It was late in the evening on September 3, 1999 that excitement was building across the country upon the breaking news about Jong Song Ok claiming the women’s marathon title at the Seventh World Track and Field Championships in Seville, Spain.
At a meeting with officials Chairman Kim Jong Il turned the subject to Jong Song Ok beginning to say with a big smile on his face.
After being told about our Song Ok’s triumph at the world marathon, I was too excited to get to sleep the whole night, and it is a huge accomplishment that she won the women’s marathon at the Seventh World Track and Field Championships, he said.
He added: Now the news of our marathon runner’s victory caused a sensation across the world, and Jong’s victory in the women’s marathon at the world track and field championships fully demonstrated before the world the spirit of Korea dynamically advancing to build a powerful socialist country against all odds.
Jong Song Ok had trained hard running the track of one of the most extreme sports through thick and thin. When asked about the secret behind her win, she said: “I ran picturing in my mind Kim Jong Il ’s image, the great leader of our people, and it served as the source of my strength.”
Through her words, the world realized what the single-minded unity of the DPRK is like—Jong proudly declared that her country precisely means Chairman Kim Jong Il and they would always emerge victorious as long as they are led by him.
The Chairman put her forward as a fine daughter of the DPRK who brilliantly adorned the 20th century.
Over one million Pyongyang citizens took to streets to welcome her, a commemorative coin “Marathon winner Jong Song Ok” was issued, and the government hosted a reception in honour of her, plus a Pyongyang mass rally.
Jong was awarded the titles of Hero of the DPRK and People’s Athlete. She is now secretary general of the DPRK Athletics Association.
Kim Hyok
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