The Dream of a Soldier Realized

Story of the Dream of the Youngest Soldier of Our Company

This is the title of a pencil picture carried on the daily “Rodong Sinmun” published in Korea on July 24, Juche 94 or 2005. Readers could not take their eyes off the picture. They saw in the picture a young soldier smiling happily in his nap, his head on his arm laid on a hammer and in his dream, soldiers shouting: “General Kim Jong Il has come!”. It was a picture drawn not by a professional, but by an ordinary soldier. But the simple pencil picture, not a painting of national significance, was known to all people through the newspaper. Here is a meaningful story about it.

Hwang Chol Jin drew more than ten pencil pictures when he was a soldier in his company. The pictures were bound into an album titled: “Soldier´s Life”. The “Story of the Dream of the Youngest Soldier of Our Company” was one of them. The “Soldier´s Life” was like soldier Hwang´s biography in his fruitful youthful days when he learned about the revolution along with rifle and mastered revolutionary soldier´s faith and ethics and sentiments under the guidance of the brilliant Songun commander. The picture album is associated with the warm love of the great Kim Jong Il and respected Kim Jong Un who valued the talents of a soldier.

In his march of Songun leadership, respected Marshal Kim Jong Un received a report of a commanding officer that the pencil pictures drawn by a soldier were preserved in a company under his unit.

Marshal Kim Jong Un was very pleased, had the pictures fetched and saw them one by one.

He said:

General Kim Jong Il is most pleased when he sees pictures vividly depicting the soldiers´ life. Let us show the soldier´s pictures to him. The pencil pictures are not mere sketches, but art works of instructive and agitative significance. Today our times want such militant art works.

Later the soldier´s simple pencil pictures gave a great pleasure to Kim Jong Il.

Marshal Kim Jong Un was greatly satisfied with soldier Hwang Chol Jin who gave pleasure to the great Kim Jong Il.

He said the pencil pictures of the soldier are good works truly representing the noble mentality of the soldiers of the People´s Army. Especially the work “Story of the Dream of the Youngest Soldier of Our Company” vividly and impressively reflected the dream and desire of the soldiers of the People´s Army who want to meet Kim Jong Il, he praised.

Kim Jong Un said, fine art, too, along with music, must be militant art touching the heartstrings of the people with the bugle of general march and proposed making an album of the pencil pictures of the soldier. And he titled the album “Soldier´s Life”. The pencil pictures representing the precious experiences of an ordinary soldier in his military service were so simple that the drawer himself could not think that they would be printed as a picture album.

But in the pencil pictures the great Kim Jong Il and respected Marshal Kim Jong Un saw the patriotic faith and optimism of the soldiers and found a bud of talent germinating on the soil of revolutionary soldiers´ culture.

On the day the picture album was completed and published under the concern of Marshal Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il received the album presented by officials and wanted to meet soldier Hwang Chol Jin. But unfortunately, the soldier was far away, though his desire was to meet Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il. All regretted it.

Seeing them, Marshal Kim Jong Un meaningfully said, they should not be too regrettable.

The works of the drawer represent himself. Kim Jong Il saw his works many a time and talked about him on several occasions.

Through the drawings permeated with his soul, he met the great Kim Jong Il.

The dream of the soldier drawer who wanted to meet Kim Jong Il was realized through his picture album amid the meticulous concern of Marshal Kim Jong Un.

Later Marshal Kim Jong Un sent him to a professional fine art organization to fully develop his talents.

Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un saw that Hwang Chol Jin´s pencil pictures were printed in an album, saying with great pleasure that jewels are not on the ground, but underground and many talents are among the soldiers. Indeed, their bosom is the great father´s bosom embracing all the soldiers.