It was in July 1981 that Choe Tok Sin came to the northern half of Korea in order to visit his father’s grave in his lifetime, saying goodbye to his past though belatedly. He had been standing at the firstline of anti-communism as the minister of Foreign Affairs and adviser to the Ministry of National Unification in south Korea.
On hearing Choe Tok Sin’s visit to his homeland, President Kim Il Sung saw to it that he first visited his father’s grave and personally met him. (Choe’s father was Choe Tong O, headmaster of Hwasong Uisuk School.)
When Choe met the President, he felt sorry for his past, and atoned for the wrongs he had done in the past. The President said that he felt it grateful that Choe had made a decision to wipe the slate clean and devote his whole for the country’s reunification.
Impressed by the magnanimity of the President, who valued the unity of the nation and tolerated his indignified past, Choe spoke highly of the President, saying that he was a great man in the present era just like God worshipped in the Chondoist faith, adding that he would direct his every effort to the patriotic work of national reunification.
The President entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of the Vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea. When he was suffering from illness, the President took all necessary measures for his treatment. And when he died, the President saw to it that his remains were buried at the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery, where his father’s remains lie.
