ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE INDIAN WEEKLY BLITZ-KIM IL SUNG

KIM IL SUNG

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS RAISED BY
THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE
INDIAN WEEKLY BLITZ


August 6, 1975
(Extract)

Next, I shall explain how the Government of our Republic ap­proaches the present south Korean situation and what problems should be solved to prevent war and maintain peace in Korea and bring about independent and peaceful reunification.
The US imperialists who occupy the southern half of our country are further reinforcing their armed forces of aggression; they are constantly introducing weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons and military equipment,
Since its shameful defeat and rout in Indochina, US imperialism has engaged particularly in all kinds of actions to achieve its aggressive ambitions regarding Korea and the rest of Asia, by keeping a firm grip on south Korea, its major stronghold for bolstering up its system of colonial rule which is heading towards total ruin in Asia.
The chieftains of US imperialism declared south Korea a “forward defence zone” of the US; and they are declaring that once war breaks out in Korea, they will “promptly aid” south Korea in accordance with their “commitments” and that they “will not refrain from using nuclear weapons”. This clearly reveals the predatory nature and aggressive ambitions of US imperialism.
At the instigation of US imperialism, the south Korean puppets are also intensifying military provocations against the northern half of the Republic Gripped by dreadful anxiety and terror, they are now complain­ing about a fictitious “threat of southward invasion”, thus making our country’s situation more tense, and are cruelly suppressing even the smallest elements in south Korea calling for democracy and the country’s reunification.
All these moves by the US imperialists and their stooges are an offensive challenge to all the Korean people and progressive people throughout the world who wish to see war prevented and peace maintained in Korea and the independent and peaceful reunification realized.
Today, because of the stratagems of US imperialism and its lackeys to start a new war, there is a danger of war breaking out in our country at any moment.
The Government of the Republic and our people cannot suppress their indignation at the enemy’s plans for another war; and they are on the alert, watching his every move.
It is the unshakable position of the Government of our Republic to check and frustrate the new war manoeuvrings of the US imperialists and their minions and bring about the independent, peaceful reunification of the country. We are endeavouring to preserve peace in our country and are making every effort to reunify our divided country independently and peacefully, without any foreign interference and on democratic principles.
To prevent war and maintain peace in Korea and achieve in­dependent, peaceful reunification, it is necessary, first of all, to dissolve the “UN Command” and withdraw all foreign troops stationed in south Korea under the guise of “UN forces”.
It is common knowledge that at present tens of thousands of US troops in the guise of “UN forces” are in south Korea. This constitutes a constant threat to peace in our country and is the main obstacle to its independent, peaceful reunification. That is why the Government of our Republic has put forward strong demands that the US imperialist forces of aggression stationed in south Korea be stripped of their “UN forces” disguise and withdrawn completely. Our just demands enjoy widespread support and sympathy amongst people throughout the world.
The US imperialists can no longer justify the occupation of south Korea by their troops, nor can they stay on in south Korea in the guise of “UN forces”. Seeing this and with the forthcoming opening of the 30th Session of the UN General Assembly in September this year, they tabled a “draft resolution” recently to disband the “UN Command”. This “resolution” appears all very well at first glance, but behind it lies a shrewd artifice.
This is, in fact, an attempt by the US imperialists to remain in south Korea under another guise than that of “UN forces” by currying favour with people the world over and hoodwinking world public opinion with the promise to disband the “UN Command”. This is a transparent trick which will deceive no one.
The question of disbanding the “UN Command” and withdrawing US troops cannot be divorced from each other. The so-called “UN forces” in south Korea are US troops, and the US troops are precisely the “UN forces”. Until now the US imperialists have perpetrated their acts of aggression in the name of the “UN forces” and sought to disguise their criminal acts with the pretence of being “UN forces”. The US imperialists themselves have stated repeatedly until now that the US troops in south Korea are “UN forces”. Now when it is not to their advantage to be “UN forces”, they say they will dissolve the “UN Command”, but without withdrawing their troops. From this it can be clearly seen how brazen the US imperialists are and how wickedly they are attempting to seize south Korea for ever and obstruct the reunification of Korea.
Of course, it is a major victory for the just struggle of our people and progressive people the world over that the US imperialists have offered of their own accord to disband the “UN Command”. This proves that the US imperialists find themselves in a very awkward situation and can no longer achieve their aggressive aims under the guise of “UN forces”. If the US imperialist forces of aggression are allowed to remain in south Korea as before while the “UN Command” is dissolved, such a step will, in fact, be meaningless for our country’s reunification.
The US imperialists should drop their foolish trickery; they should pull out of south Korea with all their forces of aggression immediately, at the same time as the “UN Command” is dissolved.
To avoid war and achieve peaceful reunification in our country, the Armistice Agreement must be replaced by a peace agreement on condition that all foreign troops withdraw from south Korea.
The Armistice Agreement merely signifies a cessation of hostilities; it cannot be a full guarantee of peace. Needless to say, we shall not be the first to open fire, and as long as the US imperialists and their stooges do not start another war, we will not take up arms. We have declared more than once that under no circumstances will we “invade the south”. Nevertheless, the US imperialists seek to remain in south Korea giving the excuse of the so-called “threat of southward invasion”, and are commit­ting ceaseless aggressive acts and provocations. In such conditions, a full guarantee of peace must be obtained in Korea through the conclusion of a peace agreement between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States.
If the US imperialists really have no intention of invading our country and desire the peaceful reunification of Korea, they must withdraw their troops from south Korea as soon as possible and sign a peace agreement with us.
When all foreign troops leave south Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States sign a peace agreement, the armed forces of the north and the south of our country should be cut drastically and the military confrontation of the two zones should be ended. Then a broad avenue will be opened for the peaceful solution of the national reunification question through the efforts of our own nation in accordance with the basic principles specified in the North-South Joint Statement.
For 30 long years our country has remained divided and in south Korea there is now a reactionary “government”. This being so, reunifi­cation of the two parts may possibly come up against some obstacles and take some time. This is why we are of the opinion that a north-south federation should be established as a transitional step towards national reunification. By the north-south federation we envisage the formation of a Supreme National Council composed of representatives of the north and the south, while leaving the present political systems of the two zones intact for the time being, so as to jointly coordinate important matters concerning the development of the nation and, at the same time, appear externally as a single state under a single name.
If the Federation is formed, it will be possible to hasten the complete reunification of the country by deepening understanding and trust between the north and the south and promoting their mutual ties and cooperation in all fields.