Anti-Japanese Heroine

December 24 is the birthday of Kim Jong Suk (1917-1949), an anti-Japanese heroine.

She was born into a poor peasant’s family in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province in the northern part of Korea, when the country was under the military occupation of Japanese imperialists (1910-1945). She set out in her teens on the road of struggle to save the destiny of the country and people.

Ever since she joined the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army led by Kim Il Sung in September 1935, she fought bravely in many battles until the country’s liberation (August 15 1945), winning fame as an anti-Japanese woman general.

Greatest of her exploits is that she defended Kim Il Sung in every battle during the anti-Japanese war.

During the whole period of the grim anti-Japanese armed struggle there were countless critical moments when the guns of the Japanese soldiers were levelled at Kim Il Sung. At those moments Kim Jong Suk guarded Kim Il Sung, herself becoming a human bullet and shield.

The battle of Dashahe in June 1940 was a good example. At that time the Japanese army directed the spearhead of its attack at the Headquarters of the KPRA and mobilized its troops hundreds of thousands strong in the “punitive operations.” One unit of the punitive troops in hot pursuit of the KPRA Headquarters found the main unit of the KPRA at Dashahe and began to fire with machine guns. Instantly analyzing the situation and geographical features of the terrain,  Kim Il Sung ordered the machine-gun squad to block the enemy fire and the unit to climb opposite height. The guerrilla fighters gained an advantage over the enemy in an instant and fired a volley of shots at them, throwing the enemy into defence. However, the enemy, relying on their numerical superiority, made stubborn resistance. The battle grew fiercer. Kim Il Sung commanded the battle from a rock on the ridge of the mountain. Kim Jong Suk, mindful of his safety, kept a close watch on the surroundings and noticed enemy soldiers approaching him, hiding in a reed field and taking aim at Kim Il Sung on the ridge. At that hair-raising moment, Kim Jong Suk pulled the trigger of her Mauser, shielding him with her body. Kim Il Sung shot over her shoulder. They both shot all the enemy soldiers in the reed field dead.

Kim Jong Suk displayed unrivaled courage, outstanding resourcefulness, unexcelled marksmanship, unparallel bravery and self-sacrificing spirit in the anti-Japanese war.

She achieved fame from the battles to defend the guerrilla zone in Chechangzi she participated for the first time in the KPRA.

The battles to defend Chechangzi in October 1935 were fought by some 100 guerrilla fighters and people against the Japanese “punitive” force over 10 000 strong. Kim Jong Suk was always quick to grasp the weak points of the enemy in every situation and advance bright ideas to throw the enemy to the defensive, thus contributing to the victory of the KPRA in the battles.

Her adroit strategies and tactics were fully displayed at numerous battles including those fought in the Naitoushan area in which the guerrilla army turned the enemy’s reckless offensives to its advantage and annihilated them.

In the attack on the Fusong County town in August 1936 she displayed her wonderful marksmanship by shooting down a dozen enemy soldiers in an instant, with a Mauser in each of her hand. In the battle of Hongqihe in February 1937 she shot to death nearly 40 enemy soldiers. She also showed off her ace marksmanship in the battles of Naitoushan and Erdaogang in Antu County, China.

She demonstrated unparallel courage and self-sacrificing spirit during the grand counterattack against the spring offensive of the Japanese in 1938. She was commended by Kim Il Sung for her distinguished military feats.

In the whole course of the anti-Japanese armed struggle Kim Jong Suk accomplished brilliant achievements in battles: she lured the enemy single-handed so as to defend the security of the KPRA unit; she led a chorus in a fierce battle against the large troops of the enemy, thus terrifying them; she, with only a few members and insufficient sewing tools, made 600 military uniforms within 20 days; and during the days of preparations for the final offensive to liberate Korea she was the first to take part in parachute training and encouraged other KPRA soldiers to acquire new art of war.

Her dexterous and seasoned underground political activities rendered greatly to inspiring the people of all strata to turn out in the sacred war of national liberation.

In those days the guerrilla fighters and people called her with affection and respect “woman general of guerrilla army” and “anti-Japanese heroine,” and told many legendary stories about her brilliant feats.

 Anti-Japanese fighters wrote following slogans on barked trees: “Twenty million Korean people, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Suk are generals to liberate Korea,” “Kim Jong Suk, anti-Japanese heroine of Mt. Paektu, is a peerless woman borne by Korea,” “Woman general of Mt. Paektu mows down Japs, shortening the distance and deploying elusive tactics,” and so on.