Story of Going to a Rough Sea

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said:

"Bearing full responsibility for the political integrity and material and cultural life of the people and taking care of them has been a matter of paramount importance for our Party and a mission it cannot neglect even for a moment."

Chairman Kim Jong Il regarded the "The people are my God" as his motto throughout life and said that if there was an almighty being in the world, it was none other than people. Adding that it was his belief in patriotism that no country could exist without people and that we should do anything people wanted, he continued his way for the love of people.

One day in May, Juche 54(1965) Chairman Kim Jong Il called an official from Kangwon Province and asked him if he would go to sea together with him for a rest.

The official was very happy to think that if he was in the sea of scenic beauty, he would be able to relax himself from the fatigue even for a moment.

But his happiness didn't last long. When they reached the dock, waves were unexpectedly high. So the official suggested the Chairman putting it off to go to the sea.

Cheerfully saying that sea always has high waves and crests, he got on board and stayed on deck, holding the mast, irrespective of heaving and setting waves, instead of going into the cabin.

The official wondered why the Chairman was on board in such a rough sea, which even fishermen were afraid of, even though wind waves made themselves the superb view.

When the ship reached the mouth of a harbor, Chairman Kim Jong Il told the officials that there seemed to be a lot of fish, so it would be good to set a net there. Then he personally directed fishing, supervising the preparation for stretching nets. And when it was time to drew a net, he rolled up his sleeves and did it.

The officials repeatedly asked him to stop drawing the net personally, but in vain.

He said that it was useless to come to the sea without doing such a job and encouraged them to drew the net.

Seagulls flew around the ship, and fish, as big as forearm, made a quick rise gleaming with silver scales.

The Chairman often picked up jumping fish for the officials elated with work and informed them of the kinds of fish such as saury and bullhead.

Then another net was thrown into the sea to catch much fish.

He told them who were delighted to catch a plenty of fish that it was not true that the sea was lack of fish, which was proved with two rounds of seining.

Only then, could they realize that he had been on a rough sea to make them find their faults, who failed to pay attention to fishing in spring and summer under the excuse that the sea wasn't rich in fish.

Seriously pointing out that it was neither lacking of fish in the sea nor lacking of fishing boats or implements and fishermen's efforts that they failed to provide people with fish in full measure, he said the problem was that the senior officials from fisheries were seized with a mania for speculation, thus failing to be active in organizing the work to catch fish as much as possible in a various way, which meant they were lack of the spirit of serving people.

The Chairman continued that he did not believe the words by some officials that the sea was not rich in fish; but because not a few people said so, he himself went to the sea to confirm it as well as making others do so. He said that he was convinced of the fact that small-scale fishery was never trifle but one of the important projects to be adhered to for providing people with enough fish.

He said that the proper organizing of small-scale fishing would make it possible to give people delicious fish without limit, and that a set-net should be spread where it was good and a gill net and long line should be available to the suitable seas. He added that the development of a variety of small-scale fishing such as set-net, gill net, long line, seine and angling enabled fishermen to catch much fish and that deep-sea fishing and medium and small-scale fishing should be combined perfectly to catch more fish.

Having respect towards him, the officials were deeply impressed with his instructions that they should fulfil their duty bearing in mind the spirit of serving people devotedly, instead of reproaching them for their irresponsible work attitude that was not befitting master as the officials who were in charge of people's livelihood.

Indeed, thanks to the warm love for people by Chairman Kim Jong Il who was willing to go to a rough sea for providing them with fish as much as possible with boundless devotion and irrespective of fatigue, Korean people's dietary life is improving as days go by.