Kim Jong Il, eternal General Secretary of the WPK
June 19, 1964
On June 19, 1964, 49 years ago, Kim Jong Ilstarted working at the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
Already in those days, Kim Jong Il demonstrated noble virtues as befits a people’s leader and ambitious plans as befits a successor to the cause of socialism.
“I Will Work together with You in the Same Office”
The day when Kim Jong Il started working, officials, who had received him at the Central Committee of the WPK, guided him to an office arranged for his exclusive use.
The office was a simple room furnished with two desks, a conference table, some chairs and cupboards.
After looking the room, he said that it was not necessary to prepare an office for his own exclusive use, and that he would work in an office with others.
When the officials asked him again to use the room prepared for him, he said in a resolute tone:
“You give me special treatment, but I am not a particular being. I am the same as you, a faithful soldier of President Kim Il Sung. I will work together with you in the same office.”
He then started his work at an ordinary desk in the same office with other officials.
“Revolutionaries Are Apt to Breathe in Air at Dawn Earlier than Others.”
Kim Jong Il worked for a breath of fresh daybreak air, he said to the officials in the following vein: I feel relieved of my fatigue, taking in fresh morning air. Many people appreciate the first air at dawn, but there are few who do so, like us.
Looking round the officials carefully listening to meaningful words, he went on to say:
During the days of the anti-Japanese armed struggle Commander Kim Il Sung would burn midnight oil to map out grand plans for the liberation of the country, and then treading on the morning dew, take in fresh air earlier than any others. Even after Korea’s liberation (August 15, 1945), he would sit upon all night, engaged in the building of a new society, and was the first one to greet a new morning.
He then said that revolutionaries were apt to breathe in fresh air at dawn earlier than others.
“Let Us Develop Our Party into the Eternal Party of Comrade Kim Il Sung!”
While taking a walk in the garden with the officials, Kim Jong Il happened to look at the flag of the WPK fluttering at the top of the Party Central Committee building.
He recollected in deep emotion the history of the revolutionary activities of President Kim Il Sung associated with the Party flag, and said in the following vein: The flag of our Party is symbolic of victory and glory and of the revolution; it has witnessed every description of rigor of fierce struggle; the history of the Party’s flag began since President Kim Il Sung organized the Down-with-Imperialism Union on October 17, 1926 and held high the red flag of revolution.
He solemnly said to the officials to this effect: From now on, we must fly high the red flag. The revolutionary cause that we are carrying out is the one pioneered by the President, and it is my long-life duty to develop our Party into the eternal party of comrade Kim Il Sung.
