An Hae Gum, E-library, Kim Il Sung University
2025.10.7.
The immortal traces of the President Kim Il Sung who devoted himself to the people during his lifetime were full of countless heartfelt stories about him and his time.
Chairman Kim Jong Il said:
"Under the motto, ‘The people are my God,' which he adopted when he was young, Comrade Kim Il Sung mixed with people, shared weal and woe with them and devoted his all for them, throughout his life."
It was in March, 1972, when President Kim Il Sung gave on-the-spot guidance on Kangwon Province. One day he suddenly asked a designer who was in charge of the design of the People's Palace of Culture to come round.
Although the designer was delighted to meet the fatherly leader in person, he felt deeply ashamed of not completing the design.
The roof of the palace was supposed to be designed in Korean style, but he didn't know how to do.
By the lunchtime he arrived at the accommodation where President Kim Il Sung stayed.
On the way back from on-the-spot guidance, President Kim Il Sung was told that the designer arrived and he met him right away without a break.
Saying that he called him to look at the roof of a house, President Kim Il Sung took him out.
He pointed to the roof of the house and said how good it looked.
It was a Korean-style tile roof and it was really nice to look at.
President Kim Il Sung said that the roof of the People's Palace shouldn't be treated in plain style and emphasized that it should be designed in various ways like the one of that house.
At that moment the designer felt something came into mind, and started drawing a sketch of that roof.
President Kim Il Sung, watching him alongside, said that it would be nice to do so, and tapped him gently on his back.
Then he advised him to design all the grilles in the Korean style so that the perfect match between the roof and grilles could be established.
President Kim Il Sung told him that he asked him to come there because of this and encouraged him to design it well. Then he looked at the watch and said he had to leave because he had a meeting in the afternoon. He also reminded him to leave after a meal and good rest. "You haven't had a meal yet, the President…" he was so overwhelmed that he couldn't finish what he was going to say.
President Kim Il Sung said that he was all right, asking him to have a meal without worrying about him, and then got into his car again.
Seeing him off, the designer was completely overwhelmed by the dedication of President Kim Il Sung who devoted his lunchtime to provide the people with a wonderful palace of culture.
As the story shows, President Kim Il Sung was a genuine people's leader who devoted everything for the people, not only Sundays and holidays but also even his mealtimes and nighttime.
