Chairman Kim Jong Il on a Russian tour visited Khrunichev space science and production centre.
As he familiarized himself with its research facilities one by one, he asked the guide if it was the Mir space station, pointing at a facility. The guide answered “yes” to the Chairman who noticed it at a glance.
He observed the exterior of the space station for a while and proposed mounting the bay. After getting a glimpse into the interior, he nodded knowingly, though the guide had not yet explained Mir to him. And he proceeded to detail the internal structure as he indicated every component.
The guide and Russian scientists were amazed by the knowledge of the Chairman who explained the principles of operation, as well as the internal structure, of the space station, which can be claimed to be the quintessence of science and technology and a synthesis of cutting-edge technologies.
That is why a Russian official said with excitement:
“Although I already knew that Comrade Kim Jong Il is a man of extraordinary caliber with an extensive knowledge of all fields, I didn’t know that he is conversant even with space science. He is an extraordinary genius, indeed.”
