On July 3 Juche 70(1981), President Kim Il Sung met an old priest from abroad.
He was Kim Song Rak, former president of South Korean Soongjon University, the only Korean who was paid annual salary from the US federal government as he was influential in the American religious people.
Reported that he came to Pyongyang never forgetting it, the President met him and called him a patriot setting great value on his national conscience to take the road back to patriotism for reunification though late. Afterwards, he arranged a luncheon in honor of him.
The President invited him to the table and asked if he had to pray before dinner.
Saying that he should never go against his obligation as an adherent he had observed in his life, the President urged the bewildered clergyman to pray.
Although he decided to cancel his praying to God there, he was quite moved by broad magnanimity and generosity of the President. So, he stood up and prayed for longevity of the President, the heaven-born great man, and for national independent reunification and complete sovereignty.
On the eve of his departure, he asked for a press interview and accounted his state of feeling just when he had prayed.
“I prayed because I could not decline his advice. I prayed wholeheartedly for President Kim Il Sung.”
