The traditional relations of friendship between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Islamic Republic of Iran have been consolidated and developed steadily on the road of realizing the common cause of independence against imperialism. Recorded in the page of this history of the DPRK-Iran friendship is also the visit to our country by the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran 30 years ago.

President Kim Il Sung personally met the Iranian parliamentary delegation led by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the then Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, when it had visited our country on September 14-18, 1981. At the meeting, he expressed full support to and firm solidarity with the victory of the Islamic revolution of Iran and gave full encouragement to the Iranian people in their just struggle to build a new independent society.

For that reason, the Speaker, after having met with President Kim Il Sung , said with an emotional voice in a press conference that H.E. President Kim Il Sung gave an active support to the Iranian people in their struggle to consolidate the Islamic revolution of Iran and to oppose imperialism and showed his great appreciation of the Islamic revolution of Iran as the popular revolution and as the anti-imperialist revolution.

Defense Minister of Iran, who met President Kim Il Sung together with the Speaker, said that President Kim Il Sung gave them very valuable teachings that are all just and fair. A journalist from the Newspaper of Islamic Republican Party of Iran, who was accompanying the delegation, highly praised President Kim Il Sung as the greatest and prominent leader in the world.

During the visit to our country, the Speaker and the members of delegation paid a visit to the native home of President Kim Il Sung in Mangyongdae and looked round several places in the city including the Pyongyang Metro. During the tour, they could hardly refrain from their feelings of admiration and wonder by the greatness of President Kim Il Sung as well as by the marvelous successes achieved by our people under his leadership.

Indeed, President Kim Il Sung is a close friend of the Iranian people and a sage of humankind who rendered unstinted support and encouragement to the Iranian people in their struggle to safeguard the sovereignty and the gains of the Islamic revolution while paying a deep attention to the development of friendly relations between DPRK and Iran which were forged in the joint struggle for independence against imperialism.

Many years have passed since then. However, the immortal feats of President Kim Il Sung performed in the development of the friendly relations with Iran and in the cause of independence against imperialism will shine forever along with the friendship and unity between the two countries.

Korea-Asia Association