“Comrade Kim Il Sung Is, Indeed, Wise Man”(1)
On his visit to Yugoslavia in the mid-1970s, President Kim Il Sung was accorded warm hospitality by President Josip Broz Tito.
At that time the Yugoslavian president presented his DPRK counterpart oil painting Liberation of Joice in 1943 and a chair as gifts.
The painting created by a noted artist who had taken part in the guerilla struggle depicted the emotional meeting of the soldiers of the people`s liberation army who liberated the mountain city of Joice with the citizens in November 1943. Yugoslavia designated the day of reunion as the day of turning point in the struggle against fascist Germany and its national day and annually celebrated it in splendour. And the oil painting had been preserved as an element of precious cultural heritage and as a pride of the country.
The Yugoslavian president presented the picture along with the chair to the DPRK President out of immense respect for him and earnest wish for his good health.
Tito said he did not regard those who were servile toward big powers as humans, adding Comrade Kim Il Sung was the only man he recognized as a leader in the world. As a token of great courtesy to the Korean leader, he made a special arrangement for a sightseeing tour of Lake Boin which was not included in the itinerary. In a heart-to-heart talk with him, the Yugoslavian leader told him about his history from his growth and development in childhood to the vicissitudes of his life during his protracted revolutionary struggle including unforgettable experiences.
Tito was so envious of the DPRK for advancing forward with pluck as it told others what it had to say without reading their face that he unbosomed himself, saying that although they were building a “socialism based on the self-governing system” against hegemony-seekers, they were distressed with all manner of pressure and slanders.
Then Kim Il Sung told him to the following effect: Each party has to arm its members with its ideology and policies and should not blindly follow the policies of other party. It does not go against proletarian internationalism for each country to properly carry on its revolution. We often say that if a man practises flunkeyism, he will become a fool; if a nation follows flunkeyism, the country will perish; and if a party adopts flunkeyism, it will fail in the revolution and construction. Now that communists of all countries of the world have long, rich experience of struggle, no centre is needed in the international communist movement. There can be neither a higher party and a lower party nor a “father party” and a “son party”.
Nodding approval, Tito said that his party would steadily maintain independence in the future and never become a “son party.”
Since then, whenever great power chauvinists interfered in the internal affairs of his country, Tito retorted that his party was not a “son party” and therefore theirs was not a “father party” as he kept to the independent stand.
“Comrade Kim Il Sung Is, Indeed, Wise Man” (2)
Former Yugoslavian president Tito visited the DPRK in August Juche 66 (1977).
At that time, the news about his tour was the focus of world media organizations in an instant. A British news agency commentated beforehand on his visit as follows:
“Strange to say, Tito is not only renowned both in socialist and capitalist countries but also influential among non-aligned countries. He is popular as one of the founders of the Non-aligned Movement and an advocate of ‘socialism based on the self-governing system`. Particularly, he is well-known as an ‘obstinate figure` of great self-respect who knees to no man in the world. What made Tito, last one of the great masters of the NAM, take a long trip to the Far East despite his advanced age? He is likely to meet with President Kim Il Sung of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea so as to discuss the matters on the NAM which is undergoing difficulties and find a solution to infusing fresh vigour into the movement.”
At that time, the NAM was in a crisis of dilemma. Tito writhed in agony as one of the initiators and veterans of the movement. One day, he told his aides that the only way out was to visit the DPRK and meet President Kim Il Sung.
His assistants asked him to think over his journey plan in consideration of his old age and bad health. Tito was 85 years old at the time.
I must meet Comrade Kim Il Sung without fail, he told them, adding no one can change this resolution.
At the meeting with Tito, President Kim Il Sung illumined the way to prevent the dissolution of the NAM, saying though the movement suffers from various difficulties, it is nothing but a temporary and partial practice.
Greatly excited by the meeting, he couldn’t fall sleep till late at night.
He told his suite members that Kim Il Sung is, indeed, a wise man. As he have done much work, coming generations will have no work to do. I became ten years younger in the DPRK. I don’t want to really leave this country.”
It was reportedly the first time for Tito, who is well known as an “obstinate figure”, to open his heart to his subordinates.
