Soldiers Are All My Sons and Daughters

One March day in Juche 85 (1996), commanding officers of the Korean People’s Army earnestly asked Chairman Kim Jong Il who was about to set out on his inspection trip to KPA units to refrain from going to front-line units.

Turning down their request, the Chairman told them as follows: Many of my sons and daughters are safeguarding the defence lines of the country in the frontline posts. I need to learn about their military service to guard frontlines and encourage them. To this end, I must visit frontline units.

During his inspection of those posts, he looked round barracks, subsidiary food storehouses, wash-cum-bath rooms and others to take parental care of soldiers’ living.

This is not all about his love for KPA service personnel.

He made sure that coast artillerywomen were provided with nutirtional creams to keep their faces from chapping caused by sea wind and that musical instruments were sent to service personnel to help them always live in an optimistic manner.

There is also a moving story that he instructed high-ranking officers to relieve sentries so that he could have a photograph taken with all the soldiers.

Such stories tell of the warm affection of Kim Jong Il who regarded soldiers as his own children.