Dwelling House First and Power Station Second

People were always deeply seated in the heart of the great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il, who made lifelong devotion for his people with the idea “The people are my God.” People’s demands and interests were the criteria and starting-point of his all thinking and practice and he made any concession on no account. When formulating a line or policy he first considered the aspiration and demand and regarded it iron rule to resolve them.

Following is an example to prove it.

One March day in 2006 he visited the construction site of Samsu Power Station in a northern alpine area of the country.

That day it was very cold with a strong wind. However, he never hesitated to inquire into the actual condition of power station under construction. Then, all of a sudden, he asked the officials what measures they had taken for the problem of the dwelling houses of the residents who had lived in the submerged area.

They replied that proper measures were not taken to this end as the project of power station was under way.

He said with a serious look: I came not only to get a firsthand knowledge of progress of construction of the Samsu Power Station but also to learn about the problem of dwelling houses of residents who would be evacuated from the districts to be inundated; as for the project of Samsu Power Station, two fronts, in other words, the construction of power station and dwelling houses for evacuated families should be given to a strong push simultaneously; priority should be given to the construction of dwelling houses of evacuated families before finishing the project of power station and producing electricity.

And he learned that if the power station was brought to completion, nine ris would be submerged in water and if residents of 4 900 households, who were living there, would be evacuated, it would be 15 000 persons even if three persons belong to each household. So he had an immediate measure taken to this end. He stressed that as it was obligatory for the state to provide the people with dwelling houses in our country, the Cabinet should take full responsibility for this work.

In a short span of time over 150 villages were newly built and residents were provided with excellent houses better than their old houses.

When the evacuated families moved to new houses he had colour TV, quit, blanket, winter coat, various kinds of clothes and daily necessities including utensils sent to each household.

Not only the evacuated families in Samsu but also all the people in other parts of the country lived under an affection and care of Kim Jong Il.