Peerlessly Great Men's Outlook on Teacher

Teachers are mentors giving knowledge, nurturing spiritual world and leading to the right path.

Trust, expectation and efforts exerted by teachers to find and bring into a full bloom the talents of their students become their lifetime nutrients and valuable foundation. Therefore, one's successful career would be unthinkable apart from wonderful teacher.

That's why the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung taught in his reminiscences "With the Century" as follows:

"A man who has a mentor he can recollect throughout his life is truly a happy man."

Mothers help children take a first step of life while teachers lead them to grow soundly. Therefore, the traits of remembering and being thoughtful of the alma mater and teachers, however high post one may have, parallels the wonderful personality of exerting efforts to repay the benefits shown by the motherland where one was born and raised.

The peerlessly great men showed noble examples of how to respect and uphold teachers.

President Kim Il Sung used to recall Shang Yue, teacher of Yuwen Middle School in Jilin. In his reminiscences "With the Century" the President set a title "Mentor Shang Yue" where he wrote that Shang Yue was his teacher who introduced Mother by Gorky and the Dream at the Red Mansion to him. He also wrote that they got on exceptionally well through books and literature and he sent his heartfelt gratitude to his old teacher. This was a token of heartfelt respect to his old mentor whom he had remembered for a long period over half a century.

Among the teachers the President always remembered and respected was Kang Ryang Uk, his teacher during the period of Changdok School. After the liberation of the country, the President had lots of people he wished to see and lots of friends he had to meet, but he first visited his old class teacher Kang Ryang Uk and impressively recalled music lesson during his school days. He said that those music melodies instilled lots of patriotic feelings into his mind and those songs gave great courage to him during the anti-Japanese armed struggle.

On his birthday after scores of years, the President visited his teacher's house to have a walk with him in the garden, arm in arm and to sing the old memorable songs, moving him to tears. It was in this noble world that Kang Ryang Uk actively worked at an important post of the country after its liberation and devoted his all to the independent reunification of the country and the successful accomplishment of the socialist construction in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, working as its vice-president until over 80 in the latter part of his life.

General Kim Jong Il also had his mentor whom he recollected after scores of years. On New Year's Day in Juche 84(1995) the General called an official to learn about the work of Kim Il Sung University. He said that Kim Il Sung University is his alma mater, and that now graduates from Kim Il Sung University play important roles in all fields of the country. Then after a minute of a deep thought as if recollecting the days of his revolutionary activities in the university, the General named an ordinary professor, saying that there are many competent teachers at the university. Recalling that the professor is one of the most competent teachers in the Faculty of Economics, the General said that he recently saw him on TV and that he looked older then. The General continued to say that the professor was one of teachers respected by him, in a voice full of trust, as if picturing the face of the grey-haired teacher.

The "respected teacher" was so significant words. Turning his eyes to an emotion-charged official, the General said in earnest tone that he is also a human being and human beings have to respect their teachers. He then continued that it would be better to send him a gold watch on which the august name of the President is engraved and his greetings also.

After a few days, there was a grand meeting of conveying the gifts to Professor Jon Yong Sik, old teacher of the great General.

The teacher, at the sudden glory, burst into hurrah and said out of his heart of emotion as follows.

"From the old times men who devote their enthusiasm like a burning candle for the future generations are called teachers. The respected General is kind-hearted father and great mentor taking care of the people all over the country, taking all of them to his arms. Educators living in the memory of the great mentor are the happiest men in the world."

The noble outlook on teachers of the peerlessly great men can also be felt in the touching story left by the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un sent New Year cards and birthday cards to his teachers, always remembering them.

One day, meeting officials of the People's Army, the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un asked them if they visit their school day teachers, saying that to look back on human history any great man and renowned man had teachers who thought them and that those who left great footprints in history and who did great things all respected their teachers. He continued to say that from the old days "one character-lifetime teacher" means a person taught one character to be respected as a lifetime teacher.

To love alma mater and to respect teachers – this noble outlook on teachers possessed by the peerlessly great men is an example we all have to learn after.