culture

Everyone has been touched by the news that security men of the Rahung branch public security station of the Riwon County Public Security Department of South Hamgyong Province rescued a boy who fell into icy lake water.

“It was a very cold mid-January day. Choe Kum Chol, security man of our Rahung branch public security station, was going on patrol that day, too. At that time he suddenly heard an urgent shout that a boy was drowning and discovered the boy struggling to get out of a water hole of a frozen lake. Choe jumped into the icy water without hesitation,” said Kim Sang Chol, head of the branch station. 

According to the women of the village who witnessed the situation, Choe Kum Chol inched his way to the boy breaking the ice layer with his fists, lifted up the drowning boy and turned toward the shore. He swam desperately, going below and above the water surface, but with the boy on his shoulders to keep him from submerging in the lake water.  

At that time another security man Ri Chol Min came rushing to the shore and dived into water. When Ri approached him, Choe pushed the boy toward the hand extended by Ri, instead of stretching out his hand. At that moment Ri hesitated, because he could not turn back leaving his comrade-in-arms in dire state behind. But he swam toward the shore holding the boy in his arm at the thought that not only his comrade but the boy his comrade rescued at the risk of his life might die if he hesitated. With the passage of time Ri became unable to move his arms and legs properly, but forced his way toward the shore inch by inch, breaking the ice layer desperately.  

Ri managed to come out of water with the help of the rope cast by the other security man who arrived later and lost consciousness after seeing the boy breathing out his breath.

But Choe Kum Chol could not be saved.

Everybody has one and only life.

His comrades and villagers say that if Choe had a selfish streak, he would not have declined the saving hand extended to him in a pressing danger and sacrificed his life for the little boy who was a stranger to him.    

People were reluctant to part with the admirable man who faithfully fulfilled his duty at the cost of his life.

The news of the self-sacrifice by the security man spread rapidly throughout the village and an endless stream of residents visited the venue of the mourning ceremony arranged in the branch station day and night.

Among them was the boy rescued by the security men.

When the boy entered the sorrow-laden venue with a guilty mind, Hong Sun Sil, wife of the late Choe, stroked his head and unexpectedly gave him new padded clothes.  

Hong said that she prepared the clothes for him at the thought that her husband, if he were alive, might have given new padded clothes to the boy who had fallen into icy water. Looking at her, mourners wept copious tears. 

Many people, who saw a video showing an endless stream of visitors to the venue of the mourning ceremony and throngs of people following his bier crowding the paddy and non-paddy fields, embankments and roads and who read a newspaper article about him, paid high tribute to the security man, a genuine human immensely faithful to his duty.