Ready Always

June 6 is the anniversary of the Korean Children’s Union. In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea eight-and nine-aged children join the KCU. On the day of admission they put on a red necktie, and they shout “Ready Always!” in response to the call of “Always be ready for our socialist country!” The reply is a manifestation of their unanimous determination to prepare themselves fully as dependable reserves representing the future of their socialist country. Through the organizational life in the union they understand the value of their parents and brothers and their home and grow up as true and proud persons who will work faithfully for the sake of the country and the people.

Emulating the Spirit of the Children Corps

The Children’s Corps was a children’s political organization formed in many rural areas and guerilla bases during the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle led by President Kim Il Sung in last century. It involved bereaved children of revolutionary martyrs and sons and daughters of workers and peasants aging between 8 and 15 who loved their country, had a strong hatred for the enemy and were determined to fight bravely against the enemy. The members of the Children’s Corps waged a devoted struggle for national liberation in support of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army, holding high a revolutionary banner of “Let us always be ready for independence of Korea and liberation of the world proletariat!”

Countless heroes were produced among the members of the Children’s Corps. Kim Ki Song, a child hero of the anti-Japanese struggle, died a heroic death after saving people in a guerrilla zone. In his reminiscences With the Century President Kim Il Sung recollected that Kim Kum Sun had died at the age of nine, but that she is immortal. And at the last moment of his life Jon Ki Ok shouted to the enemy just before his execution asking that he be killed not with bullets but with bayonets and that the bullets saved be sent to the guerrilla army.

Emulating the noble spirit, members of the Korean Children’s Union sacrificed themselves for the country during the Fatherland Liberation War in the 1950s. So Kang Ryom, Ri Hon Su and Rim Hyong Sam died heroically without succumbing to the enemy’s brutal torture and threat with death, and a young girl Jo Pong Ok readily met her end, keeping the badge of the Children’s Union in her bosom.

Their spirit is still alive. Yu Hyang Rim, a nine-year-old girl, saved portraits of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il at the cost of her life at a crucial moment, and Ri Chang Do and Ri Kum Song died a glorious death while putting out a forest fire. They were of different ages, but they were all young patriots who laid down their lives for the Party and the leader, the country and the people. Etched in the mind of the KCU members, their exploits recorded in the history of the Korean revolution go down generation after generation with the schools called after their names.

Sunflowers Turning Towards the Sun

On June 6, 1946 Kim Il Sung attended a joint meeting of children’s organizations in Pyongyang held to form the Korean Children’s Union. At the meeting he wished the children grow up healthily as treasure and master of a new Korea and work hard at their studies to be heroes in establishing a new democratic Korea. He suggested the slogan “Always learn and be ready for  new democratic Korea!” In his congratulatory message addressed to members of the Korean Children’s Union on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its foundation on June 6, 1971, he concluded his message by “Always be ready to be reserves of communist builders!”

Chairman Kim Jong Il took a tender care of the children even in the hard time of the Arduous March and the forced march, true to the intention of the President who had called them king of the country and looked after them warmly. A lot of legendary tales have come, including the anecdotes about soya milk vans and a verse of a song reading The General to the front and the children to a camp.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un said that to the Workers’ Party of Korea and the country, the dear KCU members are treasures more valuable than billions of tons of gold and represent the hope and future of Korea. He takes all necessary measures to bring them up as pillars supporting a prosperous future Korea.

The schoolchildren are growing healthily as genuine KCU members, just as sunflowers turn towards the sun, true to the ideology and intention of the President, the Chairman and the Supreme Leader. At schools, schoolchildren’s palaces, camps and other education facilities built up under the scrupulous concern of the leaders, they are learning to their heart’s content and training themselves physically and spiritually to become staunch, full masters of the future.

They are working hard with an ambition and zeal to become masters of a sci-tech power. They try hard to be model KCU members who love their organizations, the collective and fellows, respect their teachers and elders, take an active part in sports and socio-political activities, treasure their hometown, every single blade of grass and every single tree in their country, and do good things for the sake of society and the collective, the country and the people.

Under the blessings of the Supreme Leader the schoolchildren are nurturing great dreams.