Why Socialists Should Support The DPRK?

Why Socialists Should Support The DPRK?

This question should appear to be an odd one, considering the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is both a socialist and an anti-imperialist country, a nation where political-economic power is in the hands of the working masses.

Anti-DPRK propaganda has been and is being produced on an industrial scale by various kinds of mass media in the West, where even socialists and progressives pick up some or the whole of this manufactured demonology and unconsciously use such misinformation in their discourse. One example of that prejudice against the DPRK was at an online left-wing meeting held recently, in which one contributor attacked the "regime of north Korea" without any prompting or context. The expression of such sentiments particularly among progressive circles only goes to strengthen the warmongering narrative of imperialism. The question before socialists, anti-imperialists and peace activists is why we must support the DPRK and show solidarity with the Korean people's struggle for reunification. Some people may say "Oh Korea is a faraway place with no immediate connection to our struggles?" Korea is a tinderbox that easily leads to a global war. In the south of Korea, there are stationed 40.000 US troops. 42 US military bases and potentially 1,000 nuclear weapons deployed by the US. "The Washington Declaration" made by US President Biden and the south Korean ruler Yoon Suk Yeol in April 2023 was a provocative move towards a nuclear war on the Korean peninsula. During the "Ssangryong" combined landing drill held in March 2022 40 Royal Marines from the United Kingdom took part in this exercise preparing for an occupation of Pyongyang. All these drills and exercises add considerably to the atmosphere of tension on the Korean peninsula.   The peace movement must stop another Iraq from happening, indeed, a conflict in Korea would be far worse than any war seen in history.

For any genuine socialist, the achievements of the Korean Revolution are worth considering and defending. The most important gain of Korean-style socialism is the total independence of the DPRK, in reality, popular sovereignty is practised by the popular masses.No corporate bodies such as the IMF, the World Bank, the G7, and NATO can dictate to the DPRK, and economic-cultural life in Socialist Korea is not polluted by the transnational corporations. Everything in the DPRK is owned and controlled by the people, in other words, the working masses are the masters of society. In practical terms, the DPRK's socialist system guarantees free health care, free education (from kindergarten to university level), low-cost food, free social housing, cheap transportation, the right to work, narrow wage differentials, democracy in the workplace and no taxation of any sort. The wealth created in the DPRK belongs to the working people and is used for the benefit of the masses.

Both the Workers' Party of Korea and the Government of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea have proud traditions of solidarity with various socialist and anti-imperialist forces from around the world. It has been the consistent stand of the WPK and the DPRK that all anti-imperialist forces across the globe should unite to spearhead their struggle against US imperialism. To unite the anti-imperialist parties, movements and nations of the Global South is the foremost policy of the DPRK.

The Workers' Party of Korea has cooperated with progressive parties and movements of various ideological tendencies, with Communist, Socialist, and Social Democratic Parties. For instance, President Kim IL Sung met with a delegation from the Socialist Workers' Party of the United States on October 5th, 1990, and stressed to the SWP delegation the need for unity in the fight against the common enemies; racism, imperialism, and capitalism. A broad-based approach was taken by the WPK in relations with Communist and Left-wing parties in Britain, such as the New Communist Party, the Communist Party of Britain, the Socialist Labour Party, the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (M-L), the Communist Party of Britain (M-L), the Communist Party of Great Britain (M-L), Socialist Fight, the Revolutionary Workers' Party and the Communist Organisation. Currently, six Communist and Socialist parties in Britain have signed The Pyongyang Declaration calling for international revolutionary unity. In other words, the WPK has worked with Communist, Socialist, and Anti-imperialist forces of different orientations and traditions for the victory of the cause of independence and socialism.

As in the middle of the 20th century, when progressive people faced the issue of smashing fascism and protecting the gains of the October Socialist Revolution in the USSR, in the 21st century, the question in front of all socialists and anti-imperialists is their attitude in regard to the defence of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The defence of the DPRK by socialists is the clear demarcation line between those who oppose war and imperialism and those on the Left who effectively in their words and actions support imperialist aggression. It can be seen that the defence of Peoples Korea is the defence of the concepts of internationalism, socialism and anti-imperialism. 

So all socialists and peace activists should bring up issues concerning Korean Reunification, stopping the war in Korea and the defence of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea within their political parties, Trade Unions, and Anti-War/Anti-Imperialist Movements and Campaigns. Ultimately all Socialists should take part in the real-life and online activities of the UK KFA and join the Korean Friendship Association!

Stop the War In Korea!

Defend Peoples Korea!

Korea Is One!

Speech delivered to an informal meeting of the Staffordshire Branch of the UK Korean Friendship Association in Burslem, Stoke On Trent on 19/08/23