From late November 1937 the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army conducted a military and political training at the Matanggou secret camp.
One day when the training was at its height Commander Kim Il Sung acquainted himself with the studying results of some soldiers who were learning Korean characters for the first time.
The soldiers were at a loss to think that they were to be taught by their commander. However, moved by his generous personality, they unhesitatingly expressed their opinions on their studying.
One of them told Kim Il Sung, as he usually thought, that he wanted to do more shooting practice rather than trying to learn how to read and write so that he could kill more Japs.
At this, Kim Il Sung said: Those who are embarked on the road of revolution, arms in hand, cannot become genuine revolutionaries however good they are at shooting if you are ignorant of revolutionary theory. Even though you find it difficult to learn how to read and write, you must go through it and understand the truth of the revolution. Only then can you fight against the enemy more effectively.
His words made the soldiers deeply aware of the importance of studying.
Afterwards on they, just as their commander stressed, trained themselves politically, ideologically, militarily and technically through assiduous studying, regarding studying as a battle.
