Chairman
"In order to provide our people with an abundant and cultured life envied by others, President
President
In the early autumn, 1947, the President gave on-the-spot guidance to Unha-ri, Yangdok County situated deep in mountains called Ahobiryong, which was named after its ninety-nine turns. He visited a peasant's house in Kuji Valley and had an affectionate talk with the host after a meal.
The President welcomed the local management officials, core party members, and exemplary peasants. He said that he had come to inquire into the state of the peasants' lives in mountainous regions. He mentioned that the village was a good place to live in as it had beautiful mountains with clear water, wonderful scenery and deep forests contrary to his expectations at the entrance to the village.
One of the peasants agreed that their village was noted for its scenic beauty but he said in an ambiguous manner that it was too remote and secluded in the mountains.
The President asked the peasant in an affectionate manner what kind of cereal he lived on. The peasant scratched his head and replied that his family lived on acorn and potato. Listening to his reply, the President looked around the peasants and asked if they could live on rice.
They admitted that they had never thought about it. The President said that measures should be taken to improve the peasants' lives in mountainous regions where they had lived in extreme poverty. He said to his attendant officials that measures should be taken to improve peasants' lives as the country had been liberated and the new society for workers and peasants was established.
The President said that the villagers lived in mountains abundant in wild fruit and edible herbs, but they threw them away for nothing as they had nowhere to sell them, which he regarded as a sad thing. He continued to say that although the country may make a loss in the early stage, the country should buy, process and sell them.
He said that, in order to do so, factories should be built in the town and various kinds of goods necessary for people's lives be made from the local raw material.
He added that the people living in mountainous regions should know how to make good use of mountains; livestock should be bred on grass, acorn and others. He explained that the more livestock were bred, the more manure would be collected, and therefore they would have a better crop. He asked the peasants typical mountain animals in that area and taught them in detail how to catch the animals.
However, he stressed that it was unadvisable to put agriculture aside. He said that, in order to raise good crops in mountainous regions, a lof of manure should be given, the seeds suitable for the climate and soil condition of the local area be planted, and the best ones be cultivated.
He advised that inexpensive sideline farming should be encouraged in mountainous regions thereby making the best use of their advantages. He said that, if mountains were properly exploited, highlanders would be able to live a rich life not inferior to lowlanders in the future, although they were not as rich as those in lowlands then.
After he left the village, all the villagers rose up. True to his teachings, all the peasants turned out in a campaign to pick up and gather wild fruit and edible herbs, and they bred domestic livestock in large scale.
Later on the President did not forget the villagers in Unha-ri, and sent them a lot of fertilizer and fifty sheeps.
They made strenuous efforts to implement the instructions of the President, and now they live a happy life without any envy at the life on the lowland.
Fatherly love of President
