Exploits Performed by Great President Kim Il Sung

The International Friendship Initiative “Explore DPRK”

Marta Grelak

Dear Friends,

As we all know, we will mark the 109th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people. The DPRK and also many countries around the world call his birthday as the Day of the Sun.

In fact, birth anniversary of any person who selflessly did significant things for the benefit of the others always is an important occasion. But the birth anniversary of the man who, without ever thinking about himself, dedicated his whole life to the struggle for freedom of his people and hard work for their happiness and who performed tremendous exploits for the cause of global independence and socialism, constitutes the occasion of the highest importance and the grand celebration of mankind. Thus, as April 15th slowly approaches, we, Polish friends of the Korean people, feel meaningful emotions and reflect on the great life of the eternal President of the DPRK.

When President Kim Il Sung was born, his motherland was under Japanese occupation. The Korean people were deprived of their country and ceaselessly exposed to extreme humiliation and mistreatment. He embarked on the road of fighting for national liberation at very early age, and after many years of brave and tough armed struggle, led the anti-Japanese war to victory against the 2 formidable enemy. During this war, his prominent wisdom, patriotic love for and boundless devotion to his country and people were fully shown, instilling fear into the Japanese imperialists. The foreign occupiers were so desperately afraid of the young but outstandingly able guerilla commander Kim Il Sung that they established a special unit tasked with killing him, however with no success. The Korean people accomplished the cause of national liberation by defeating the Japanese imperialists in 1945.

In just a few years after the liberation from Japanese colonial rule, the allied imperialist forces that were technically and numerically superior attacked the nearly two-year old DPRK. Many people around the world were protesting in various forms against this aggression. And for example Polish people organized mass rallies of solidarity with the Korean people under the slogan “Hands Off Korea!” and the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso created the protest painting titled "Massacre in Korea" in this way condemning the massacres committed by the imperialists against the Korean people. Progressives of the world worried over the destiny of the DPRK. However the world-startling thing happened. President Kim Il Sung led the struggle to victory again. Thanks to his brilliant tactics and strategies, the army and the people of the DPRK pushed back the invaders.

We deeply admire President Kim Il Sung, the liberator of Korea and legendary hero. Especially as the history of Poland is also connected with long struggle for national independence, what makes us feel even more close to Korean friends. However, leading the armed struggle for sovereignty, freedom and dignity of the Korean nation was just a beginning of his devoted service for the people.

Since the foundation of the DPRK, as the Prime Minister and then as the President, he energetically worked for the well-being and happiness of Koreans. People’s demands, interests and desires were the standard of all his policies and actions. He used to say that “The people are God”, and he applied this to everything he did. He always found himself among the masses, visiting every corner of the country to have frank discussions with them and take care of their livelihood. Although officials around him tried to persuade him to have some rest, he worked without a break as he regarded taking care of the people and seeing their happy looks as his rest. While spending his time among the people he always had a broad smile on his face, which looked as a reflection of his warm affection for them. With the patriotic affection he approached also his compatriots from the south. Peaceful reunification of Korea was the top priority task for him and he worked heart and soul for its realization.

There is no way to even mention any significant part of President Kim Il Sung’s numerous great exploits in a short text, so I didn't try. But I hope that it shows clearly enough opinion and feelings of me and of other Polish friends of Korea.

As the Poles, we can proudly acknowledge that our nation has a long history of friendship with the Korean people. It's worth noting that our country was the third in the world to establish diplomatic relations with the DPRK. From that day on, our two countries and nations were showing mutual friendship to each other on many occasions.

Back in 1950s and 1980s our country had the privilege two times to be visited by President Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean 4 people. Also Wojciech Jaruzelski, the leader of our country, visited the DPRK where he was welcomed with genuine and warm friendship.

Today too, we hope and expect that relations between our two countries that started more than 70 years ago, soon after proclamation of the DPRK, will develop significantly in the future in the mutual interests of the two peoples.

We are convinced that following years will be for the DPRK full of impressive development and victories, as it has respected Marshal Kim Jong Un who is carrying forward the idea and cause of President Kim Il Sung, the great founder of the people-centered state and the great Korean people who are closely united around him.

At the end, we would like to wish all the best to all participants of the seminar, and we hope that you will enjoy good health and happiness all the time!

Kind regards