Juche

    It was midnight on June 2, 1983.

    After the first day’s itinerary in Beijing, leader Kim Jong Il told his suites to change the visiting programmes. He told them that it is better to visit the ancient palace after the local areas though it was planned in the afternoon of the next day, making them suggest it to the Chinese side.

    They did not know the reason..

    They only thought that a very urgent matter had been occurred because the leader decided to change the planned itinerary.

    However, the leader’s saying surprised them.

    Being anxious about the health of the Minister of People’s Armed Forces, an anti-Japanese revolutionary fighter, he noted that he had made a journey by train all the time since he left the homeland and the temperature in Beijing was expected to be increased more tomorrow. He stressed that we should treasure the veteran revolutionaries and take good care of their health, adding let’s postpone the visit to an ancient palace as he might feel inconvenience.

    His instruction moved the attendants.

    He worried about the health of the minister of the People’s Armed Forces, one of his suite and an anti-Japanese revolutionary veteran. He said that his suite traveled by train all day long since departing the country and, according to the weather forecast, the temperature of Beijing would be higher next day. He said that he might be toilsome and they should suggest postponing the visit to the ancient palace, adding that it is important to treasure veteran revolutionaries and take good care of their health.

    His suites were moved by his saying.

    When the suites were climbing a high mountain in Jingshan Park, the leader told the veteran to make it easy on himself and stay for a rest, asking whether he was hard to climb the mountain as the weather was hot.

    Departing the country, the leader had a nurse in attendance to take care of his health and a wagon for his personal use coupled to the special train.

    True to noble intention of leader Kim Jong Il treasuring and respecting the revolutionary forerunners, the suites suggested postponing the visit to the ancient palace to the Chinese side.

    It was an unusual request breaking the custom.

    Seeing for the first time the itinerary was changed by the leader for the sake of a veteran revolutionary’s health, the Chinese officials said that they had seen several times that leader Kim Jong Il helped the veteran revolutionary take on and out of the car before him. They said that the Korean people are lucky as they have tender-hearted Kim Jong Il as the leader.