It was one day when Kim Il Sung was busy with the building of the regular revolutionary armed forces succeeding to the anti-Japanese revolutionary tradition. Kim Il Sung had a meeting with the officials concerned to give valuable instructions related to the issues arising in building a new country for a long time.
At that time, an official said that he was told that Kim Il Sung used the art of shortening distance when fighting against the Japanese imperialists in the vast Manchurian plain and requested Kim Il Sung to tell the story. The officials expressed sympathy with clapping of hands.
Wearing bright smile on his face, Kim Il Sung complied with his request.
Explaining that the Anti-Japanese Guerilla Army could defeat the Japanese imperialists as it enjoyed active support and encouragement of the people while maintaining close ties of kinship with them, Kim Il Sung told the following story.
… It is not a mere accident that we used the art of shortening distance. Such legend came into being as the Anti-Japanese Guerilla Army had close ties of kinship with the popular masses to fight by relying on them. The Japanese imperialists used to dispatch army and police in secret after learning where we were from secret agents but the people informed us each time how many, from where Japanese armed forces appeared and which valley they attacked. Receiving such information from the people, we convened a meeting of the commanding officers of the unit to prepare detailed plans for battle. We ambushed ourselves at an important position to give a surprise attack to the enemy and concealed ourselves if necessary. Accordingly, the enemy used to be annihilated or proved fruitless whenever they attacked us. The Japanese imperialists were unaware of the fact that we had employed curious tactics in close relations with the people, insisted that we were appearing from where and disappearing into where while using the art of shortening distance. In fact, it is impossible for a man to do so.
When Kim Il Sung concluded his story, all the officials expressed great admiration as if they had promised to do.
Laughing a hearty laugh, Kim Il Sung said to them… If we used the art of shortening distance, it belonged to the popular masses. Everyone can use the art of shortening distance by appearing and disappearing suddenly if they devote their all for the sake of the country and the people and have close ties of kinship with the people.
Loud applause of admiration was made again.
The popular masses’ art of shortening distance!
It can be created only by Kim Il Sung who held the people as the God and teacher.
