Presenting His Only Winter Coat to a Soldier
It was one day early in February １９４０, when the main force of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army was conducting military and political studies at the Baishitan Secret Camp.
Comrade Ri Ul Sol, who was busy fixing a machine gun, heard that "Cholhyol", the organ of the Anti-Japanese Youth League, had featured a story about him.
The title of the article was "Warm Love for Comrade" and it dealt with a fine episode about Ri Ul Sol who offered his winter coat to a recruit during the Arduous March in the beginning of １９３９ and marched through the biting cold in his summer uniform.
Ri was so surprised because he, himself, had completely forgotten about it.
In fact, it was the order given by President
When he came to know about it, Ri recollected the day with surging emotions. ..
The march was still on.
Having yielded his winter coat to the recruit, Ri was marching through the bitter cold in his worn-out summer uniform.
Then, all of a sudden, he noticed a warm winter coat over his shoulders.
Turning around in surprise, he realized the President had taken off the winter coat and was putting it on him.
The President urged him, who was blushing and hesitating, to put the winter coat on, expressing concern over the coldness Ri might be suffering.
When Ri replied he was not cold at all, the President looked at him with a satisfied look that his heart warm enough to let him yield his coat to a recruit must have emasculated the coldness.
Then he repeatedly hurried Ri to wear the coat, noting that such warm comradeship kept in their hearts made them sure to win victory.
Ri couldn’t put the winter coat on, for it was the only winter coat the President had.
He would rather freeze himself to death than to do so.
As if he had read his mind, the President gazed at him for a moment and said he would not feel warm at all if he wore the coat whereas Ri was going through the coldness in unlined clothes.
He warmly requested to accept his sincerity, noting that they had love for comrades in common.
Looking up to the President, who personally put the coat on him, Ri became wrapped in tears of excitement. ..
Like this, leaving the story about his sincere love for an ordinary soldier behind, the President saw that the deeds of Comrade Ri Ul Sol were introduced in the paper.
This is just one of the touching anecdotes witnessed during the arduous anti-Japanese armed struggle.
As the revolution advanced by dint of such great love, it always won victory.
As the ranks were united with such love, they could tide over unimaginable ordeals.
Rodong Sinmun