The First Statue of a Foreign National in Korea

At the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex in Hamhung, one of the major industrial cities in Korea stands a statue of Zhou Enlai, a distinguished leader of Chinese people. It is the first statue of its kind erected in honor of foreign national out of great moral virtue of President Kim Il Sung who was reputed for intense love and comradely fidelity.

Chairman Kim Jong Il said:

"Possessed of warm affection and an ennobling sense of obligation, the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, in honour of Comrade Zhou Enlai, made sure that his statue was erected at the Hungnam Fertilizer Factory, where he had made a speech before the workers on his visit to our country in February 1958. Recently he attended the ceremony of unveiling the statue together with Comrade Deng Yingchao."

President who always valued friendship with Chinese people from his early revolutionary activities established and deepened his friendship with Zhou Enlai on many occasions. Zhou Enlai, with unusual respect and reverence for Comrade Kim Il Sung always treated his teachings with courtesy and supported his ideas. President recalled Zhou Enlai at every opportunity and always carried him in his mind.

On January 8th, 1976 President was totally heartbroken at the sad news that Zhou Enlai passed away after long sick days. He recalled Zhou as a great proletarian internationalist who made an undying contribution to the Chinese and world revolution, Korea-China friendship in particular.

On Zhou Enlai's 3rd death anniversary President saw to it that a resolution of Politburo of Central Party Committee was adopted to build in Korea a statue of Zhou Enlai and a monument in the light of his exploits and friendship with Korea. This in turn led to the building of Zhou Enlai's statue inside the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex – an embodiment of President Kim Il Sung's profound ideas.

Later he noted that it was much more meaningful to have the statue built inside the fertilizer complex than in the countryside as it was where he delivered a memorable speech to the factory workers in 1958 on his visit to Korea.

Three years after Zhou Enlai's death his wife Deng Yingchao visited Korea on May 26th in 1979. President extended warm welcome to her beyond diplomatic convention as a president in the same way he treated Premier Zhou who was so close and kind to him. At a grand banquet in Kumsusan Assembly Hall he made a significant speech in which he spoke very highly of Zhou's exploits and noted that he would remain in our hearts as unforgettable revolutionary comrade.

Zhou Enlai who highly valued the hard-fought friendship between Korea and China established at the cost of blood under the banner of Maxism-Leninism and Proletarian internationalism spared nothing to assist Korean people's revolutionary cause and made wholehearted devotion to a good relationship between the two countries and parties. Although he passed away the traces of his friendship are clearly visible on this land and he will stay with us forever in our hearts as an unforgettable revolutionary comrade. From A to Z the speech was full of undying friendship of President who would never forget Zhou Enlai.

Without any rest after the banquet he left for Hungnam and looked around the statue and monument on 29th and 30th of May which were scheduled to be unveiled. In front of the statue standing on a white granite plain rock he gazed for a while at the image of Zhou Enlai wearing a fur coat with one hand holding a speech paper and the other half raised to acknowledge the audience before reading one word after another on the monument next to the statue.

Immensely pleased after reading the poem on the monument President highly praised the statue and monument, but he pointed out that the space for the statue and the monument was too small. In fact the statue and the monument were overshadowed in a small space by surrounding buildings as they were situated amongst several workshops. President made sure that readjustment was made to the environment before the unveiling ceremony by relocating some buildings to other areas to offer more space to the statue and monument. He personally looked into problems with readjustment work and took necessary measures to sort them out.

On May 31st the unveiling ceremony of Zhou Enlai's statue took place in the presence of President and Deng Yingchao's entourage. When the bright sunlight touched the statue which was being unveiled President asked Deng if the statue was carrying a real image of Comrade Zhou Enlai.

Deng said. "The statue looks marvelous. It is so life-like. Our country has not built him a statue yet, but President Kim Il Sung, a great saint has done it. I'd like to extend my heart-felt gratitude to you for the statue."

She was so moved to tears when she saw her husband's life-like image in Korea instead of China that she became speechless.

A big response was evoked in Chinese people by the news about Zhou's statue in Korea and all the Chinese visitors to Korea called on the statue only to be greatly impressed by President's noble virtue. The magnanimity of President who regarded Zhou Enlai as his memorable revolutionary comrade, a dear friend sharing sweets and bitters and closest brother touches everyone's heart and will shine forever on the road of Korea-China friendship.