On April 28, 1998 Kim Jong Il visited a unit which had developed the technology of carving photographic images on stone and a carving machine by itself.
Taking a close look at the images inscribed by the machine, he was greatly satisfied with the technological success it had achieved.
He praised that image editing was done excellently with a computer, and advised that it would be better to raise the brightness of the images. Then he asked an official of the unit what they would do with the technology.
“We are planning to earn foreign currency by receiving orders from foreigners,” the official replied.
With a serious look the General gazed at the machine and images and said, “The technology should be used to carve the photographic images of our fallen heroes and other martyrs on the tombstones.”
He went on to say that the bereaved families would be pleased to see the photographic images on the tombstones. It is one of my long-cherished desires to inscribe the photographic images of our martyrs on the tombs in the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery and I am very glad now that I can realize this desire, he said. Then he stressed that the carving work should be done on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the DPRK.
Later, he visited the cemetery and looked round the tombstones on which the photographic images of the martyrs were inscribed.
He said:
“Now more than 300 martyrs have been enshrined at the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery. Supposing that every one of them has ten relatives, we will have more than 3 000 loyal people. This is more significant than earning foreign currency by receiving orders for the carving of photographic images. One million or ten million dollars earned from such orders cannot be compared to the 3 000 people who are truly faithful to the Party.”
