Miracle Produced by Human Love

October 26, 1980 was recorded as “death day” in the history of marine transport of the world.

A Japanese expert in marine transport described what had happened on “death day” as follows:

“Early in the morning of October 26 the air current in the west Pacific changed unexpectedly. The change gave rise to a strong typhoon as never before.

Scores of 10 000 or more ton class ships went to the bottom while passing the area.

In the waters near south Korea beyond the typhoon center alone more than 740ships disappeared.”

That day, however, a ship passed the typhoon area safely. It was “Samjiyon”, a passenger ship of the DPRK.

Then, how the ordinary passenger ship could remain unharmed in the raging storm that submerged even over 10 000 ton class ships?

It was associated with human love of leader Kim Jong Il.

It was early in the morning of October 26 that the passenger ship “Samjiyon”, carrying a home-visiting group of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, in a fierce typhoon center as never before in the history of marine transport.

The ship sent a telegram saying: “4 front windows of the cabin on the third floor broke, cabin flooded, ship halted, danger”

Informed of it, Kim Jong Il called up an official and asked how many people were aboard the ship in distress.

Replied that there were nearly 400 Korean young people coming from Japan to their homeland, he asked once again where the ship was sailing at that time.

Answered that the ship was 150 miles east off Wonsan city, he immediately called officials concerned to take an emergency measure to save the ship.

There was formed a relief command, a flying corps and vessels of the Korean People’s Army were immediately set in motion and 20 000 ton class cargo ship “Tumangang” left for the typhoon area, carrying many surgeons and relief apparatuses.

The technicians who had participated in the design of the ship “Samjiyon” tried to find a way to prevent the ship from sinking.

Even organizing such a large operation to save a ship in distress, Kim Jong Il was not relieved.

The strong wind blowing scores of meters per second and high waves were keeping the planes and vessels from approaching the “Samjiyon”. Kim Jong Il feared the crew and Japan-resident young Koreans might lose their faith.

 Kim Jong Il said to officials that as the ship was able only to sail 5 miles per hour, it might sink before meeting a relief team and so the passengers themselves should make efforts to prevent the ship from wreck.

He also stressed the need to command the ship with composure and confidently strive to prevent the ship from sinking.

Informed of the instruction of Kim Jong Il by wireless, all the crew and passengers unhesitatingly drove the ship, bailing water out of the ship by dint of different pumps.

Just at that time planes and naval vessels arrived.

Escorted by them, the “Samjiyon” sailed towards the motherland safely.

Like this, the warm human love of Kim Jong Il produced a miracle on “death day”.

Today his human love is carried forward by Marshal Kim Jong Un, supreme leader of the DPRK.