A Holiday Spent with Children

January 24 in Juche 101 (2012) was lunar New Year’s Day.

On this holiday, unlike in previous years, Mangyongdae Revolutionary School was in a gloomy mood since it was the first following in death of General Kim Jong Il.

The children were all standing by the windows with longing for the fatherly leader.

At the news that Kim Jong Un was coming to the school, they, together with all the teaching staff, ran out into the courtyard.

Saluted by an officer of the school, he extended his congratulations to its officials on the occasion of lunar New Year’s Day.

Noting that he came to see the children of revolutionary martyrs at the school, he said:

Although I have many places to visit on lunar New Year’s Day I have come to this school first, thinking that the children must be feeling depressed yearning for the General. This is the first lunar New Year’s Day since his death. So who else but I should greet the holiday together with them in place of their parents?

The children raised loud cheers, stamping their feet. They all cried, recalling the benevolent image of

President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il.

Kim Jong Un waved his hand to the children who were cheering in tears. He came up to a boy and stroked his face with both hands. Wiping away tears from his eyes, he asked the boy if he was not cold. Then he did the same to some others, holding their cold hands in his. It was a moving scene, indeed.

He said to officials: The children’s hands are very cold. The great leaders loved our children and it is intolerable to have their hands frozen. They should put on gloves as soon as possible.

The children could not keep back their tears as they were impressed by his paternal care.

They were reminded of the snowy day when the General had visited their school and shown close concern for their living conditions.

They were now in firm belief that to them, lunar New Year’s Day would remain a holiday of hope and happiness thanks to the warm care shown by the peerlessly great persons of Mt Paektu.