Generalissimo Kim Il Sung and a Sentry

On the occasion of the Day of the Sun every year, the people tell each other the anecdotes about benevolent father of all the Koreans, President Kim Il Sung who bestowed great love on them.

Among the anecdotes is a story that the President had a photo taken in his generalissimo's uniform with an ordinary guard.

Chairman Kim Jong Il said:

"The respected Comrade Kim Il Sung was the great leader of the people and their father. His ideology, leadership and virtue were based on love for, and trust in, the people."

On April 13th, Juche 81(1992), President Kim Il Sung was awarded the title of generalissimo amidst the unanimous wishes of all people.

This was a great event of the nation as well as an expression of the ardent admiration and respect of all the Koreans for him on his immortal exploits for the country and the revolution to found and lead the revolutionary armed forces.

Hearing the news that the President was awarded the title of the generalissimo, people extended the greatest congratulations to him and looked forward to see him in Generalissimo's uniform.

One day, in April, a soldier of the Korean People's Army was on guard duty, being proud of having become a member of Korean Army on the very meaningful period. Then, unexpectedly the President came out of the garden, wearing the uniform that our people were eager to see. He had a brilliant, dignified appearance to bring the formidable enemy to his knees and overawed the world.

The golden embroidery was shining on his cap and a collar of his uniform and our national emblem and generalissimo stars on his shoulder strap blended well with dignity and traits of the general of Mt Paektu. The sentry was in such ecstasies that he could not stop looking at the President and was pleased to be the first person who saw the President in his uniform. While looking round the garden for a while, the President came out in front of the porch and walked slowly toward the guard and said that he would have a photo taken with him that day.

At first, the sentry couldn't believe it was true because it was the thing he couldn't imagine. When President Kim Il Sung smiled at him, telling him to come close to him, he realized that it was not a dream but a reality. He eagerly wanted to go there, but as a sentry, he was not allowed to leave his place.

Reading the soldier's mind, President Kim Il Sung told the adjutant who was beside him to relieve the guard.

The sentry ran to him.

When President Kim Il Sung told him to have a photo taken with him, the sentry was buoyed up with a great excitement. Everyone living in this land kept it as the greatest desire to meet him and have a picture taken with him, but it was beyond the sentry's imagination that on this meaningful day when he wore his generalissimo's uniform for the first time, the President had a photo taken with an ordinary soldier on his guard, not with the anti-Japanese war veterans, or the senior officials of the WPK or the government.

He said that it would be a good idea to have a photo taken with apricot tree in full bloom as a background.

A generalissimo and a sentry!

There are many well-known generals in many countries and their armies.

Also we are well aware of many generals who loved their soldiers very much.

However, the world has never heard of such a great man as our President who had a photo taken with an ordinary soldier on a meaningful day.

Indeed, this is the very immortal picture showing the lofty personality of President Kim Il Sung who was always among the people and shared life and death, sweet and bitters with them.

This story makes us feel an ardent yearning forward him more and more as the time goes by.