The great leader Kim Jong Il devoted his all to strengthening the military power of the country till the last time of his life from the day when he started his leadership over the revolutionary armed forces in 1960.

The Korean people always remember the immortal exploits of Kim Jong Il who trained the Korean People's Army into a politically and ideologically strong army and invincible army and defended the country while making an uninterrupted long journey based on Songun (military-first) politics with his ardent patriotic devotion.

With His Original Songun Politics

Socialism collapsed in some east European countries one after another between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. As regards the tragic incident, the imperialist politicians and reptile writers advertised the "end of socialism" and resorted to the full-scale moves to isolate and suffocate the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

At the time when the destiny of socialism was at stake, Kim Jong Il enforced the original Songun politics to safeguard the well-being of the country and people.

Songun politics is a political mode of regarding the military affairs as the most important of the state affairs and defending the dignity of the country and nation and pushing ahead with the socialist construction as a whole with the army as the core and main force.

On January 1, 1995 Kim Jong Il inspected an army post in young pine woods and solemnly declared to the history and the world that Songun politics is the way that we should go.

Chol Pass in Kangwon Province hundreds of kilometres southeast of the capital city of Pyongyang is kept in the minds of the Korean people as a symbol of the Songun-based revolutionary leadership.

It has 99 curves along a steep ridgeway. Kim Jong Il crossed the precipitous pass early in the morning, deep at night and in all weathers.

One day, crossing the Chol Pass again, he said he crossed it 12 times and that it is the road dear to him and an unforgettable road.

Afterwards, too, he crossed the pass time and again to see soldiers of the People's Army.

Like this, he crossed the pass 18 times and gave field guidance to the People's Army units covering the distance of nearly 52,000 kilometres for five years from 1994.

His traces were left everywhere in this country--the sea route with raging waves to Cho Islet, the Panmunjom post where the enemy were constantly aiming their guns at us and high and rugged passes including Mt. Osong with 152 curves surrounded by sharp-cut cliffs.

The KPA could grow to be a powerful army with invincible might thanks to the Songun politics enforced by Kim Jong Il with a do-or-die will at the crossroads of destiny deciding whether to be independent guardsmen or slaves of imperialism.

Thanks to his original Songun politics, the Songun era, when the People's Army became the pillar and main force of the revolution, opened and the miracle of consecutive victories in the unprecedented struggle for defending socialism could be wrought.

Father of Soldiers

One of the secrets that the KPA was firmly prepared politically and ideologically and in military technique and can faithfully perform its mission is the blood ties between the Supreme Commander and soldiers.

Kim Jong Il always found himself among the soldiers. He visited any places where the soldiers were even though they were far and dangerous.

One day, he said: A lot of my sons and daughters are now defending the defence line of the country at the frontline posts. I should learn about the military service of my sons and daughters on the alert and encourage them. To this end, I should go to the front.

Kim Jong Il regarded the soldiers as his children beyond the military profession.

Whenever he inspected the People's Army units, Kim Jong Il would make the rounds of barracks, mess hall, subsidiary food store, wash-cum-bath house and the like to take good care of the life of soldiers.

When he inspected a unit of the People's Army in late November 2004, he learned in detail about the preparations for the winter. Going round the barracks, he earnestly said it is the duty of the Workers' Party of Korea to feed and clothe soldiers well and take care of them lest they should feel any cold even in winter.

As he always looked after the soldiers with parental feelings, he sent even tonic creams to the coast artillerywomen.

Indeed, Kim Jong Il was a benevolent father of the soldiers before their Supreme Commander.

The immortal exploits he performed for the strengthening of the revolutionary armed forces are shining in the history of the country forever.