A Camera Donated to the Children of Revolutionary Martyrs

Chairman Kim Jong Il said:

"No one in the world valued and loved the children of revolutionary martyrs as dearly as our leader."

President Kim Il Sung, who established Mangyongdae Revolutionary School (MRS)for the bereaved children of the revolutionary martyrs shortly after the country's liberation from the Japanese colonial rule, provided them with whatever affection and care available with indefinite and noble revolutionary fidelity. It was for the children to be brought up as excellent successors to their revolutionary parents who sacrificed their youth and life in the sacred war for the country's liberation.

Here is a moving story in which the President sent his favorite still camera to the bereaved offspring soon after the founding of the school.

On February 10, 1948, the President called the principal of the school to his residence.

He said that he called him to donate his camera to the school. He continued to say that he intended to give them his camera, as it was difficult to get a better one at that time. He wanted the photos of those children taken by the camera to be sent to their homes.

The principal, who came to know the reason why he was asked to turn up there, hesitated to receive it at the thought of how come he would accept the President's favorite.

The President told him that he could see that the children got better during his recent visit to the school. He imagined that their grandparents and mothers at home would be pleased to look at their better appearance. He then said that their extended family members would be proud of belonging to revolutionary bereaved families while watching the photos where there were red stripes both in the children's trousers and sleeves.

The principal was moved to tears, thinking about how meticulous the President was. The president, who had appreciated the Korean People's Army military parade in which MRS students participated two days before, clapped for a long time, being so proud of those students and wanted to show their photos to their family members at home.

The President repeatedly said that MRS students would continue to grow beyond recognition in a matter of a year since they are in their prime, therefore they ought to be shot not only a time, but once per year. And they should be posed for the rewards and commendable deeds in learning and daily military routine. He said that their photos would also be good for colleague education once the photos were sent to both home towns and put in the rooms dedicated to nation building.

This is how the President's favourite camera got to be donated to MRS, reflecting his warm love for the bereaved children of revolutionary martyrs.

The President, who had indefinite moral fidelity to his revolutionary comrades who sacrificed their youth and life for the country and revolution and was meticulous at details of their offsprings' growth without any uncomfort, was a benevolent fatherly leader, indeed.