Bruno Kreisky, the then Honorary Chairman of the Socialist Party of Austria and Vice-Chairman of the International Socialist Party, visited our country to meet President Kim Il Sung in September, 1986.
There is a story that is associated with his decision to visit our country, the politician who was once the premier of Austria and was also known as someone not bowing to anyone.
He once suffered a fatal disease that resulted in the paralysis of both his legs. Though he received treatment from renowned physicians, he was unable to walk. Being a ski addict, he asked the physicians to help him respond to the call of nature unaided at least.
In the meantime, he was told that the traditional Koryo therapy of Korea could be of special curative effect for his disease. He then visited the DPRK Embassy in Austria and revealed his intention of getting Koryo therapy.
When reported of this, President Kim Il Sung promptly dispatched competent Koryo physicians to Austria and even saw to it that all the relevant measures related to the treatment are covered.
With the devoted nursing of our physicians, Bruno Kreisky could at last walk on his own. He then, in the limelight of the world, visited Pyongyang without being supported to express his gratitude to President Kim Il Sung who granted him, the man who had almost been reduced to a cane-dependent invalid, an opportunity of rebirth.
When he met with President Kim Il Sung, he offered with respect his thanks to him, saying that he could walk on his own thanks to the therapy of the physicians personally dispatched by His Excellency President and that his life was granted again by the President.
President Kim Il Sung said with a broad smile that it is a moral duty as a human being to help sick people, quoting the old saying “medicine is a benevolent art”. He also said he was pleased to see him walking again and affectionately asked him if he could go skiing now.
Kreisky said that he will endlessly boast that he could ski again.
Kreisky who was fatally pronounced to be “an eternally disabled person with paralyzed legs” could walk the streets with great strides again and even spend the rest of his life enjoying skiing.
