Anecdote

A Voyage Not Recorded in History

One day in November 1996, Kim Jong Il set out to see the soldiers defending Cho Islands in the West Sea of Korea.

Just as the speedboats were about to leave the port, a fierce wind blew up. The officials tried to dissuade him from sailing in such foul weather. But he insisted on boarding his boat, saying that the soldiers on the island were waiting for him and that he had never sailed with a fair wind.

The cameramen accompanying him got their cameras ready to record the history voyage. They were aware of their responsibility to show the people how arduous was the path their Supreme Commander was following.

But the ferocious waves struck the bows of the boats and tossed them up. In their boat, which was moving up and down almost vertically, the cameramen were unable to even to stand, and fell to the deck, rolling around and colliding with one another. Their cameras and camcorders were broken. They felt guilty, blaming themselves for failing to show the world the historic voyage.

But the moving scenes of that day could not be erased, even though they were not filmed by any camera. The scenes were imprinted on the hearts of the soldiers as they raised a cheer from the shore when they saw their Supreme Commander in his speedboat.

At the island, Kim Jong Il left the boat, saying, “The West Sea is more impressive than anyone says.”