On the issue of anti DPRK propaganda

Much of the horrendous anti DPRK churned by imperialism's media machine is actually simply taken from the propaganda machine of the south Korean puppets.

Desperate to prevent any influence from the DPRK seeping into the south Korean population which will mean the end of the south Korean regime sooner or letter ,the puppets resorted to a 2 pronged strategy-one is simple repression -7 years in jail for "communist" or pro north pro leftist activities.The 2nd prong is much sophiscated it is massive propaganda to discredit the DPRK to portray it as the same or even as worse than south Korea.In fact the south Korean rulers propaganda adopts the tactic of a cunning mental patient that of projecting their own image on their questioner.
South Korea has a huge different between the rich and poor so they peddle stories about "privilieges" and " big houses" in the DPRK.Similarly the DPRK is potrayed as repressive but is south Korea where ideological divergences are suppressed.
Many in south Korea and jobless and live in slums so the puppets vociferate about "starvation" in the DPRK.
Much of Seouls propaganda (including even stupid myths like a ban on women wearing trousers ) is copied directly by major imperialist media outlets and syndicated.This turn is tinged with the usual cynical post modernism and the newer forms of anti communism.With the end of the cold war some forms of anti communist propaganda died or ceased to be relevant(ie Soviet invasion stories) but were replaced by more equally and in some cases more pernicious anti communist ideas (such as simply it is an aberration,cant and wont work etc etc).All these forms a heady mixture of anti DPRK,anti socialist and anti Juche propaganda.
Unfortuneatly ideology has never been the strong point of the left in many imperialist
countries so some so called communists and socialists buy into this propaganda all
too readily.
I can say as some one who visited the DPRK countryside around Sariwon city that there was no famine or starvation.Plenty of food was on sale in Sariwon city.The DPRK countryside is one of the most egalitarian in the world with no big house or big country estates or latifundia.
I leave you with 2 contrasting images

Socialist housing construction on the DPRK
http://www.naenara.kp/en/periodic/korea/index.php?contents+2897+2009-12+95+5
http://www.cpcml.ca/images2010/Korea/PyongyangMansudaeStreetApar

The slums of Seoul due to anti popular puppet rule
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYMYBAgfjsvQ7y4ZHOP4aBO8uDPZm6qBEekhBfq3XH-8Da49rz_DklrDC5dNVaPOQFBsn3FoGGhXA9gcMSaBViOYVQfOclnUP5fhbJcP8wxudo1s-P9rkT5h2qKnfWfRmv2wkZa3wY3M/s400/DSC00646.JPG
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cRdT67hsxxVHm_tD0Po9HuPwT8izxH6RvYyzDVltBGOKEXD7dQE225WCmXT-zIc6V3Wg0iwhehNPGWnR2dwXWYzshVItQgw_D5nXxp8jAApVKJnqI8ucmtoEdBq_A5MlRBFno-t-aHc/s400/DSC00645.JPG

Fatal Blow to Aggressors!

Fatal Blow to Aggressors!

The “Ulji Freedom Guardian”(UFG) joint military drills the Lee Muyng-bak clan is staging with the US imperialists in the sky and on the sea and ground from August 16 arouse a shock and anger among the entire Korean nation and the world peace-loving people.

Some 40 civic organizations including the People for Peace and Reunification, the Solidarity for Progress and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions called a press conference on August 16 in front of the south Korea-US Combined Forces Command and condemned that the UFG is evidently a war exercise to invade the north in terms of its scale, content and nature.

Holding that the war drills staging under the pretext of the warship “Cheonan” case further aggravated the tension on the Korean Peninsula, they condemned the current regime which conducts the joint military drills with the US.

That day, members of the North Jeolla Provincial Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the North Jeolla Provincial Committee of the Democratic Labor Party and the North Jeolla Provincial Federation of the National Federation of Peasants Associations held a press conference in front of the provincial office to denounce the war maniacs chanting slogans such as “Stop the UFG which threatens the peace of the Korean Peninsula!”, “The term of defensive drill is a lie. Stop the drill for invading the north!”.

They stressed that they would hold press conferences and information services throughout south Korea during the period of the UFG so as to demonstrate their will against war for peace.

A rally against the war drill was also held in front of the Bucheon city office.

Prior to that, civic organizations held a rally on August 15 in Seoul calling on the US imperialists and the puppet warmongers to stop their joint war drills and conclude a peace treaty.

After the rally the participants marched along the streets holding posters and placards reading “Stop war drills but conclude peace treaty!”, “Implement the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration!” and “We condemn the US which shirks the dialogue and negotiations!”.

Organizations of different countries including the Association for the Study of Songun Politics, the Juche Idea Study Group and the Korean Friendship Association in the UK, and the Swiss-Korea Committee and the Swiss Juche Idea Study Group conducted brisk anti-imperialist anti-war solidarity activities against the war drills of the US imperialists and the south Korean warmongers.

The US imperialists and the Lee Myung-bak group should not run amuck mulling over the grave consequences to be entailed by the north-targeted war drills which wreck peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.

Stop Suppression of Pro-reunification Figure

Stop Suppression of Pro-reunification Figure

On August 20 the Lee Myung-bak group of traitors committed a fascist outrage to arrest Rev. Han Sang-ryol, standing advisor to the Solidarity for Progress in south Korea, who visited the DPRK, by invoking the notorious “National Security Law”.

The fascists arrested him immediately after he returned south Korea via Panmunjeom, imprisoned him at the Paju police station in Gyeonggi Province, and conduct intensive investigation by forming a joint investigation team involving the National Information Service and the police.

They pose a cruel suppression on him forcing him to divulge his “background manipulator”, labeling his DPRK visit as illegal.

However, Rev. Han determinedly fights against them.

The fascists forcefully searched his house, ransacked the computer’s contents and took some books and photos.

As the fascist suppression of the reverend gets more vicious day by day the south Korean people's struggle against them get further intensified.

Political parties and civic organizations in North Jeolla Province on August 20 demanded the Lee group of traitors stop the unjustifiable suppression of Rev. Han.

The North Jeolla Solidarity for Progress condemned in a statement that it is an anachronistic step to charge the righteous act of Rev. Han who grieved over the bedeviled inter-Korean relations and suspended inter-Korean exchange after the advent of the Lee Myung-bak regime, as a violation of the “National Security Law”.

The North Jeolla Provincial Headquarters of the South Side Committee for Realizing the June 15 Joint Declaration also deplored in a commentary the social reality in which the visit to the blood-shared brethren to discuss peace and reunification open-heatedly is criminalized.

The North Jeolla Provincial Committee of the Democratic Labor Party denounced in a commentary the authorities for suppressing Rev. Han, who strived to bring the desire for reunification home to the 70 million compatriots, by applying the “National Security Law”, a leftover of the bygone era.

A spokesman for the Democratic Labor Party clarified in a commentary issued on August 20 that Rev. Han’s activities were aimed to improve the deadlocked inter-Korean relations and achieve the reconciliation and peaceful reunification of the nation by implementing the June 15 joint declaration.

The commentary stressed that the Lee government should make apology before the nation for having totally negated the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration and bedeviled the inter-Korean relations.

The cruel suppression of pro-reunification Rev. Han Sang-ryol by the Lee group of traitors is an unpardonable crime which tramples upon the compatriots’ wish for reconciliation and reunification of the nation.

The Lee Myung-bak clan should stop the suppression of Rev. Han and set him free at once.

Dignified Socialist Power of Juche

Dignified Socialist Power of Juche

President Kim Il Sung publishes the Political Program at the first

session of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly (Sep. 10, 1948)

President Kim Il Sung liberated Korea usurped by the brigandish Japanese imperialists by conducting the 20-year-long bloody anti-Japanese struggle and founded the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on September 9, 1948.

With founding of the DPRK the Korean people became masters of the sovereign power and a strong and dignified people who created a new history of social progress and building of a prospering country for the first time in their 5000-year-long national history.

The 60-odd years covered by the DPRK under the illustrious leadership of the three generals of Mt. Baekdu are a proud course of creation and construction for blazing the trail of untrodden path and building the Korean-style socialist state, glorious annals of struggle and victory for smashing the diehard aggression moves and vicious challenges of the imperialists and reactionaries, and a history of love for the genuine freedom and happiness of the people.

Today the DPRK greets a bloomed era of prosperity unprecedented in the 5000-year-long history of the nation under the Songun revolutionary leadership of great comrade Kim Jong Il.

Exiting events demonstrating the independent dignity and national might of Songun Korea are taking place one after another and eye-opening realities which will bring all the happiness to the people are coming true across the country.

Now the south Korean people’s hearts are throbbing with the admiration for President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il who founded the DPRK to build a genuine country for the people where the people are masters, built up a powerful state of Juche and glorified the dignity of the nation throughout the world.

The south Korean mass media including leading newspapers, magazines and TV carry a great number of the materials on the great revolutionary life and immortal exploits of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il, with their august photos, arousing admiration among various circles.

The progressive organizations and personages of different countries including Britain, Swiss, Spain, Austria, Iran and Peru are conducting multifarious celebration functions such as celebration rallies, forums, lectures, photo exhibitions, film shows, praising the exploits performed by President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il for the state building which will shine forever along with the eternal prosperity of socialist Korea.

The DPRK which displays its dignity as a powerful country of ideology, politics and military might will dynamically advance forever along the road of victory

Reunification Movement Advances Dynamically

Reunification Movement Advances Dynamically

On the occasion of the 65^th anniversary of the liberation of Korea the south Korean people actively waged the struggle to terminate the colonial rule of the US imperialists and reunify the country.

Some 2000 members of pro-reunification movement organizations, citizens and youth and students held the August 15 cultural function for reunification under the subject “Let us shout for peace” in Seoul on August 15.

Speakers there held that the desire for peace and reunification is fervently mounting among the people of all walks of life on the occasion of August 15.

They bitterly denounced the Lee Myung-bak regime for having driven the inter-Korean relations to a collapse and demanded it opt for implementing the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration.

Then a performance was followed. Put on the stage were a drama showing the practical activities of the reunification vanguards of students who condemned the war moves of the warmongers to invade the north and fought in demand of the probe into the truth about the warship “Cheonan” case while touring across south Korea from early August, songs and dances calling for achieving the reunification by the Korean nation itself, exalting the reunification mood.

On the same day a workers’ rally for peace and reunification was held at Seoul Station Plaza. Present there were members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, its affiliated unions, the reunification vanguards of workers and the Democratic Labor Party.

Speakers there denounced the Lee Myung-bak regime for having dampened the reunification atmosphere ever-growing after the publication of the June 15 joint declaration, faked up a warship sinking case and got wild in anti-north war drills in collusion with outside forces.

Holding that the struggle slogan for the workers is “Anti-Lee Myung-bak!”, they called for withdrawing the US troops from south Korea and realizing peaceful reunification by the concerted efforts of the Korean nation.

The participants chanted slogans such as “Conduct a total reexamination, a parliamentary inspection on the Cheonan case!”, “Let us realize peace on the Korean Peninsula and accomplish the country’s reunification!”, “Let us reunify the country by the concerted efforts of our nation!” and “Let us reunify the country by the workers’ efforts!”.

Meanwhile, the August 15 rally for probing into the truth behind the “Cheonan” case and realizing peace of the Korean Peninsula” was held at Seoul Station Plaza on August 15 with the participation of 5000-odd members of 30 political parties and organizations including the Solidarity for Progress, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Democratic Labor Party.

Speakers there called for an immediate stop of the large-scale joint military drills staged by the US and the current regime under the pretext of the warship sinking case, opting for dialogue and negotiations for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and on all the people for a dynamic struggle, mindful that the reunification is the only way out.

Then they performed a ceremony of hoisting a large reunification flag at the Seoul Station Plaza.

They chanted slogans such as “Stop the war drills and resume dialogue!” and “Let us reunify the country by implementing the joint declarations

Let Us Smash the Disgraceful Moves to Distort History

Let Us Smash the Disgraceful Moves to Distort History

This year is the 100^th year that the Japanese imperialists fabricated the “Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty”.

As materials proving that the treaty is a fully falsified document which Japan forcefully faked up and published throughout the world were brought to light again, it sparked off a sharp anger at home and abroad.

The Japanese reactionaries’ moves to despicably distort, beautify and conceal their crime-woven history of aggression triggered a bitter protest and condemnation at home and abroad.

On August 13, the Christian organizations in south Korea and Japan held a joint press conference declaring null and void the “Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty” fabricated by the Japanese imperialists.

Holding that the Japanese government avoids the fact of the fabrication of the treaty by all means, they stressed that it should clarify the truth before the world.

They demanded the Japanese regime apology to the victims of the “comfort women” enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Army and the forced labor and conscription during the past colonial rule and make reparation for them.

A spokesman for the Democratic Labor Party of south Korea in a commentary on August 15 denounced the Lee Myung-bak regime for inviting Japan, the sworn enemy, to the north-targeted war drills staged with the US imperialists, and praising the Japanese prime minister’s so-called apology statement devoid of admitting the illegality of the colonial domination over Korea and any sincere apology for the inhumane crimes, released on the occasion of the 100^th year of the fabrication of the “Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty”.

The commentary noted that the present regime in south Korea should pursue the national coexistence, not the war “alliance” with outside forces, and demanded the regime, fully aware that only this road is for the nation and realizing peace of the Korean Peninsula, strive to improve the inter-Korean relations.

The Women’s Peace Action against the Japanese Militarists and War on the Occasion of the 100^th Year of the Fabrication of the “Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty” grouping women organizations including the National Women’s Solidarity held a rally around the Japanese embassy in Seoul on August 15 and deplored that though 65 years have passed since Korea’s liberation no settlement to the colonial crimes of Japan was made yet.

The participants denounced that the Japanese regime in collusion with south Korea makes attempts to cover up its past crimes and aggravates situation of the Korean Peninsula by pursuing hostile policy toward the north.

The organizations in a written resolution clarified that the city and county assemblies are adopting resolutions for settling the issue of “comfort women” and conducting half-million signature campaign calling for responsible and legal solution to the issue by the Japanese government.

However, the south Korean conservative ruling forces devoid of even an iota of national spirit please the Japanese reactionaries clamoring about a “new cooperation era not to asking the past” and get frenzied in conniving at the Jap’s moves to distort the history of aggression and reinvasion.

All the fellow countrymen in the north, south and abroad should more vigorously wage the struggle to frustrate the anti-national moves of the Lee Myung-bak conservative group which unhesitatingly conspire with even the sworn enemy of the nation in a bid to secure their power and hurt the compatriots.

ANTI REUNIFICATION THEORY OF CONFRONTATIONAL MANIAC

Anti-reunification Theory of Confrontational Maniac

Traitor Lee Myung-bak, in an address released on August 15, presented an extremely anti-reunification scheme so-called the “three-phase-unification policy” through “peace community”, “economic community” and “national community” presupposing “abandonment of nukes by the north”.

The so-called “peace community”, “economic community” and “national community” are a revised version of the “unification policy of the Korean nation community” set forth by the preceding military dictator Ro Tae-woo with the “No nukes, openness and 3 000$”, an anti-reunification policy of the present regime.

They are an anti-nation and anti-reunification confrontation policy to all intents and purposes.

It is preposterous to claim the “peace community” while staging war exercises against north Korea, the same brethren, with the US almost everyday, the “economic community” while breaking down all the projects of inter-Korean cooperation and the “national community” while totally negating the inter-Korean declarations.

The traitor also talked about “unification tax”. It is an extremely rude remark seeking the alleged German-style “unification through absorbing the north” in anticipation of an “emergency in the north”.

The “unification tax” touted by the traitor is in essence a division tax, confrontation tax and war tax to squander the blood taxes squeezed from the south Korean people to the showdown with the compatriots and war preparations and the realization of the wild ambition for “unification through absorbing the north”.

The vituperation let loose by traitor Lee in the “address” with a treacherous ill intention to find an exit from the ever-deteriorating ruling crisis in the showdown with the compatriots relying on the outsiders, is an all-out declaration of confrontation of systems against north Korea.

Now the south Korean people from all walks of life brand the traitor’s remarks as an anti-reunification declaration of showdown with the compatriots which totally destroys the inter-Korean relations and drives the situation to a brink of war, and dynamically wage the struggle against Lee Myung-bak.

Those who are hell-bent on confrontation and war turning their back on the nation will get nothing but a shameful death.

Will They Really Spark Off a War?

Despite the strong protest and denunciation of the Korean people and world peace-loving people, the US imperialists and south Korean puppet warmongers launched the provocative joint military exercises “Ulji Freedom Guardian”, the largest-ever nuclear war rehearsal against the DPRK, across south Korea on August 16.

Mobilized in the drills were some 30,000 US troops from south Korea and abroad, more than 56,000 troops of the south Korean army including corps, fleet command and commands above flying wing-level and numerous latest war equipment.

The commander of the US Forces Korea openly said that the current joint military exercises are one of the joint command and staff drills largest scale in the world.

The war maniacs get frenzied on the nuclear war drills targeting the DPRK clamoring about a so-called “counteracting to security threat” and “defense”.

And the warmongers staged on August 16 the “Ulji” rehearsal, an actual war drill for a war time by mobilizing over 400,000 persons including employees of the administration organs and members of the civilian enterprises. The US imperialists and the Lee Myung-bak group of traitors run amuck in military provocation to ignite a comprehensive war on the Korean Peninsula at any cost under the pretext of the “Cheonan” incident and push the situation to the worst phase.

Now various civic organizations and people in south Korea are turning out as one in the struggle against the war for peace with the soaring indignation against the US and the Lee Myung-bak group of traitors who drove the situation of the Korean Peninsula to a brink of war and the inter-Korean relations to an irretrievable catastrophe by conducting successive war exercises against the north.

A spokesman for the Democratic Labor Party noted in a commentary on August 10 that owing to the military provocation of the US and the south Korean regime under the pretext of the warship sinking incident the tension on the peninsula got further strained, condemning the Lee regime for staging joint military exercises with the US by mobilizing a US nuclear aircraft carrier, and other exercises to invade the north in succession till the end of this year.

What the people want is peace of the Korean Peninsula and the inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, the commentary said and added that it can never tolerate the attempts to unleash a war on this land demanding the US and the south Korean regime retract all plans of saber rattling.

Meanwhile, the Christian organizations called a press conference at a Christian hall in Seoul on August 12, denouncing that after the advent of the Lee regime the inter-Korean relations were collapsed and the reunification process was blocked. They claimed that the current regime should stop at once the joint military exercises with the US and resume the civilian exchange with the north.

The south Korean Confederation of Trade Unions denounced in a statement on August 14 that the US and the Lee Myung-bak regime enforced large-scale war exercises aimed at invading the north in the East and West Seas of Korea advocating “retaliation”. Asking back “for whom the confrontation and war are needed” the statement demanded the war fanatics stop immediately the dangerous war exercises against the north.

The statement stressed that workers would more vigorously wage the struggle to safeguard peace of the Korean Peninsula and achieve the independent reunification of the nation.

South Korean students also staged demos on August 15 in Seoul condemning the puppet group’s confrontation moves against the north.

They denounced the reckless moves of the puppet warmongers engrossed in the saber rattling to invade the north running wild in confrontation against the north, chanting slogans such as “Switchover the hard-line north Korea policy

UK KFA Statement on Japan's Need to make reparations

UK KOREAN FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION

London 26th of August

The UK Korean Friendship Association fully supports the statement of the DPRK Foreign
Ministry of August 20th that Japan should make an immediate apolegy to the DPRK and finally pay reparations to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

The atrocities of Japanese imperialism in Asia far exceeded the atrocities of the Hitler nazis.The Japanese imperialists fabricated a treaty a 100 years ago and seized control of Korea making it a colony.Untold crimes and plunder were committed by the Japanese aggressors in Korea including forcing Korean women into sexual slavery and the mass theft of treasures and resources of Korea.
Massive damage was done to the development of the Korean nation by Japanese colonialism and the sufferings of the Korean people were immeasurable.

It is only just that Japan apoligises to the DPRK ,though belatedly and pays reparations.
Moreover Japan should stop repressing the General Association of Korean Residents in
Japan,the legitmate organisation of Koreans and stop enforcing sanctions on the DPRK.
The Japanese imperialists must take their hands off Tok Islet.
The UK Korean Friendship fully support the Korean people and DPRK government in their struggle against Japanese imperialism.

UK KFA

letter from KCSWP on Japan's crimes

Dear friends.

We send our warm greetings of Korean Committee for Solidarity with the World People.

A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry Friday released a statement on the occasion of the centenary of Japan’s brigandish fabrication of the “Korean-Japan Annexation Treaty” by force of arms and its illegal annexation of Korea.

The brief of the statement follows:

Unspeakable is human, material and mental damage done by the Japanese imperialists to the Korean people during the colonial rule. Citing data to prove it, more than one million Koreans were killed, at last 8.4 million young and middle-aged Koreans were drafted to do slavery labor and hurled into shambles of wars of aggression and 200 000 Korean women were forced into horrible sexual slavery.

There was a colonial era in human history but it does not know such country as Japan which enforced such harsh policy of obliterating other nation and plundering it as depriving the colonial nation of its spoken and written languages and people of their own names and looting even rice bowls and spoons of each house.

The past one centenary is the history in which Japan has committed crimes but refused to redeem them and it is the history in which the Korean people suffered damage done by Japan and this touched off resentment at it.

Had the present Japanese regime have nothing to do with the past militarist regime and had it not have any dream of reviving it, it might have repented and apologized to all victims for the past without any precondition and discrimination.

Japan can never shirk its obligation to make apology and reparation to the DPRK for its crime-woven past. It should make immediate apology and reparation for the hideous crimes committed against the Korean people after usurping their national sovereignty through the fabrication of invalid “treaties”. If it fails to do so, it can never be upright in the international community.

Japan should honestly repent of all the acts it has perpetrated against the DPRK and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan after its defeat and immediately roll back its hostile policy toward the DPRK. To do so is the least obligation to be fulfilled by Japan which had been under the cultural influence of Korea and it is the way of redeeming its crimes.

It should stop at once tampering with history and such moves to revive militarism as attempt to grab Tok Islets. Doing so is in favor of promoting lasting peace and stability in the region and Japan’s security.

The brief of the statement is as above mentioned.

We firmly believe that you, peace and conscience lovers, will express their support and solidarity in their struggle of Korean people to demand Japan for apology and reparation to the DPRK for its crime-woven past and stop moves to revive militarism.

Best regards.

Korean Committee for Solidarity with World People

UK KFA slams south Korean fascist puppets for arresting Rev Han

SOUTH KOREAN PUPPETS ARREST REV HAN SANG RYOL
The south Korean fascist puppet regime have arrested the Rev Han Sang Ryol a 70 year Christian pastor and reunification champion of south Korea.He had
visited the DPRK to mark the 10th anniversary of the historic June 15 declaration and had stayed in the DPRK for 2 months.The Rev Han had
visited the DPRK to promote peace and reunification.
       His visit was declared illegal by the south Korean puppets.When he  returned to south Korea via Panmumjom he was met by south Korean police
including 1,000 riot police and immediately arrested.
         The fact that he was arrested shows that the south Korean fascist regime is opposed to the peaceful reunification of Korea and even people
visiting the DPRK.The despotism of the south Korean fascists can be clearly seen as no even a Christian pastor was immune to their repression.
In Europe one of the few divided countries is Ireland(divided into the Republic of Ireland and northern Ireland under British rule)there have
been no cases of people in recent years being arrested for simply visiting the other side and meeting political figures.
        UK KFA call for the immediate release of the Rev Han and call for all democrats to campaign for his release.

UK KFA on the 50th anniversary of the Songun revolutionary leadership

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SONGUN REVOLUTIONARY LEADERSHIP
The 25th of August 1960 is celebrated by the DPRK as the date when the Songun
revolutionary leadership of the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il started in earnest.It began with the inspection of leader Kim Jong Il to the Seoul
Guards Ryu Kyong Su no 105 Tank Division.This was the tank division that liberated Seoul in June 1950 in the war against the American
imperialists.Thus it was no ordinary army division but one with deep historical significance
        The idea of Songun means giving priority to the Army and making the army the pillar of the revolution.This is not a military government as some
try to suggest but it is based on the whole experience of the Korean revolution which started with the 2 pistols handed down by Kim Hyong Jik
to
his son Kim Il Sung.The Korean revolution was won through armed struggles against the Japanese imperialists in the 1930s and 1940s and against the
Yankee imperialists in the 1950s.Leader Kim Jong Il made this into the tangible and specific theory of Songun and strove to apply it in practice.
His guidance to the Seoul Guards Ryu Kyong Su no 105 tank division was the first practical step on this road which put military affairs ahead of
political affairs.
           Without Songun the DPRK would have long ago fallen victim to Yankee imperialist fascism and would have lost its independence.The Korean
People's Army and Korean people smited the US imperialists when they captured the USS "Pueblo" in 1968 and shot down the EC121 spy plane.Later
the DPRK stood its ground during the 1st and 2nd nuclear crisis.
        It is an undeniable fact that no one can refute that the DPRK has emerged as a strong state,a state of independence and Juche with its
own nuclear deterrent.Despite nonsensical frame ups like the Cheonan incident and continous military exercises by the US and south Korean
puppets,the DPRK stands unfazed.This is the fruit of the 5 decades long Songun revolutionary leadership of the great leader comrade Kim Jong IL.

Songun Politics A Revolutionary Anti Imperialist Form of Politics Suited to the Demands of the 21st century

SONGUN POLITICS, A REVOLUTIONARY, ANTI-IMPERIALIST FORM OF POLITICS

SUITED TO THE DEMANDS OF THE 21stCENTURY

A Talk presnted by Shaun Pickford

on the occasion of the start of the Songun Revolutionary Leadership

on August 25th 1960

If we analyse the narrative of the Korean Revolutionary process or if we scrutinize the Juche philosophy one overriding theme can be observed, that of innovation. The Korean Revolution due to its extremely unique circumstances had to be a revolution which relied upon originality for its survival and growth.

Creativity is the hallmark of Korean Socialism. From the dawn of the Korean revolutionary struggle in the 1920s to the first decades of the 21st century innovation has been the bedrock of the Korean revolution in dealing with the various challenges which have stood in the way of the forward march of Juche Korea. It was in this tradition of creativity that KIM JONG IL proclaimed to the world the start of the Songun Revolutionary Leadership on August 25th, 1960.

Ten years after the beginning of the Fatherland Liberation War (the Korean War) KIM JONG IL gave indepth guidance to the Seoul Ryn Kyong 105 Guards Division, by providing field guidance to the one of the first Korean Peoples Army divisions to liberate Seoul during the Korean War. KIM JONG IL emphasized the importance of arms in the Korean Revolution to the men and officers of this KPA division and to the Korean people at large. From the early 1960s to the present day KIM JONG IL has consistently stressed the vital necessity of Songun Politics for obtaining the final victory of the Korean Socialist cause.

In the course of ideological development of the Korean Revolution KIM JONG IL's announcement of the beginning of the Songun Revolutionary Leadership on August 25th 1960 was the continuation and consolidation of the positions put forward at the Kalun Meeting by KIM IL SUNG on June 30th 1930, that was where the Juche Idea was formulated. Both these dates are profoundly signficant in the evolution of the Juche Idea and of Songun Politics, which have become the cutting-edge ideology of our era.

The concept of Songun was born on the battlefields of the Korean Revolution during the 1920s, 1930s & 1940s. Since the total annexation of Korea by Japanese imperialism in 1910, Korean patriots were trying to find an effective form of resistance to the occupation.

One fundamental lesson gained by the Korean resistance movement was that fedual Korea was defeated and conquered by Japan due to the weak military potential of the Li Dynasty (1392-1910).Opposition to the cruel Japanese occupation of Korea had many varied forms, mostly spontaneous in nature. Such as the March 1th 1919 uprising, which was crushed by the brutal Japanese military in a sea of blood. Other manifestions of the fightback aganist Japanese imperialism inculded the movement to pay back the debt to Japan in August 1908, appeals to the major powers such as emissary incident in June 1907,the assassination of leading Japanese officials like Ito Hirobumi in October 1909 and the patriotic cultural movement of the early 20s. There was even talk by some defeatist elements of "national reform" & "autonomy of Korea with the Japanese emprie". All these methods failed to secure their objective.

The Korean people faced the choice, independence or extinction? How to achieve independence and social progress for the Korean people under the conditions of the harsh colonialist-feudal regime of Japan?

The decisive answer given to this outstanding question for the Korean people came from the gunshots of the guns of Songun. KIM IL SUNG saw as a cardinal principle of the Korean Revolution the precept of armed struggle.KIM IL SUNG advocated from the mid-1920s that the revolution aganist imperialism, for independence, for socialism and communism must be pioneered and based upon arms. The two pistols which KIM IL SUNG inherited from his father KIM HYONG JIK (June 10th 1884 - June 5th 1926) became symbolic of the modest emergence of the Korean Revolution and its development into a mighty power with misslies and bombs and the two bequesthed pistols illustrate that Korean socialism will be triumphant because it is based on the will and determination of revolutionary arms and soldiers. Chiwon or "Aim High" of the Korean resistance leader KIM HYONG JIK was realised in the formation of the Korean Peoples Revolutionary Army by KIM IL SUNG on April 25th 1932. This revolutioary armed force acted as a focal point for all Korean revolutionaries and patriots in their anti-imperialist liberation struggle long before the party itself was established in 1945. Really it can be said that the KPRA was the main force in the sturggle for independence. After 20 long bloody years of arduous struggle the KPRA commanded by KIM IL SUNG liberated Korea from grip of Japanese imperialism on August 15th 1945. A new democratic Korea was to be build up after liberation but the Korean peninsula was divided into north and south by outside elements. The United States , which emerged as a superpower at the end of World War Two, occupied south Korea with a large army and installed a subservient regime in Seoul.

The glorious revolutioanry traditions of Songun were carried on by the Korean Peoples Army, which was founded on 8th February 1948. The KPRA became a regluar. cadre-based army in 1948. KIM IL SUNG ensured that from the early days of Korea's liberation, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea would have a self-reliant defence industry with Korean made weapons of every sort. It was with great pride that KIM IL SUNG test fired the 1st Korean manufactured submachine gun on December 18th 1948. Today the DPRK produces its own nuclear devices and long-range rockets.

On June 25th 1950 the allied forces of world imperialism led by the United States launched an attack upon the infant and peaceful DPRK. It was during the Fatherland Liberation War (25 June 1950 - 27th July 1953) that KIM IL SUNG with iron-willed determination and felxible tactics repulsed and ultimately defeated the so-called invincible United States, the south Korean puppets and the various foreign mercenaries (like the UK forces) in July 1953. The US imperialist aggressors were forced at Panmunjom to sign an armistice agreement without any kind of victory, this was a demonstration of Songun Politics in action.

The Key to success in both in the Fatherland Liberation War and in the miraculous reconstruction of the DPRK after the war was that all problems were solved with the KPA at the centre. The Chollima movement of overcoming all difficulities in the way of building soicalism in Korea upon the ashes of war,was the perfect embodiment of the revolutionary sentiment of the KPA troops.

KIM JONG IL (born 16th February 1942) was born and raised among the battles of the anti-Japanese war. KIM JONG IL spent His later childhood witnessing the destruction caused by the yankee imperialists to Korea in the Fatherland Liberation War. Even at a young age KIM JONG IL saw the importance of studying military matters as a means of strengthening the Korean Revolution. KIM JONG IL for instance spent 40 days directing an intensive military traning drill at Oun-dong in August 1962. In the early 60s KIM JONG IL had the revolutionary slogan put up "Let us train, study and live just like the anti-Japanese figthers did!" In His actions KIM JONG IL demonstrated the unity between theory and practice by becoming a crack marksman and a accomplished fighter pilot.

The aggressive essence of US imperialism was vivdly shown in the Carribean crisis and with the Gulf of Tonkin incident of the 1960s. It was in this environment that KIM JONG IL began the task of systematizing Songun Politics in the 60s. An early thesis of KIM JONG IL on Songun was the work "THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERN IMPERIALISM & ITS AGGRESSIVE NATURE" published in 1962. Many KPA vetrans at the time called KIM JONG IL the Young General or said that Korea had produced another Great General, a brilliant General who is expert of both the Gun and the Pen.

If we take the take a look at the experiences of socialist revolutions and anti-imperialist movements in history, two elements are vital for a revolution's survival, its ideological and military defence. The Paris Commune of 1871 was overcame by superior means, the 1916 Easter Uprising in Dublin, Ireland was suppressed by British colonialism and the Allende governement in Chile was overthrown by the reactionary military in September 1973, to name just a few examples. The successful revolutions are the ones which are able to defend themsleves by any means necessary, such as the Cuban revolution for instance. Songun Politics can seen as the summary of the background of the oppressed peoples everywhere for independence and peace.

Songun Politics are rooted in the Juche Idea. Juche is the philosophical basis of Songun. As I elucidated eariler on, Songun Politics is based on the experiences of the Workers Party of Korea. Songun Politics starts from the standpoint that man is the master of everything in the world and everything serves him/her. Songun has the underlying features of independence, creativity and consciousness in its world outlook. It is this spirit of novelty that KIM JONG IL devoted His foremost attention to military issues. To build up the KPA as the main force means precisely to build up the Party, State and People of socialist society as powerful subjects. A remarkable feature of Songun Politics is the theory of the main force of the revolution, the strike force for gaining independence. This theory of a main revolutioanry force is a topic not covered by Marxist classics. I have gained an understanding of this essential strand of Songun Politics by studying the work of KIM JONG IL "THE SONGUN-BASED REVOLUTIONARY LINE IS A GREAT REVOLUTIONARY LINE OF OUR ERA AND AN EVER-VICTORIOUS BANNER OF OUR REVOLUTION" published in January 29th 2003 and from my discusssions with prominent DPRK academics during my stay in Korea in July 2009.

To set the record straight Songun views the working class as the ruling class of the DPRK and the WPK as the leading political organisation of Korean socialism. It is the working masses who are the masters of everything in Juche Korea. The theory of a main force is the distinctive contribution of Songun Politics to revolutionary ideology and practice. Now it is the KPA which is the main force of the Korean Revolution, the Peoples Army is in the forefront of the anti-imperialist front in the DPRK and cannot be replaced with another force.

Songun Politics requires a strengthening of the ideological revolution. This task is performed in the shape of the revolutionary soldier spirit, establishing a monolithic ideological system throughout society. An important mission for the Korean Revolution is to make the population of the DPRK emulate the militant fervour of the KPA in their day-to-day lives, to follow the examples of the KPA heroes and heroines with a "match for a hunderd foes" gusto. When the Army and Party decides to do something, anything is possible.

The position and role of the Leader, the decisive part the Supreme Commander plays in the structure of Songun is an imperative one. To ensure always the maintenance of the monolithic unity between the Leader,Party,Army and People for the common revolutionary purpose. As a indication of the significance of military affairs in the DPRK the National Defence Commission was made the leading state organ of the Republic, with General KIM JONG IL as the Chairman of the DPRK's NDC.This consistutional change was carried out by the 10th Supreme Peoples Assembly session in September 1998.

Inceasingly the KPA is defending and developing Korean socialism to new heights. The KPA is at the core of all victories and successes gained by the Korean Revolution. Songun Poilitcs safeguarded the DPRK aganist imperialist and dominationist attempts to isolate and eradicate Peoples Korea, particularly at the time of the "Arduous March" and the "Forced March" of the late 1990s. At this critical moment when the Korean Revolution faced the issue of its survival, KIM JONG IL made the winning declaration of the Songunization of Korea. KIM JONG IL on the first new year's day after the passing away of President KIM IL SUNG gave-on -the spot guidance despite heavy snowfalls on 1st January 1995. In the period of the later 1990s KIM JONG IL visited 480 KPA units, amounting to an amazing 48,000 miles. KIM JONG IL has never stopped getting guidance to the main revolutionary force, KIM JONG IL is always with the officers and men of the glorious KPA whereever the Peoples Army is stationed.

During the time of hardships in the 1990s Korean Socialism became much renewed and stronger due to KIM JONG IL's leadership. Where others would have surrendered and gave in to the enemy, the DPRK upheld the red flag of Socialism and Communism even higher with the weapons of Songun at the front. Now Korea is reguarded as the bulwark of socialism and the beacon of hope by all progressive peoples across the world.

The vitality of Songun Politics has been verified in the vast improvement of the living conditions of the working masses in the DPRK. Over the decade (2000-2010) the DPRK has attained a number of outstanding achievements in the strategic objective of building a powerful and prosperous socialist nation. Songun Korea has set itself the goal of reaching the target of a strong and rich independent socialist country by 2012- the centenary year of the birth of the Respected President KIM IL SUNG. All the Korean people are following the spirit of Kanggye, a town in the extreme north of the DPRK where KIM JONG IL introduced the method of turning adversity into blessings during His on-spot guidance there.

Major factories have been modernized and made more efficient. Large,medium and small sized hydroelectric power stations have been constructed throughout the DPRK. The information technology revolution is being implemented into everyday use, the DPRK manufactures its own computers and has the Koryo mobile phone network. The DPRK launched the satellites Kwangmyongsong No1 & No2 by its own means The infrastructure of Pyongyang and other DPRK cities was improved in the past ten years, in Pyongyang Manusdae Street was constructed in honour of the WPK's anniversary. There has been more productive use been made of the countryside with the land rezoning and realignment initiative. In Kangwon province alone more 1,760 hectares of new arable land have been obtained through realignment. The 150 day campaign in 2009 was a great success for the DPRK with industrial production at a record high of 1-2 fold increase as compare to the rate of industrial growth in 2008.The soldiers of the KPA completed the construction of 100 miles of road, 273 structures, 27 pavilions and many other economic tasks. The KPA have carried out the order of their Supreme Commander to improve the people's living standards.

The ideological content of literature and art has become more revolutionary,innovative and dynamic over the past decade. At the head of this new Songun cultural offensive is the Merited State Chorus of the Korean Peoples Army. Such as rousing songs as "No Motherland without YOU","Hold High The Red Flag"and "Led By YOU,We Will Win" are the emblematic anthems of victory and glory composed in the 1990s. The KPA Chorus produced in 2002 an epic musical suite devoted to the history of Army-First Revolutionary Poitics entitled "A Long Journey of Songun". Indeed the KPA Merited State Chorus is the melodic standard bearer of the Songun Age inspiring the Korean People to greater successes in their efforts to defend and construct Korean-style Socialism.

A spectacular artistic achievement of the Songun Revolution was the production of the mass game "Arirang". This mass gymnastics and artistic performance has gone down in the World Guiness Records Book has being the largest mass game in the international chronicle of such events. In total something like 100,000 artistes and athletes performed in the "Arirang". "Arirang" reached new levels of sophistication with the use of DPRK-made computer graphics and lasers in forming the various wonderful illuminations in the May Day Stadium. Another area where the Songun cultural revolution is making its presence felt, is in the field of documentary and feature films, made by the Korean Film Studios and the April 25th Film Studio. A remarkable DPRK feature film which I viewed recently was about the gold medal winner Jong Song OK at the Women's Marathron Race at Sevilla, Spain on August 29th 1998. From watching this movie I got the impression that Jong Song OK seemed to exemplified the fighting ethos of heroic Songun Korea in her determination to win the race with the Great General always in her mind.

Peoples Korea has stood in confrontation with US imperialism for well over 65 years now. Sometimes this has been a conflict with bullets and at other times a war of words and nerves. The DPRK to put in these terms is facing on a daily basis the threat of invasion, the same sort of threat experienced by Britain in the summer of 1940 from the forces of Nazi Germany.The army and people of Korea certainley have nerves of steel to have dared to resist the empire of terror and greed for so many decades.

The first and foremost accomplishment of Songun Politics was to halt US ambitions to stifle the DPRK and to dominate the world community. After the collapse of the USSR and its Warsaw Pact allies, the US imperialists focused their attention upon the DPRK with the clear intention of destroying the outpost of socialism and independence.With the end of "Cold War Era" US imperialism became more belligerent with interventions aganist Panama,Somalia,Serbia,Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States has had a long bloody catalogue of aggression within something of the region of over 200 invasions in small and developing countries since 1945.

In the 1990s the US military came up with such nuclear war stratagems aimed at the DPRK as Operation 5027 and carried out large scale exercises like "Team Spirit" and "Rimpact". US neo-conservatives spoke with alot of arrogance about the dawning of "A New American Century" and "globalization based upon the US model". The ruling circles of the USA thought that the "peaceful transition strategy away from socialism to capitalism" would work with the DPRK as it did with some other countries.

The semi-war situation announced by KIM JONG IL in March 1993 smashed to pieces these ventures of the US imperialists to destablize the DPRK. Later on in October 1994 the US was forced by the Songun politics to the negotiating table and signed the Framework Agreement on the nuclear issue with the DPRK. The US had to recognize the reality of the existence of Socialist Korea as a independent and dignified nation, as a equal partner in the DPRK-US talks. As a consequence of the Songun Politics of KIM JONG IL the prospects for Korean reunification became brighter with the signning of the north-south statement on June 15th 2000 in Pyongyang.

As KIM JONG IL stressed that the bellicose nature of imperialism does not change. The truth of KIM JONG IL's affirmation inregard to imperialism's essence can be seen in recent developments on the Korean peninsula. To succed in the revolution one must be fully prepared and vigliant.

The United States and the Lee Myoung Bak clique have cooked up the "Chenan" without any form of evidence. Lee Myoung Bak group and its US backers are making new attempts to isolate the DPRK even further by internationalizing Chenan at such bodies as the UN Security Council. The Seoul regime wants to apply more pressure aganist the DPRK in the form of "PSI" and other punitive sancitions.Approximately there are 40,000 US troops stationed in south Korea and about 1,000 US nuclear arms pointed at the DPRK. Despite some expectations for change, the Obama Adminstration has carried on the warmongering attitude of its predecessors inrespect to north Korea with the US carrying out in the spring of 2010 the mock "regime change" exercise "Foal Eagle/Key Resolve".

In the Songun era the weapons of the KPA, the guns of the working class have been perfected under KIM JONG IL's Leadership. The DPRK has acquired a nuclear deterrent by its own means, Korea successfully tested two atomic devices in October 2006 and in May 2009. It is an achievement of the Songun Revolution the the Korean Peoples Army now has a weapons capability equal to the imperialists, with advanced weapons systems ready to be used aganist the aggressor. But the greatest strength of the KPA is in the high ideological and technical quality of its soldiers, who are superior to the class and national enemies of the Korean people.

Songun made the possibility of Korea's peaceful and independent reunification a reality. The north and south of Korea were starting to cooperate in many areas of mutual concern. Many Koreans in the north, south and overseas rallied around the patriotic banner of "By-Our-Nation-Itself", that is to gain the reunification by the efforts of the Korean people as a independent entity free from outside interference. Songun Politics has given the south Korean people the courage and self-respect to struggle for Peace, Reunification and Democracy aganist the tyranny of the Lee Myoung Bak regime.

Songun Politics are an inspiration to the various anti-imperialist nations, movements and parties worldwide. That it is feasible for those who are conflict with imperialism to resist and overcome the hegemonists. Countries which have had contradictions with imperialism such as China, Cuba, Iran,Venezuela,Myanmar,Zimbadwe,Suban,Libya, Syira and Belarussia have devoted much more of their attention to the importance of military affairs in the national life during the past decade.

As a result of Songun Politics many countries which formely hostile to the DPRK have established diplomatic relations with Peoples Korea between the years of 2000 to 2004. A big cluster of EU member states including the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy have now got DPRK embassies in their capital cities. The trend for trade and cultural cooperation with the DPRK from business and aesthetic circles in the capitalist nations have grown considerably in the Songun era.

Songun Politics have become a subject for study and emulation among diverse progressive and anti-imperialist groups across the world. In many countries around the globe ,organisations are being founded committed to the study and dissemination of Songun Politics. For instance there is the UK Association for the Study of Songun Politics, the US Songun Study Group, the Ukrainian Treasured Sword of Songun Association, the Ugandan Songun Study Association and many other groups and associations throughout the world. From the ghettoes of Bogota to the foothills of Kathmandu, the flame of Songun lit on the Mount Paektusan is now illuminating the way forward for all those fighting injustice and oppression, for independence.

The greatest memorial to the brilliant legacy of President KIM IL SUNG has been the persevation and consoildation of Korean style socialism by Chairman KIM JONG IL. Socialist Korea under the Revolutionary Songun Leadership has gained something really distinctive, that is a society which has achieved harmonious unity and a degree of egalitarianism unknown elsewhere in the world. On the Glorious 50th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary Songun Leadership,the future for Korea is a extremely bright one under the guidance of the Great General KIM JONG IL.

11.07.2010

( notes about the author : Shaun Pickford is the Secretary of the Group for the Study of the Juche Idea of Britain, he has been a member of the Group for 17 years. Shaun Pickford has visited the DPRK four times in total, the last time being in July 2009)