnel in a unique manner so that they may think of battle awake and asleep, spend nights and greet new days with trainings and thus regard it part of their life and habit to undergo trainings.

Going round the service personnel's hall, he acquainted himself with the political and ideological education of them.

He said that the hall was built well and visual aid materials looked diverse and peculiar to suit the mentality of the service personnel, adding he felt as if he were looking round a museum.

There is no more powerful weapon in the world than the political and ideological might of soldiers and they can always emerge victorious in a battle when the officers regard the mental power of the service personnel as an all-powerful treasured sword, he said.

He underlined the need to let the service personnel always listen to the voices of the Party by watching TV and reading the newspaper of the People's Army and books such as revolutionary novels in order to firmly prepare them politically and ideologically.

He took care of the living of the service personnel as their real father would do, going round the service personnel's health complex, vegetable green house without a heating system, mushroom cultivation site, flower green house and other supply service facilities and the companies under the detachment.

Seeing a variety of food on the table in the mess room of the health complex and meat soup boiling in the kettle, he said the meal looked sumptuous though he came to the islet without a prior notice. It is gratifying that its each service man is provided with 250g of bean-based food everyday thanks to successful soy farming, he noted.

He said it is spectacular to see the azolla filliculoidas habitat where a cosy pavilion is standing and lots of ducks, geese, rabbits and turkeys in the animal sheds. He said with a broad smile on his face that the green house and animal sheds operated by the detachment looked like a botanical garden and zoo and this is enough to clearly show that it has solid base for supply service.

He again noted with satisfaction that the Ryo Islet Defence Detachment is like an unsinkable battleship from the viewpoint of combat preparations and the islet is to be proud of from the viewpoint of the soldiers' living.

Saying that the detachment has successfully done everything the Party Central Committee considered as good, he highly praised it as a model unit where the party's military policy is being most correctly implemented and a typical one for the whole army to learn from.

The key to the successful military and political work is in hands of the commanding officers of a relevant unit, he noted, praising the commander of the detachment as a very persevering commanding officer having a great zeal to work and a model to be followed by the commanding officers of the whole army.

And he personally proposed awarding the title of labor hero to Hero of the Republic Chon Jae Gwon, commander of the detachment, and its political commissar and personally conferred a higher military rank upon the political commissar on the spot by an order of the Supreme Commander.

He was accompanied by Hwang Pyong So, Pyon In Son, Choe Ryong Hae and Han Kwang Sang.

How Did the Korean War Start?

The Korean war broke out on June 25, 1950. But to understand the motive of the war, it would be worth considering US troops’ landing in south Korea and the subsequent events leading up to the war.

The then US President Truman wrote in his memoirs later that the 38^th parallel as a line dividing Korea had been proposed by the US. On the eve of Japan’s defeat, the US judged that it was a decisive opportunity to realize its century-old strategy for dominating Korea. So they hatched plots to occupy its southern half.

At a meeting of the US Joint Chiefs held on August 13, 1945 MacArthur, commander-in-chief of the US Far East forces, was ordered to wrest surrender from the Japanese army in south Korea and other regions to be put under the control of the US, according to the bilateral agreement between the US and the Soviet Union. He ordered John Hodges, commander of the US 24^th Army Corps, to demand surrender to the Japanese army in south Korea and enforce control over it on behalf of the US. In this way the US occupied the area south of the 38^th parallel without shedding any blood. This was the logical premise of its invasion of Korea and a prelude to the war. An American publication titled The Modern History of the United States wrote: Virtually, the war made by Wall Street against the Korean people began in September 1945, almost at the time when its generals set foot in south Korea.

After occupying south Korea the US speeded up preparations for the Korean war under a meticulous plan.

As part of its war preparations the US buckled down to the formation of the south Korean puppet army. It set up “National Defence Command” in November 1945 and organized army units under it. It expanded army ranks with the object of making them outnumber the north Korean army by ten to one, introduced American-style military training, and seized full command of the south Korea army.

In 1949 the US delivered military hardware sufficient enough for arming 50 000 soldiers, and then gave over 87 million dollars’ worth of additional aids. Later, the plan for the Korean war was approved unanimously at the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Organization in January 1950. Roberts, head of the US Military Advisory Group in south Korea, said to Syngman Rhee in January 1950: The plan to attack north Korea has been already decided. There are not so many hours left for us to put it into practice. The attack will be launched by us, but we have to make an excuse of justifying ourselves.”

At the secret talks with Syngman Rhee on February 17, 1950 MacArthur stressed that the south should attack the north before July that year.

From April to June 1950 the US redeployed the south Korean army units.

On June 17, 1950 Dulles, the US presidential envoy, made final examination of the plan for the war in a trench along the 38^th parallel and ordered the south Korean army: Attack north Korea along with the counter-propaganda that north Korea invaded south Korea first… If you hold out only for two weeks, the United States will complain that north Korea attacked south Korea, and see to it that the United Nations can mobilize ground, naval and air forces under its name so that everything would go on smoothly.

On the other hand the US took deceptive measures just before the war.

It secretly evacuated more than 2 000 American family members and non-combatants from south Korea. It transported to Japan the families from the US embassy under the escort of fighters and others by air and ship.

The top brass seemed to have other engagements such as weekend holiday, travel and parties, all designed to camouflage their nature as war provokers. In the morning of June 24 Truman boarded his private plane to leave Washington for Missouri to “spend quiet weekend with his wife and daughter.” The rumour spread that Dulles was touring in Japan on June 24. Syngman Rhee also clamoured that the “state of the emergency” was lifted and all officers and men were granted outings and parties.

However, this was a sheer lie.

The then operation officer of the 17^th Regiment of the south Korean puppet army said; the 24^th was Saturday, but the officers were disallowed to leave and ordered to stand by for an emergency order. That night there was a secret order to launch military action against north Korea crossing the 38^th parallel from the dawn of June 25.

John Osborn, Life’s correspondent to south Korea, wrote that never before in its history had the US been so nearly prepared at the start of any war as it was at the start of the Korean war.

Finally, the south Korean puppet army, instigated by the US, started its sudden military aggression against north Korea over the whole length of the 38^th parallel at 4 am on June 25, 1950.

This is how the Korean war (1950-1953), the severest one after World War II, broke out.