Keeping deep in mind the intention of his father that a man born in Korea must know Korea, the President made the 250-mile journey alone from Badaogou of China to his birthplace Mangyongdae of Korea at the age of 11.

One day when the President was nearing his graduation from Badaogou Primary School, his farther Kim Hyong Jik told him that it would be good to go to the homeland and continue to study there.

With a firm will to follow his father's intention, the President embarked on the 250-mile journey for learning on March 16, Juche 12 (1923).

The journey was difficult one beyond thought. Most of its course was steep and craggy mountains where no man lives and beasts are prowling after their prey even in full daylight.

During the journey, he witnessed miserable fate of the Korean people groaning under the Japanese imperialists' colonial rule.

Recalling those days, he wrote in his reminiscences "With the Century":

The profound meaning of what my father had said to me on my departure about learning about Korea came home to me. As I remembered his instructions, I closely studied my unfortunate homeland.

The 250-mile journey was, for me, a journey of learning about my homeland and my fellow countrymen.

Through the journey, the President made a firm resolve to rescue the plundered and oppressed Korean people by smashing the Japanese imperialists and liberating the country from them.