Korea Ever-Victorious with Independence!

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October 10 is a historic day in the history of Korean revolution. On that day in 1945, the glorious Workers' Party of Korea was founded in the initiative and leadership of the Great Leader President Kim Il Sung. Marxism-Leninism and the Juche Idea were the strong ideological support of the Great Leader while leading the armed guerrilla struggle against the Japanese colonialism from its inception to the grand victory in August 15, 1945.

We are marking the 75th anniversary of the historic day, the 10th of October, by organizing a thought-provoking Seminar on the undefeatable idea, which has been enabling the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to be ever-victorious in its struggle.

I want to cordially thank both of the host organizations, the "Organizing Committee of the International Festival in Praise of the Great Persons of Mount Paektu" and the "Indonesia-Korea Friendship and Cultural Exchange" for choosing a timely topic for the Seminar and wish it a grand success.

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The Paektushan is the cradle of Korean revolution. From the later-half of the 1930's till the first half of the 1940's, it was the hot-bed of the Korean revolutionary activities against the Japanese colonialism. In the lap of Mount Paektu, the highest peak of Korea, and within its dense forest, a Secret Camp of revolutionaries was maintained, where Comrade Kim Jong Suk, the Heroine of the anti-Japanese armed guerrilla struggle served from the summer of 1941 to the spring of 1943. The Secret Camp was the Headquarters of the armed guerrilla struggle led by Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung. It was also the rearing-ground of the great Juche Idea, fountain of the spirit of Independence and the core ideology of the great Kimilsungism and Kimjongilism.

Comrade Kim Jong Suk was not only an accomplished fighter, she was the most dedicated, faithful and loyal warrior of the Korean revolution and the Great Leader of the revolution. Comrade Kim Il Sung and Comrade Kim Jong Suk were also a dedicated revolutionary couple who inspired and helped each other in realizing the Korean revolutionary cause. Amidst the thunder of gunfire, freezing cold and difficulties, she gave birth to a baby boy in a log cabin of the Secret Camp in February 16, 1942. He was so reared, cultivated and trained by the revolution that he emerged as the "Shining Star" over Mount Paektu, the faithful successor to the Korean revolution. He was none other than Comrade Kim Jong Il, the Eternal General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea.

The three great revolutionaries-the Great Leader President Kim Il Sung, the Eternal General Secretary Comrade Kim Jong Il and the Heroine of the anti-Japanese armed guerrilla struggle Comrade Kim Jong Suk had been inspired by the serene, patriotic and revolutionary spirits of the Paektushan and have contributed tremendously to the Korean revolution. So they have been lovingly revered by the people of the world as   "the three Great Persons of Mount Paektu".  It is a honor to the Seminar that one of the host of it, the "Organizing Committee of the International Festival in Praise of the Great Persons of Mount Paektu".

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As it has become an undeniable fact that Korea, particularly the DPRK, has been marching ahead to its revolutionary cause ever-victoriously with independence based on the Juche Idea under the invincible leadership of peerless Supreme Leaders, it requires us to visit the history of Korea and its revolution to understand the reasons behind the fact, well. So I want to enter into the topic from the historical background. Korea is one of the glorious ancient countries of the world, which has a history of over five thousand years. The ancient Korea was surrounded by the three great feudal powers - Russia, China and Japan. It had to face their intimidations and rivalries over its territory and independence. The unique geographical location of Korea had also induced big power- worshipping and flunkeyism in its feudal monarchist elites.

In later years, western powers also came to join the rivalry. The intimidations by and the rivalries among these big-powers and the power-worshipping and flunkeyism together with the persistent separatist tendency in the monarchist feudal elites, brought about fragmentations of Korea, time and again in the past. The last Korean Empire (1897-1910) was pressurized to end the independence of one of the oldest nation of the world, Korea.

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Although Korea in the past had been a bone of contention among Asian as well as European powers, Japan had been much covetous of its. It invaded Korea with thousands of army and navy and plundered it for 7 years from 1592 to 1598. Time and again wars between Russia and Japan, and those between China and Japan were fought in the territory of Korea.  At last, Japan´s covetousness candidly revealed through the "Gatzura-Taft Agreement" signed between Japan and the United States in July 29, 1905 which divided Korea and Phillipines respectively between them.

Korean people of all classes and strata valiantly resisted through various forms the interferences, aggressions, occupations and atrocities upon the fatherland inflicted by the Japanese colonialists since the fall of 16th century.  After the imposition of the "Treaty of Protectorate" in November, 1905 by Japan, furious patriotic people organized a "Volunteer Army" and started a resistance movement.  After the forcible dissolution of the Korean National Army by the Japanese colonial authorities in August 01, 1907, many soldiers and officers of the dissolved army collectively raised an  "Independent Army" and joined the anti-Japanese "Volunteer Army" to combat the colonialists. In such a situation, democratic minded Korean intellectuals launched a patriotic "enlightenment movement" aimed at the reforming the country in modern line and driving the Japanese out. They were hopeful of getting support from the Western countries, which was spurned off.

While the western powers brazenly trampled upon the aspirations of democratic minded Koreans, the imperialist Japan finally annexed Korea in August, 1910. The beefed up suppression by the colonial Japanese authorities resulted in the hatred and wrath of the Korean people.

A country- wide Civil Movement had been launched since the 1st of March 1919, proclaiming the independence of Korea and demanding Japan to behave accordingly. The act as such was not only denied but also brutally crushed by deploying Japanese military and naval armies and other armed forces. But the Civil Movement turned into a Civil Uprising continued for nearly two months. More than 1500 demonstrations were organized across Korea and nearly two million people participated. In course of suppression, the Japanese authorities, using their armed forces killed 19,500 and imprisoned 47,000 civilians.

After cruelly quelling the resistances against the annexation, the Japanese colonialists turned Korea into a killing-field and an open jail; destroyed its language, culture, heritages and identity; plundered its wealth and resources; and enslaved as non-paid or low-paid workers and "comfort- providers"; and conscripted as cannon- fodders millions of men and women, boys and girls, and even the middle, as well as old-aged Korean citizens.

Thus the pious cause of the early anti-Japanese Nationalist Movement survived only by the activities such as: the existence of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea formed in 1919 in Shanghai China; the Independence Army´s attack against the Japanese forces at Cheonsangri in 1920; the student agitation of June 10, 1926; numbers of clandestine anti- Japanese activities in Korea and abroad; and a few sporadic anti- Japanese protests.

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The experiences of almost fifteen years (1905-19) proved that neither the monarchist feudal gentry nor the bourgeois elite dependant-upon the western nations for support, could lead the people´s patriotic resistance against the Japanese colonialists successfully ahead. In such a bewilderment as to where Korea should be led, salvoes of historic Russian October Socialist Revolution of 1917 reached Korea spreading new rays of hope. It hugely contributed to the change of the character of the Korean nationalist movement from the bourgeois sectarian to the broader progressive one.

On this background, the Communist Party of Korea was formed in 1925 and subsequently got registration in the Commenter. But as there emerged several Communist Party-groups having divergent views and bitter squabbles among themselves as to get the registration, the Commenter in 1928, expelled the Communist Party of Korea also.

The cruel suppression by the colonialists, many serious internal drawbacks of the communist party- groups and the failure of having strong roots among the people were the factors that rendered the early Korean Communist movement as well, to a complete fiasco.

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Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung was born in a patriotic revolutionary family in April 15, 1912. His father, Respected Kim Hyong Jik was a patriotic independence fighter, enlightened by the ideals of historic Russian October Revolution. He was instrumental to the transformation of the Korean nationalist movement into the Communist-led national liberation movement. Mr. Kim Hyong Jik was more a teacher and leader to the young  Kim Il Sung, than a father.

Comrade Kim Il Sung plunged into the Korean independence movement with sincere patriotic sentiments since his teen-age and would do practical works for independence rather than enter into an unending polemics. He was deeply influenced by the Russian Socialist Revolution. The Marxist world-outlook enabled him to comprehend well the national and international situation, learn from the failures of the national independence movements of the past, take into account the Korean peculiarities seriously and develop an innovative orientation to correctly carry ahead the struggle for independence.

Comrade Kim Il Sung organized the "Anti-Japanese People's Guerrilla Army" in April 25, 1932 to carry forward the armed struggle for independence started by the patriotic predecessors. He implemented a policy of building party committee within each revolutionary army unit, which would build such committees wherever possible in the localities also. These committees would be guided from the top by the party committee built in the highest command of the revolutionary army. It was a timely innovative policy of party- building in the peculiar situation of Korea.

In course of advancement of the struggle, he founded the "People's Revolutionary Army of Korea" under his supreme command in 1934 by reorganizing the people's guerrilla army units. Afterwards, the "Fatherland Restoration Front" was established in his Chairmanship in May 1936 and its "Ten Points Charter" was made public. Those timely steps made the independence struggle popular. It gradually spread across the country and among the Korean communities abroad and gained strength through arduous struggle and sacrifices.

In the favorable international situation created by the victory of Allied Powers over the fascist Axis - Powers including Japan in the global level, the Korean guerrilla armed struggle against the Japanese imperialism, won victory in August 15, 1945. Subsequently, the revolutionary Party, which mainly remaining inside the revolutionary army-structure, led the revolution to the victory, turned out into the glorious Workers' Party of Korea in October 10, 1945. Completing all due procedures, the DPRK was established in September 9, 1948 as well. And, we are all familiar with the development of the Korean revolution, under the leadership of the Workers´ Party of Korea, consecutively headed by the great leaders, Comrade Kim Il Sung and Comrade Kim Jong Il, and at present by Marshal Kim Jong Un, through the ever- victorious march.

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Deep studies of the  Marxism- Leninism, the  historic Russian Socialist Revolution, the history of Korea, especially  the achievements and failures of the earlier armed struggles for independence and own revolutionary activities had made the young revolutionary Comrade Kim Il Sung a matured leader by 1930. In the joint meeting of the cadres of the Young Communist League and the anti-imperialist Youth League held in Kalun in June 30- July 2, 1930, the young revolutionary leader Comrade Kim Il Sung his opinions. They have been considered, not only in the context of the Korean anti- Japanese struggle but also in the Korean revolution, as a course- changer and historic. Later on, especially since December 1955, the stand, ideas and spirit put by       Comrade Kim Il Sung and accepted by the Kalun meeting have been acknowledged as the origin of the great Juche Idea.

According to Comrade Kim Il Sung: since the annexation into the Japanese empire, Korea had been its colony. By then, the Korean society had already been rendered into a semi-feudal one. The anti-Japanese armed struggle was a national liberation struggle having an anti-feudal bias, making it a part of national democratic revolution. It was the objective condition of Korea then. The following happenings such as: Korea's geographical location surrounded by three great powers; the existence of monarchist feudal gentry and foreign- dependant bourgeois elites in the Korean society and their oscillating, weak and dependant role in the anti-Japanese nationalist movement; and the dogmatic and surfacial role played by the self-styled communists in the anti-Japanese national liberation movement in the 1920's, constitute Korea´s  peculiarities.

The wisdom, creativity and contribution of Comrade Kim Il Sung in the creative integration of Marxism- Leninism in the Korean revolution have manifested in his clarity in identifying the objective condition and peculiarities of the then Korea and making correct principle, strategy, tactics and policies of the anti-Japanese armed struggle complying with them. The stand and spirit upheld in the said integration and the philosophy behind them have been collectively ascribed as the basis of the Juche idea.

The Juche idea was created in course of responding the practical needs of Korean revolution. It advocates the sole reliance on the people to make revolution. Therefore, going among the toiling masses and all anti-Japanese patriotic Korean people and educating, organizing and mobilizing them for revolutionary activities and for resources needed for them, were the primary elements of Juche in the revolution. It upholds independence, self-responsibility and self-reliance in revolution and in construction, as well. It opposes dependence on others in both cases. Therefore it rejects big power-worshipping and flunkeyism. Juche believes in innovations, not in blind imitation of others.

The philosophy behind these beliefs is that man is the most important and deciding factor in the world. Man is a social being who processes creativity and consciousness and who has social and political integrity and spirit of independence. If aroused, educated, organized and mobilized man, collectively can accomplish any feats for any righteous cause. Thus the Juche Idea is the man-centric idea, as well as the Idea of self-reliance.

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Thus, the Juche Idea not only complies with the Marxism- Leninism, rather it has developed the later, mainly in two aspects:

(i) Juche Idea has guided and contributed to the localization of Marxism-Leninism in the Korean context, by correctly responding to the objective conditions and peculiarities of Korea.

(ii) It has reinforced the historical role of the people, as ascribed by Marxism- Leninism as the motive force in the change of the human society and the nature as well, by expounding the role of man in a scientific way. Thus Marxism- Leninism and the Juche Idea jointly have become a powerful ideological weapon to defeat the enemies and obstacles and push ahead the Korean revolution and construction ever-victoriously.

Juche idea has many aspects. But here we will concentrate only on the aspect of independence, over which the Juche Idea also has put great importance. Only a few points are mentioned below:

(i) To establish Juche in the ideological work of the Workers´ Party of Korea in the revolution and construction is the first and foremost task for the ideological independence of the Party, government and the entire people.

(ii) The Independence in politics denotes that the people must have an independent and sovereign state to ensure the political independence of the party, government and each citizen of the country.

(iii) Only self-sufficiency in the economy of the nation will strengthen the independence and sovereignty of the country. It will also enrich the material base of each citizen's independence, as well. Self- sufficiency in the national economy spurs the independence of the state and the citizens, as well.

(iv) Self-reliance in defense of the nation is the fundamental principle for the safeguard of independence and sovereignty of the country. The WPK and the state have unflinchingly implemented this Juche orientation in the sphere of national defense.

The WPK, government, armed forces and entire people of the DPRK have been remained resolutely united around the Supreme Leader of every period, and at present, around the Supreme Leader Marshal Kim Jong Un, to implement the line, policies and decisions of the Party as well as those of the government, which are based on Marxism-Leninism and the Juche Idea, now the integrated Kimilsungism and Kimjongilism. The spirit of Juche-based independence has guaranteed the victory of the Korean people against every kind of adversaries

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There are several glaring examples of assertion of the Juche-based independence enacted by the Supreme Leader of the country at different period. Each of such assertion of independence has contributed to the safeguard of the independence and sovereignty of the country and ever-victorious march of the Juche- socialism and the growth in the people's livelihood.

Here are a few contemporary examples to cite:

(i) Although the DPRK was very close and friendly to the Soviet Union, the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung always refused its idea of "limited sovereignty" and never entered into the Warsaw Pact (May 14, 1955-July 01, 1991) and the COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, Jan. 05, 1949- June 28, 1991) both led by the Soviet Union, rather he led the DPRK to participate in the non-aligned movement from its inception. Thus he saved the independence and ultimately, the existence of the country.

(ii) Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung propounded the great policy on the reunification of the imperialist- divided Korea. It is the policy of INDEPENDENT and peaceful reunification of Korea without foreign interferences. It is valid still today and will remain valid in future also.

(iii) After the sad demise of the Great Leader President Kim Il Sung (July, 1994), when the Korean people were in a deep grief, there befell a series of natural calamities comprising of severe droughts and floods. In such a difficult time, the US government betrayed the "frame-work agreement" concluded in October, 1994 with the DPRK on the so-called nuclear issue and the strengthening peace in the Korean peninsula. The US side ignoring its obligations, began pressurizing DPRK to unilaterally implement the agreements. At the critical hour, Supreme Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il, courageously decided to oppose the one-sided implementation of the agreement and resolutely implemented of the "Songun Policy", withdrew from the NPT (Jan. 10, 2003) and upgraded the defense capabilities of the DPRK  to counter the US military threats. DPRK emerged successful and developed nuclear deterrent for self-defense.

(iv) Although the imperialist threats had been mounting, DPRK resolutely persisted in strengthen its defense capabilities. After assuming the Supreme Leadership of the DPRK, Marshal Kim Jong Un took bold decision to develop the powerful deterrent against US threats. Although the US government tightened economic blockades one after another and began stern verbal attacks against the DPRK and the Supreme Leader, the successful tests of the powerful deterrents such as ICBM´S for self-defense compelled the US President Donald Trump to sit for dialogue in Singapore in June, 2018 with the Supreme Leader Marshal Kim Jong Un. Although, the US President Trump did not remain sincere to the Summit-consensus, Marshal Kim Jong Un has adopted a double-edged policy of strengthening the deterrent power against the US and simultaneously strengthening the national economy in the spirit of "self-sufficiency in economy" to provide good life to the people. This has frustrated the U S designs of jeopardizing DPRK.

These are a few examples of the assertions of independence by the Supreme Leaders of the DPRK, which brought successes to the Korean people.

In the conclusion, I want to repeat that the correct independent policies and decisions made by the Supreme Leaders through the process and basing on the invincible and time-tested Kimilsungism and Kimjongilism and their resolute implementation; and  the rock-firm unity of the Party,  government, armed forces and the entire people of the DPRK around the Supreme Leaders, now around the Supreme Leader Marshal Kim Jong Un are and will remain the decisive factors behind the ever-victorious march of the Korean people.

Thanks!