President Kim Il Sung Embraces Genaro Carnero Checa
and Bestows Affection and Trust on Him

President Kim Il Sung established relations of comradeship with anyone, who loved mankind, valued justice and fought for social progress, gave them affection and trust and made their life immortal even after their death.

Among the many foreigners, who, attracted by his boundless benevolence, added luster to their life on the worthwhile and righteous road of studying and disseminating the Juche idea, there was Genaro Carnero Checa, director of the International Institute of the Juche Idea, secretary general of the Latin-American Journalists Federation and head of the Peru-DPRK Friendship Association.

President Kim Il Sung said:

"I was in a very intimate relationship with Checa. In the past, he gave wide publicity to our country. He was a very good man and an excellent international fighter."

President Kim Il Sung embraced Checa with boundlessly ennobling and warm affection and trust, shared pure human feeling and obligation with him, and not forgetting him even after his death, bestowed warm affection on his family.

Born in 1911 in Piura in northern Peru and grew there, Checa worked for justice, progress and a new society in Peru and other countries in Latin America. While suffering from mental agony as be failed to find a true path, he came to read the immortal classic works by President Kim Il Sung of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, thus entering a new road of struggle, a dramatic turning point in his life.

One February day in 1968, one of his friends gave him "The Present Situation and the Tasks of Our Party", a work by President Kim Il Sung.

After reading it through at once, he felt convinced that this was a work which was clarifying the truth that he had been finding with so much effort, a great programme for the world revolution. He said to himself, "O, there is a great leader in Korea in the east. The Juche idea–this clarifies the great truth that promises a new spring for mankind."

He took the road of realizing the independent and creative demands of the masses. Reading the President's works line by line and word by word, he learned their profound theories, and cherished it as an element of his faith that these were guidelines for the world's progressive journalists to hold fast in their activities. Since then his activities, guided by the ideal of independence, were conducted widely and actively. He told his wife, friends and those whoever he met the greatness of President Kim Il Sung and the vibrating realities in the DPRK.

In the course of giving wide publicity to the Juche idea, he formed the Peru-DPRK Friendship Association in August 1970 and became its secretary general. Later he became a vice-chairman of the Executive Committee of the Latin-American Institute of the Juche idea, chairman of the Latin-American Committee for Solidarity with the Korean People and chairman of the Latin-American and Caribbean Regional Committee for Supporting Korea's Reunification.

On October 11, 1972, when Checa visited the DPRK for the third time with his wife and daughter, President Kim Il Sung met him. While talking with the guests, he gave him precious instructions and arranged a luncheon for them. He also made sure that the Peruvian was awarded the certificate of an honorary journalist of the Korean Central News Agency.

Having been honoured to meet the President, he sent congratulatory letters and presents to the DPRK leader on important social and political occasions including the Day of the Sun (President Kim Il Sung's birthday). He made sure that various publishing houses in his country carried President Kim Il Sung's works including the "Report to the Fifth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea on the Work of the Central Committee", "Let Us Embody the Revolutionary Spirit of Independence, Self-sustenance and Self-defence More Thoroughly in All Branches of State Activities" and "Theses on the Socialist Rural Question in Our Country", to disseminate them in Latin America. And in the speeches he delivered at a Latin-American symposium on the Juche idea and a solidarity meeting for supporting Korea's reunification, held in 1974 and 1975 respectively in Peru, and other international seminars on the Juche idea held in various countries, he explained the validity, truthfulness and vitality of the Juche idea and rendered an active support to the just cause of the Korean people.

Busy as he was in leading the revolution and construction, President Kim Il Sung met him for six times until 1980 in less than ten years and gave him precious instructions.

In May 1974 Checa visited the DPRK with his wife for the fourth time, carrying with him "Korea: Rice and Steel", a book he wrote with much effort.

After inquiring after his health, President Kim Il Sung ensured that he was admitted in a hospital in the DPRK for the treatment high-blood pressure and cardiac disease. When he was discharged from the hospital after the treatment, he sent a special train so that he and his wife could come to Hamhung, where he was giving field guidance. It was a hot June day, but the President came out of the door of the building and received him, asking whether he had recovered his health, whether he had felt any inconvenience and whether his children were healthy.

His warm affection for the Latin-American journalist and his family grew deeper with the passage of time.

Sympathetic with the Juche idea and attracted by the humane traits of the DPRK leader, Checa revered him as a great leader, a great teacher, a great man and a great father, followed him and devoted the latter half of his life to disseminating the Juche idea. In order to live up to President Kim Il Sung's trust, he wrote "Kim Il Sung, A Lifelong Sacrifice for Socialism" on the occasion of the latter's 65th birth anniversary. In addition, he wrote "Juche", "Mangyongdae", "The Height of Juche Is Reflected" and other books and articles, giving wide publicity to the greatness of President Kim Il Sung.

On the first page of one of the books he authored, he left the following autograph.

"This book, recording the career of a revolutionary of Juche, is dedicated to the respected Marshal Kim Il Sung, a guide of the world people. Checa, your friend and advocate, Pyongyang, September 16, 1980"

The affection and trust of President Kim Il Sung, who shed light on the road for Checa and led him step by step, were bestowed on his wife and children even after his death.

While writing a book with all his heart to dedicate it to the 70th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, Checa caught an incurable disease and died without finishing the book.

On hearing the news, President Kim Il Sung sent to his wife a letter of condolence. Recollecting him on several occasions later, he spoke highly of him, saying that Checa had fought in Latin America against imperialism and for the defence of independence and sovereignty of the countries in the region, and that he performed great services for supporting the DPRK, improving the relations between the country and the Latin-American countries and disseminating the Juche idea among the Latin-American people.

When Checa's wife visited the DPRK in April Juche 71 (1982), he met her and said that he would have a luncheon with her, the wife of Checa who had been his comrade-in-arms, comrade and brother, in a family atmosphere.

When she felt so moved as he was according such warm hospitality to her, just the wife of a deceased man, he said he regarded her as his comrade-in-arms and comrade.

When she greeted her 80th birth anniversary, he had a birthday spread sent to her, and ensured that she visited his country again.

The trust, affection and ennobling benevolence of President Kim Il Sung, who called a Latin-American social activist that had advocated the Juche idea and fought for anti-imperialist independence his unforgettable comrade-in-arms, comrade and brother and called his wife his comrade-in-arms and comrade were inherited by Chairman Kim Jong Il. This great history moved the world yesterday and moves it still today, striking the world with admiration.

Checa, an ordinary journalist in Latin America could live a glorious life as a world-renowned journalist for, having been attracted by the great ideology, ennobling benevolence and great personality of President Kim Il Sung, revering and following him, and lives in the hearts of the Korean people as an ardent advocate of the Juche idea, as their intimate friend.