The great father, endowed with warm love and ennobling spirit of making selfless, devoted efforts for the people, continues the long journey of devoted service for their well-being, making tireless thinking and efforts for them all the time. His sacred leadership reached the flood-stricken people again, redoubling their confidence in and optimism about the future.

Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, visited the flood-hit area in Uiju County of North Phyongan Province again on August 8 and 9, and took important measures for rehabilitation project.

Having organized an honourable campaign for providing the homeless people in the disaster-stricken areas with wonderful homes as soon as possible, he met the flood victims in Uiju County on August 8.

He was accompanied by Jo Yong Won, Pak Jong Chon, Kim Jae Ryong, Ju Chang Il and Han Kwang Sang, leading officials of the WPK Central Committee.

He was greeted on the spot by Ri Hi Yong, chief secretary of the North Phyongan Provincial Committee of the WPK, and the chairman of the provincial people’s committee, the chief secretary of the Uiju County Party Committee and the chairman of the county people’s committee.

On a hillock near a bank of the Amnok River overlooking an inundated island of Uiju County, he learned in detail again about the actual conditions of the flooded area, whose appearance began to surface, and gave important instructions for rehabilitation.

He stressed the need to expand and propel the rehabilitation project in a forward-looking and development-oriented way from the viewpoint that it is not merely an undertaking for removing the aftermath of natural disaster but a crucial issue of implementing the Party’s far-reaching regional development programme, and said:

In order to tackle the chronic vulnerability of the area that turns into a “reservoir” whenever it rains heavily, we should decisively raise the water-passage capacity. The hydraulic engineering and design sectors should take practical measures after making joint review in a scientific way the current state of the river banks and the flood-prevention capacity of Uiju County, which is bound to suffer flood damage whenever the water level of the Amnok River rises.

A radical change should be made by building a highly-civilized and modern residential district as good as the ones in city on this occasion of constructing new houses in the county. The county should be turned into an ideal “cultured rural city,” which is furnished on a high level with all the elements related to urban management, ranging from the supply of electricity and drinking water to sewage treatment in particular.

Then, he visited the tents, in which the flood victims are living temporarily, and warmly consoled them.

As they saw unexpectedly Kim Jong Un who visited their quarters in the sweltering weather, the flood victims broke into cheers of “Hurrah!” in tears of great excitement.

They thanked him, looking up in tears to the father of a large socialist family, who had driven his way through rough waters some days before to visit the flood-stricken areas and stayed there for a long time to rescue all of them from critical danger, and now visited their tents, bestowing paternal affection on them.

Sitting knee to knee with the flood victims, Kim Jong Un took meticulous care of their living, asking them whether they felt anything inconvenient, how their meals were provided and if there were any sick ones.

They replied that they feel nothing inconvenient as all necessary living conditions have been provided thanks to his boundless love and the whole country renders all-out assistance, expressing their single desire to live up to his great benevolence.

Saying that it would be hard for them to live away from home, he called on them to endure the difficulty a little more until the day when a paradise will be built on the ruins left by the natural disaster and they will lead a better life. He thanked them for invariably believing in the Party, adding rehabilitation is not so challenging as there exists such deep trust.

Feeding children with confectionery he personally brought and putting smart clothes on them, he said that seeing children he felt really encouraged and he learned more clearly for whom we should struggle and we should become stronger.

Feeling the warm parental affection of the fatherly leader, who talked with them for a long time despite sultry weather, warmly taking their hands to console them and redouble their confidence and courage, the flood victims, unable to repress their surging emotion, thrust themselves into his embrace, raising stormy cheers in tears.

The flood victims followed him step by step, reluctant to take leave of him. Telling them to go back, he promised to see them again the next day.

He met the flood victims of Uiju County again on August 9 to clarify the stand of the Party and the government related to rehabilitation, take crucial measures and console them.

He came by his train with the relief materials prepared by the Party Central Committee for the flood victims of the city of Sinuiju and Uiju County to ensure that they were conveyed to them.

He also authorized members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee to convey the relief materials to the flood victims in Jagang and Ryanggang provinces on the spot.

Cadres of the Party Central Committee handed over the relief materials to the flood victims.

The flood victims of Uiju County, who received the materials associated with his warm care, raised loud cheers of “Hurrah!” in tears, overwhelmed by deep gratitude and great happiness.

Kim Jong Un showed warm parental care for children, warmly hugging them in new clothes, caressing their heads and talking with them in whispers.

He made a consolatory speech before the flood victims.

In the speech he said:

I have come here again to acquaint myself with the situation in greater detail on the spot, reassign some tasks for the rehabilitation project and take additional measures of national importance, which would be helpful to you. I feel much relieved and greatly encouraged to see all of you in good health, showing no sign of inconvenience.

The people constitute the foundation and pillars of our Party and the state and the starting point and focus of all their activities. I take pride in the fact that the people place an absolute and unconditional trust in the Party and the government even in these days of harsh trials.

Kim Jong Un clarified the stand of the Party and the government on the issue of promoting the living of the flood victims and rehabilitation and the important measures to be taken, adding:

The Party and the state are concentrating all their efforts on the rehabilitation campaign. A powerful construction workforce, including service personnel of the People’s Army and young people, has already been deployed and the transport of rehabilitation materials is going on under an emergency system.

The most urgent issue arising in the period of two or three months before the housing construction is completed and their living stabilized is the one of life and education of children and students. Care, edification and education of them is the most important of state affairs that could never be given up even if the sky may fall in.

He then made public such an important measure as to put into operation an emergency system whereby during the restoration work all the students and other children of the afflicted families in North Phyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces are brought to Pyongyang to be provided with care and education in a safe and convenient environment entirely at state expense, and to offer in Pyongyang state-sponsored protective benefits to the old and sick, honoured disabled ex-soldiers and nursing mothers.

Kim Jong Un went on:

As everyone has their own personal problems, it is up to their intentions and decisions. But as these measures have been set as a top priority of the state, the Party and the government will take full charge and care of the health and life of the flood victims, who will come to Pyongyang, with utmost devotion and show them all sincerity.

The enemy is now persisting in their foolish attempt to abuse the flood damage suffered by us as a chance for tarnishing the image of our state, he disclosed, and branded their fabrications as a misleading propaganda and a grave provocation against the DPRK and an insult to the flood victims who are all safe and well, denouncing the enemy with the strongest terms and rhetoric.

There is no need to make educational materials exclusively as such a stark fact itself constitutes good educational materials for giving a clear understanding of what a disgusting clan the enemy is, what an extremely anachronistic mode they have employed in their fabrications and politically-motivated smear campaign, what a black-hearted intention they have, and why we call them enemy and human scum, he stressed.

Noting that we are facing a very important task to prevent natural disasters, which is more serious and urgent than the ongoing large-scale rehabilitation campaign, he set forth the tasks and ways for building up the national disaster-prevention capabilities, including the establishment of a prompt and orderly weather forecast system, proactive regulation and control of the factors vulnerable to natural disasters and in particular setting up of an integrated water control system in all units managing power stations and dams.

Expressing thanks to different foreign countries and international organizations for announcing their willingness to offer humanitarian assistance, he said what we set as the priority in all realms and processes of state affairs is the firm trust in the people and the way of tackling problems thoroughly based on self-reliance. The Party Central Committee and the government will rely entirely on the patriotic enthusiasm and courage of our people and the potentialities of our country in the ongoing rehabilitation, too, he added, and continued:

We have surely grabbed the chance of winning the ongoing rehabilitation by dint of nationwide concentration and all-people mobilization. The Party and the government will readily brave any challenges in order to accomplish without fail the tasks of the times, the historic tasks which they decided on and shouldered of their own accord for our great people and our future, and surely live up to the people’s trust with faithful service and excellent results.

The undying story, in which Kim Jong Un visited the flood-stricken people once again, consoled and encouraged them and took important state measures repeatedly for stabilizing their living and successfully carrying out the rehabilitation campaign, will be recorded in history as another legendary tale about his paternal love for the people etched in the great father’s journey of devoted service for them, and as a significant event that powerfully proves once again that the programme and policies of the WPK and the government of the DPRK are based on the people-first principle and adds vitality to the drive of the people all out in response to the Party’s call.