Recorded in the history of the Fatherland Liberation War (June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953) is the battle of assaulting Height 351 which was fought according to the operational and tactical plan of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung .

The height, located in Kosong County, Kangwon Province, was not well known.

At that time the US imperialist aggressors, attaching special importance to the height, built a strong defence line there for more than two years in a bid to use it as a base for preparing a new large-scale attack. They desperately tried to infiltrate into the front and push deep into the territory of the DPRK through the flank of the units of the Korean People’s Army in cooperation with their units landing on the east coast of Korea.

To cope with the prevailing situation, Kim Il Sung convened an operational meeting of the KPA Supreme Headquarters in early May 1953, at which he issued an order to conquer the height, a stronghold of the enemy.

He underscored the need to take complete control of the height, which was of significance in operational and tactical terms, thus throwing the enemy into disadvantage and confusion and taking the initiative all along the front more firmly.

True to his order, the 2nd Battalion of the 53rd Regiment of the 7th Infantry Division of the 7th Corps of KPA conducted a month-long simulated drill for capturing the height in the valley of Sujong Peak near the front.

At 1:00 am on June 2, the KPA soldiers launched an attack on the height under the cover of volleys of artillery fire. They captured the height in only 15 minutes in the face of a hail of bullets fired from the enemy heavy-machine gun pillboxes, barbed wires and mines.

As the day broke out, the enemy tried to regain the height by sending many warships, artillery and planes, only to be frustrated by the KPA soldiers.

Thus, the enemy schemes to attack the flank of the front and threaten the rear from the coast ended in a complete failure, and the military and political situation on the front turned in favour of the KPA.

On June 5 Kim Il Sung received a report on the successful offensive on Height 351 and sent a congratulatory message to the combatants. He also saw to it that 14 combatants including Kim In Thaek, Kim Ryong Thaek, Ju Sang Ha, who blocked the enemy’s pillboxes with their chests to open a way for the unit to advance in the battle, were awarded the title of Hero of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The 15-minute-long battle to capture Height 351 is recorded as a shining example in the world history of war. It still inspires the Korean people with conviction in sure victory.

Ham Kwang Hyok