The origins of Songun politics date back to the mid -1920s when president Kim Il Sung founded a new line of struggle against the Japanese military occupation ( 1905 - 1945 ) based on revolutionary armed struggle.
The turning point in the development of the Songun idea was the leadership of Kim Jong Il, initiated by the visit on the inspection of the Seoul Ryu Kyong Su 10th Guards Tank Division of the Korean People's Army on August 25th of 1960.
In later years, Comrade Kim Jong Il, developed the Songun idea into a complete system and enriched them with many revolutionary concepts and theories. Considering the Songun doctrine on two planes, ideological and social, it should be noted that both areas are very interconnected and intertwined in the socialist state of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ( DPRK )
The links between ideology and social politics are very closely related, just as ideology plays a service role for society in the socialist system.
First it is worth explaining what the Songun doctrine is not. The enemy of the people of Korea, Western propaganda presents Songun as a military idea hostile to other countries and of a decidedly offensive character. The Songun idea is not a threat to any country in the world, in the sense of the theory that prepares a military attack and unjustified aggression. The concept of the Songun theory, is a defense concept that defends the socialist state system and on a larger international scale to oppose world imperialism and support international liberation movements from colonial oppression.
The principles of the Songun idea explain the special position of the people's army, and the assumption that this army represents the communist party, the state and the masses of the people. This position is the position of the army as a leading force in the struggle for the independence of the popular masses.
Considering the position of the Songun idea in the ideological sense, in Marxist scientific terms, when analyzing the conditions of economic and socio - historical development of concrete country, one should state that history may repeat itself principally but not in detail, and the transition of various nations to socialism gives rise to undoubtedly different forms of power of the working class.
Considering the Songun doctrine as great achievements and significance theory of the XXI - age, says in ideological terms, in Marxist terms, it is an example of the creative and correct application of Marxist thought to the specific historical and social conditions of the country. Dogmatists and pseudo - Marxists deny that Songun or Juche Philosophy had any Marxist roots. This is because in their dogmatic blindness to the only patterns of Marxism - Leninism of the past decades, they fail to understand the creative spirit of Marxism and that Marxism - Leninism has evolved over the decades. Marxism does not assume only one form of the dictatorship of the proletariat, but a variety of forms of the dictatorship of the proletariat depending on a given historical moment and the specific conditions of the country. The constantly changing historical conditions of world societies are not a permanent feature to which the patterns and templates of Soviet experiences could be adapted, as dogmatic revisionist pseudo - Marxists think.
The great genius and theorist of Marxism, Lenin, previously wrote in his works that the next revolutions in the countries of the East, infinitely more populated and infinitely more diverse in terms of social conditions, would undoubtedly be even more specific than the Russian Revolution. '
... All nations will arrive at socialism – this is inevitable, but all will do so in not exactly the same way, each will contribute something of its own to some form of democracy, to some variety of the dictatorship of the proletariat, to the varying rate of socialist transformations in the different aspects of social life ... ' ( V. Lenin 'A Caricature of Marxism and Imperialism Economics' pages 69 - 70 ) This is why the dictatorship of the proletariat takes various forms in different countries. In the DPRK, the dictatorship of the proletariat in the process of adaptation to the specific conditions of this country and the current international situation, and on the basis of historical experience of the fight against imperialism, is included in the people's army as the main driving force of the revolution carried out according to the Songun politics
. The practical and inspiring power of Marxist thought is not to be found in the adaptation of the well - established and existing political and social patterns, experiences of October Revolution or process of build socialism of one country as the Soviet Union in past time, and the translation of these templates dogmatically to all countries in the process of liberation and building socialism, but in understanding specific historical, economic and social conditions, and the application of the general principles of Marxist theory to these specific conditions of each country for the realization of the victory of the socialist revolution.
Every power of the working class grows out of each nation's liberation struggle and is organically linked to the specifics and conditions of that struggle. The power of the working class in its hands in the DPRK grew out of the anti - imperialist liberation struggle against the Japanese imperialism and expanded into a wider anti - imperialist front, with US as a main enemy, and therefore the idea of Songun has its historical justification in placing armed struggle and military as the first most important factor in socialist revolution.
The idea of the people's army as the main force of the revolution is the application of the Marxist concept of the vanguard, to the realization of the goals of the socialist revolution in the historical and social conditions of the DPRK, where imperialist occupation troops are stationed at the south of the country and there are still smaller or greater tensions, in cases to never stop attacks of hostile US imperialists propaganda, the implication of the army as the main driving force of the socialist revolution - is fully justified - and confirms the creative nature of Marxist thought, which is not confined to the old patterns and schemes, but it is evolving with new forms and concepts adapted to specific conditions.
In the socialist society of the DPRK there are still social classes in the process of building socialism, but these are classes that build socialism in an alliance, workers, peasants, intellectuals. But, there are no classes of bourgeois capitalist exploiters as they were abolished by socialist revolution. What is the position of the Korean People's Army with regards to society? Another erroneous revisionist interpretation of the political and social system of the DPRK by the pseudo - Marxists is, the claim that the Korean People's Army is a separate social class. The Korean People's Army is not a separate social class. The Korean People's Army is a social group which, according to the Songun idea, is vanguard and the main force in the process of socialist construction. 'The People's Army is the most revolutionary, militant and powerful revolutionary group in our society. No group is equal to the People's Army in terms of the sense of revolution and combat efficiency' ( Kim Jong Il )
The social class seeks to achieve its goals and benefits at the expense of other classes. In this Marxist's perspective, the Korean People's Army is not a class of Korean society but a group. The Korean People's Army is a social group of particular importance for this society as a whole, and part of the entire Korean class society which, according to the Songun policy, plays a leading role in the revolution process but remains in the service of other classes of the workers 'and peasants' alliance in the process of building socialism.
Moreover, the vanguard of the social group that is the Korean People's Army, does not serve its own interests, but serves the class interests of the working class and stands guard over the maintenance of the proletarian dictatorship in a socialist state of the DPRK.
That is the Songun idea, where the highest form of class struggle is armed struggle. In relation to the present day, when imperialist forces try to provoke a conflict, it is a correct and purposeful doctrine.
Songun idea, placing the people's army as the driving force of the revolution, at the same time remains faithful to the principle of the dictatorship of the proletariat according to the Marxist regularities of the development of socialist construction, creatively developing this regularity with new experiences of Korean socialism, where at the front stands an army composed of all social classes and serving the interests of class - not alone - and to those social classes who in alliance build socialism. Moreover, it enriches the world's communist movement for new experiences and creatively develops Marxist science in the 21st century with new concepts that grew out of the roots of real conditions according to the DPRK reality as a socialist country.
The Korean People's Army is an army which descends from the masses of the people and all social classes. The Korean People's Army conducted by the Songun policy does not in any way negate the role of the working class in building socialism, but strengthens its position by defending the interests of the working class, against imperialist aggression and protects against the restoration of capitalist social relations through any counter - revolutionary activities.
Regardless of the Korean form of realization of the transition from colonial capitalism under the rule of the Japanese occupiers to socialism, the Songun idea skillfully combines into one form of the experience of this national and social liberation, which is based on its own strength and on its own Korean road to socialism. This includes the political and ideological sphere together with the alliance of the working class with the peasantry and other values gained from experience of many years of struggle from Korean working class and the whole nation, all of them is strongly emphasized in Songun politics and, next to the 'military first' principle, enriches Songun idea in general tone and an important aspect.
The Songun idea, putting a social group such as the Korean People's Army at the head of the revolution and the process of building socialism, ensures the defense of this form of the Korean revolution and the gains of socialism against attacks by internal and external enemies.
The social role and importance of Songun politics, along with the governing force of the revolution, which is the people's army, in the social structure of the DPRK, is included in tasks and activities broader than just military. In imperialist countries where there is a capitalist system, the army is kept as one of the forces securing the class interests of the bourgeois ruling classes and can be used against society in the event of its disobedience. Such cases are common in countries of false so - called 'people's democracy'. These countries maintain the army as a separate social class, highly paid and tested in its allegiance to the stormy system of oppression and exploitation of the popular masses. Military affairs in them countries are in the doctrine of 'Training soldiers for a thousand days to use them for a day', that is, on the day when it will be necessary to defend the interests of class bourgeoisie, defend the maintenance of power, whether against external or internal enemies, i.e. one's own society.
The principles of the Songun idea place the people's army in the DPRK not only for the defense of the country, revolution and socialism and for the acceleration of economic ventures, but also strongly associated with the entire Korean society, through the new functions of the army in the country, through the army's activity in the economic process of increasing national welfare and social well - being with the enhancement of the happiness of working people.
Hence, the correct and colloquial definition of the social significance of the Korean People's Army, according to the principles of the Songun idea is: 'Train soldiers to use them for all purposes'.
President Kim Il Sung explained the differences between the people's army and the armies of capitalist countries more broadly: ' ... there are two kinds of armies in the present day world, the army of the property class and the other of the working class ... There also two classes, the working class and the propertied class are in conflict. Since the propertied class resorts to force of arms to maintain its grip on power, the working class need armed forces in order to carry out the revolution to overthrow the propertied class and build a new society ... There can never be neutral army that belongs to neither the propertied class nor to the working class ' ( Kim Il Sung )
The people's army and its military force as a revolutionary line of the Songun idea is a huge force operating not in the tactic of war in the conditions of the national peace, but uniting the Korean society in military discipline to an increased effort in socialist construction in all spheres of the country's life, political, economic and cultural.
There is a long list of great economic investments and social ventures undertaken by the Korean People's Army, with regards to the guidance of the Songun policy directions in effort of the soldiers, many of them it would not be possible to build only ordinary workers of the society. The most famous ones are worth mentioning: Terminal of Pyongyang International Airport, Wonsan Orphanage, Satellite Control Center of the National Aerospace, Fatherland Liberation War Museum etc
The revolutionary spirit of the Songun idea that is cherished and respected in the Korean People's Army is the subject of constant ideological and political work among the officers and rank - and - file soldiers.
Songun idea is also expressed in a high degree of military training of the Korean People's Army, but also a high level of ideological and moral level of the people's army, each KPA soldier is instilled with the same 'elementary virtues' and an ordinary member of Korean society so, a sense of duty and responsibility, good organization and discipline, righteousness and modesty, sensitivity to the content of the national culture, and unlimited and full devotion to the issues of the revolution, even at the cost of one's own life. In the Korean People's Army led by the Songun politics, a soldier to soldier is like brother, a comrade in arms. Together with Korean society, the principle of 'one for all and all for one' is implemented here, building a one hearted united society.
The revolutionary spirit that guides the soldiers of the Korean People's Army is expressed in the specific 'do - or - die' feature that makes the soldiers of the Korean People's Army, taking up the task, totally and fully devoted to carrying out this task. Thus, there is no army in the world where the revolutionary spirit and its trait to or die would not make a KPA soldier ready to sacrifice his life for carrying out a task in the name of a revolution.
The feature of 'do - or - die', is a feature that means that there is no such strength or any kind of power in the world, be it physical - military or psychological kind any pressure, whatsoever in any form and type of attack, which could overcome the revolutionary soldier spirit sparked by the practice of the Songun idea. The Songun idea with the 'do - or - die' principle, makes both Korean People's Army and Korean popular masses able to sacrifice their fate and lives heroically for the cause of the socialist revolution, the defense of the leader and the country's independence. This is why all attempts by world imperialism with the US ringleader to break Korean fighting spirit have been in the past, and are and will continue to be ineffective.
Also, it is valuable that this revolutionary spirit created by the Songun idea is perfectly working in relations. Interpersonal relations between soldiers from the Korean People's Army and popular masses cultivated and developed by the Songun idea, are invariably a defensive factor of the same importance as modern combat equipment and the mastery of military craftsmanship, the level of military training.
This is in direct contrast to the spirit level of the army of capitalist countries, where the only motivation to fulfill tasks is financial. Thus, it makes the level of ideological and political training of the armies of imperialist countries at a low level or not at all. The lack of ideological and political spirit in the army of capitalist countries means that corruption, moral degeneration and lack of enthusiasm for any social and collective activities are growing among the members of these military formations serving the capitalist ruling classes of bourgeois. They do not have a fighting spirit like the Korean People's Army, and the only motivation as mentioned above is money and material benefits.
The Songun doctrine is a permanent, unshakable guarantor of the security of the DPRK society in its way of building socialism. It secures the interests of the classes of the proletariat in alliance with the peasantry through the existence of a social class made up of soldiers of the people's army, which has arisen out of society itself. The Songun idea ignites the revolutionary spirit, the same spirit of the Korean nation's liberation power - the spirit of Mt Paektu, the soldier's spirit of struggle, through the Songun idea, a great union with the people's army is realized, which, working hand in hand with the soldiers of the people's army, achieve new social successes - economic and overcoming difficult periods of natural disasters or emergency situations.
Two pistols, heralding the birth of a new era, a new revolutionary military theory, through the decades of development of the Songun politics, remain a symbol of the victorious combination of theory and practice that today in Peoples Korea, defends the principles of socialism, are symbols of world's anti - imperialists class struggle - makes imperialist enemies - before taking any hostile military action against Korea of Juche, they must reckon with a blow of unprecedented fury and nuclear power, which thanks to the implementation of Songun Democratic People's Republic of Korea is. The same two pistols, inherited from Kim Il Sung father Kim Hyong Jik, are a symbol of the great military power of the Asian superpower, that is the DPRK
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