Kim Jong Un Visits Samjiyo’n

Kim Jong Un visits the area near the KJI statue in Samjiyo’n County, Yanggang Province. Also in attendance are Yanggang WPK Provincial Committee Chairman Ri Sang-wo’n [a] and WPK Vice Chairman and SAC Vice Chairman Ch’oe Ryong-hae [b] (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).

KJU’s last observed appearance was his observing and commanding ski combat exercises of a mountain warfare infantry element subordinate to KPA Unit #1045

DPRK state media reported on November 28 (Monday) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) visited the Samjiyo’n area in the northern part of the country.  Also in attendance were Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Vice Chairman and State Affairs Commission Vice Chairman Choe Ryong Hae [Ch’oe Ryong-hae], WPK Finance and Accounting Department Director Kim Yong Su [Kim Yo’ng-su] and Ryanggang [Yanggang] WPK Provincial Committee Chairman Ri Sang Won [Ri Sang-wo’n].

Kim Jong Un pays his respects with senior cadres at his father’s statue in Samjiyo’n County in photos which appeared on the bottom right of the cover of the November 28, 2016 edition of Rodong Sinmun (Photos: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Kim Jong Un tours the area near the KJI statue in Samjiyo’n County in a photo spread which appeared top-center of page 2 of the November 28, 2016 edition of the WPK daily organ Rodong Sinmun (Photos: KCNA/Rodong Sinmun).

Kim Jong Un and senior officials tour the Samjiyo’n County House of Culture in photos which appeared on the bottom left of the cover of the November 28, 2016 edition of the WPK daily newspaper Rodong Sinmun (Photos: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Jong Un’s tour of Samjiyo’n began with he and his travel party paying tribute to the statue of his father, late DPRK leader Kim Jong Il (Kim Cho’ng-il).  He moved onto the Samjiyo’n County Hall of Culture where was briefed about its management and operation.  He enquired how the Samjiyo’n County Art Propaganda Squad “working regularly,” how “films are shown” and “how photo exhibitions are organized.”  He underscored the “need for the hall to organize brisk socio-political activities and mass cultural and art activities to make a positive contribution to firmly equipping the people and school youth and children with the Chuch’e idea and So’ngun [military-first] revolutionary idea of the Workers’ Party of Korea and preparing them as persons possessed of versatile knowledge and cultural attainments.”  Jong Un was “so kind as to promise the Party would send equipment necessary for managing and operating the hall.”

Kim Jong Un poses for a commemorative photograph with DPRK children who go to the Samjiyo’n County Schoolchildren’s Palace. In attendance are WPK Central Committee Department Director Kim Yo’ng-su [a], WPK Vice Chairman Ch’oe Ryong-hae and Yanggang WPK Provincial Committee Chairman Ri Sang-wo’n (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).

Photo spread of Kim Jong Un watching a local sports club practicing skiing and his touring of various places at the Samjiyo’n County Schoolchildren’s Palace which appeared on the top of page 3 of the November 28, 2016 edition of the WPK daily newspaper Rodong Sinmun (Photos: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Jong Un moved onto the Samjiyo’n Schoolchildren’s Palace.  Whilst “watching the portraits of smiling President Kim Il Sung (Kim Il-so’ng) and Kim Jong Il (Kim Cho’ng-il) displayed on the frontal wall of the palace, he was pleased that their portraits were displayed with due respect so that the members of the hobby groups of the palace might always watch them who loved children so much all their lives.”  He toured the exhibition rooms focused on revolutionary history and institutional history of the schoolchildren’s palace.”  He remarked that the “historical materials showing the noble love of the great leaders for the younger generation and future are the treasures to be handed down to posterity” and called “for effectively conducting education through their immortal leadership exploits and training more talented children so as to eternally add shine to the noble intension of the great leaders.”  He toured the school children’s palace including the “room for math group, the room for automobile group, gymnasium, the room for narration group, the room for mass political activities, the room for IT group, the room for fine arts group, the room for national musical instrumental group and theater.”

He praised the schoolchildren’s different activities groups “for being good at tractor practice and editing multi-media, successfully playing various musical instruments, singing and drawing well and playing with balls well.”  He told them to “work hard so as to become competent builders of socialist Korea.”  He said that “it is the Party’s duty and mission to realize the noble intention of the great leaders who said there is nothing to spare for the children” and told officials “to spruce up the palace in such a manner as to be the one to be proud or before the world” and “show such profound care to go down in history.”  He issued “important instruction which would serve as guidelines for managing and operating the palace.”

Photos which appeared on the bottom of page 3 of the November 28, 2016 edition of the WPK daily organ Rodong Sinmun depicting Kim Jong Un’s tour of the Samjiyo’n County Schoolchildren’s Palace (Photos: KCNA/Rodong Sinmun).

According to state media reportage, members of various activities groups of the schoolchildren’s palace “vied with each other to run into his arms” and “shouted ‘Fatherly Marshal!  We have longed to see you.” Jong Un replied, “I have come to you as I wished very much to see you.”  He embraced the children and posed for commemorative photographs with them.  He said “there may be some schoolchildren and teaching staff who might feel regretful for missing the happy event of photographing.”  Jong Un waited on these people to gather and posed for commemorative photos.

Kim Jong Un tours dorms in the camp for visitors to revolutionary sites in Samjiyo’n in photos which appeared on the bottom left of the front page of the November 28, 2016 edition of the WPK daily organ Rodong Sinmun (Photos: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Kim Jong Un tours a camp for visitors to revolutionary battle and historical sites in Samjiyo’n County, Yanggang Province in photos which appeared on the bottom right of page 2 of the November 28, 2016 edition of Rodong Sinmun (Photos: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).

Kim Jong Un’s final stop was the camp for Visitors to Samjiyo’ng Revolutionary Battle Sites.  He toured the camp’s revolutionary history and institutional history and said that “historic relics and mementoes on display alone clearly tell what deep attention the great leaders paid to helping officials, party members and other working people deeply grasp the revolutionary traditions of the WPK.”  He toured various parts of the camp and was briefed about its construction and operations.  Jong Un called upon “the officials and employees of the camp to creditably fulfill their mission and thus made a positive contribution to helping the visitors know well about the history of the resistance struggle waged by Kim Il Sung (Kim Il-so’ng) despite all sorts of hardships and deeply grasp the revolutionary spirit of Mt. Paektu, the eternal foundation of the WPK” and “promised to make sure the Party would directly provide means necessary for educating the visitors.”

Kim Jong Un watched Sajabong Sports Team participate in ski training.  He said that “it is good to make the school youth and children ski a lot in the snowy areas such as Yanggang Province…skiing is a very good exercise for physical training and redoubling courage and bravery.” He issued “important tasks for turning Samjiyo’ng County into a grand open-air museum for educating people in the revolutionary traditions, exemplary unit in potato farming and an icon which fully realized the comprehensive mechanization of agriculture and indicated specific ways for carrying them out.”