In the days of building up the revolutionary armed forces, Chairman Kim Jong Il continued the endless road of his love for soldiers.
A promise with soldiers
One day in November Juche 84 (1995), Kim Jong Il called officials and said that it was already late in autumn, looking far out over the sky.
Then he told them as follows:
During my visit to the women’s coast artillery company, I promised the soldiers that I would come again in autumn when persimmons get ripe. The persimmons in the yard of the company may have ripened now. As I made a promise in the capacity of the Supreme Commander, I must have visited the company. But I failed to do so as I was pressed for time because of many complicated affairs.
You should go to the company on my behalf, and deliver my message that they should enhance their combat capability through intensive training in the future. Please make sure that the soldiers do not catch cold from the chilly sea wind as winter is coming.
In November Juche 86 (1997), two years after his promise, Kim Jong Il visited the Persimmon-Tree Company again.
Visiting a post at midnight
Late in November Juche 86 (1997), Kim Jong Il inspected several units of the People’s Army from early in the morning.
The day grew dark when he finished his inspection of a forward command post on a snow-covered height.
Noting that he has another place to visit, he asked his accompanying officials to go to a coast post.
Looking at them at a loss for what to do, he said as follows: Our soldiers are performing their duties in the face of cold wind at the seaside. We are now just around the corner of the company. What if we don’t meet with them as it gets dark? Let us hurry up.
The soldiers of the company were quite at a loss how to greet him as they were surprised by his sudden visit late at night.
Kim Jong Il exchanged greetings with the excited soldiers, saying that he was so eager to see them.
That day, he looked round several places of the company for hours to take parental care of them before leaving the company at midnight.
