The First President of Kim Il Sung University Enjoys Eternal Life

The great leader Generalissimo Kim Il Sung paid deep attention to the teaching staff of Kim Il Sung University since its inauguration and took good care of their work and life. Thanks to his warm care, many teachers and professors enjoy everlasting life after death. Professor Ho Hon, the first university president, is one of them.

Since Prof. Ho Hon was appointed as the president of the university, the first of its kind in the liberated Korea, the great leader cared more about his health rather than his responsible duties and did everything for him.

On June 11, 1949, the great leader visited Mr Ho's house with the anti-Japanese guerilla heroine comrade Kim Jong Suk to celebrate his birthday. After he congratulated Mr Ho, he mentioned that it was a pity not to have the professor's 60^th birthday celebration due to a great number of complicated affairs. He promised warmly that he would organize a 60^th birthday party for the professor the following year.

Keeping this promise deep in his mind, the great leader provided Mr Ho with the birthday food on June 11, 1951, even in the midst of the flames of war while he spent day and night at the commander's table in the Supreme Headquarters for mapping out the military operations. The following day the Supreme Commander had a meeting with the members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee. Finishing the meeting, the Commander informed them that the previous day had been Mr Ho's birthday but he had been too busy to call on him to say happy birthday. He was glad to have all the members present and invited them all including Mr Ho to the professor's birthday lunch at the commander's house.

On August 17, 1951, the great leader received the sad news that the university president had been sunk, all of a sudden, deep into a river and the body had not been recovered. He was heartbroken and distressed more than anyone else, and earnestly urged the army soldiers to search for the body of the late professor to the bottom of the Chongchon River.

At the report that the professor's body was found the great leader took a measure to bring it up to Pyongyang to be kept in the underground theatre of Moran Hill, one of the safest places in those days.

On the funeral day he himself became one of the pallbearers at the front of the funeral procession from the underground theatre out to the hearse.

In the afternoon the great leader came alone to the professor's grave at the foot of Moran Hill and found that the site was nice but might be destroyed by the US bombings. He felt very worried and decided to move the grave to a safe place in Mt Taesong.

It was a boundless love and care of the great leader for the late professor, which was incomparable neither to the height of the heaven nor to the depth of the sea.