True to the instructions of his father Kim Hyong Jik, an indomitable revolutionary fighter, that a man born in Korea must have a good knowledge of Korea, he left Badaogou of China in March Juche 12 (1923) for his birthplace Mangyongdae in Korea.

During the thorny 250-mile journey he witnessed Korean people suffering from the Japanese imperialists' colonial rule and hardened his will to destroy all those aggressors.

In the homeland he studied at Changdok School for two years, and learned and experienced much in those days.

In particular, he saw the popular masses' resistance against the Japanese imperialism and their unbreakable will for independence, and came to have firm faith that it is quite possible to liberate the country when the popular masses are well organized.

In his reminiscences "With the Century", the President said, "The 250-mile journey was, for me, a journey of learning about my homeland and my fellow countrymen."

Korean schoolchildren make the 250-mile journey on a regular basis as part of the work to learn from his revolutionary history and feats.