DPRK's History of Self-reliance (1)

Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- Self-reliance is a proud tradition of the Korean revolution.

Self-reliance has been carried forward as the great spirit and the banner of victory generation after generation in the long historic course from the start of the Korean revolution.

The DPRK people defeated two strong imperialisms in one generation and built Korean-style socialism on this land by giving full play to the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and fortitude under the guidance of the great leader and the great Party.

All the precious things they made are a product of self-reliance, and herein lies the unparalleled pride of the Korean people.

Yongil Bomb

The DPRK's tradition of self-reliance was created in the period of anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle under the leadership of President Kim Il Sung.

In the early days he embarked on the road of revolution, the President set forth a slogan "Arms are our lifeblood! Arms for arms!" and advanced a task that the Korean revolutionaries should make arms by their own efforts while wresting weapons from the enemy to arm themselves.

True to his intention, the Korean revolutionaries armed themselves by wresting weapons from the enemy everywhere and manufactured weaponry by their own efforts to fight against the aggressors.

The following is a story about bombs made by the guerrilla arsenal members under the guidance of the President in the early days of the anti-Japanese armed struggle.

When the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA) was formed in April Juche 21 (1932), it had no such destructive weapons as hand grenade needed to annihilate the enemy troops en masse.

The President decided to produce hand grenades by the KPRA's efforts and made sure that a small ironworks was built in Macun of the Xiaowangqing guerrilla zone. This ironworks with simple blacksmith's tools was recorded in the history later as the Macun Arsenal or the Xiaowangqing Arsenal.

Arsenals in guerrilla zones like the Xiaowangqing Arsenal turned out bombs by manufacturing gunpowder, in hearty response to the President's call for displaying self-reliance to repair weapons and make gunpowder and hand grenades.

The power of this bomb known as Yongil bomb was great. One bomb was powerful enough to wipe out tens of enemy troops in a barrack.

The Yongil bomb greatly contributed to enhancing the combat strength of the KPRA. -0-