Tomorrow , 9th of September is the 73rd anniversary of the foundation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK ) so we have this short seminar to mark this occasion.
My speech will cover several themes , firstly how the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was founded , secondly , what it meant for Koreans , thirdly , what it meant for the world , fourthly the achievements of the DPRK seen through different visits to the DPRK .
I am lucky enough to have visited the DPRK several times on the occasion of the anniversary of the foundation of the DPRK ; for example in September 2012, September 2016 and in September 2018 when I led a delegation of the Korean Friendship Association UK and British Group for the Study of the Juche Idea to the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the DPRK.
I think it is useful to observe in passing that legally the DPRK is the longest surviving socialist state in the world as the USSR was dissolved 69 years after its foundation .
Because the DPRK is a state hated so much by the imperialists and constantly demonised and vilified by the mainstream there are myths and misunderstandings around the foundation of the DPRK . One of common myths is that the DPRK is the creation of another state , of outside forces .
In fact Korea was liberated from Japanese imperialism by the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army which was founded and led by President KIM IL SUNG . It is true the Soviet troops were involved in the liberation of Korea but the USSR only entered the war on the 9th of August 1945 whereas the anti-Japanese struggle led by President KIM IL SUNG had started in 1930 and President KIM IL SUNG had formed the Down With Imperialism Union in 1926 .
After liberation in 1945 President KIM IL SUNG pledged that Korea would follow its own road , it would not copy another country . The Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea was established with comrade KIM IL SUNG at its head . In the northern half of Korea advanced democratic reforms such as the agrarian reform were carried out and independent policies were pursued .
Another myth is that the DPRK was only for the northern part of Korea and that it was undemocratic . Nothing could be further from the truth !.
The DPRK was founded by the will of the entire Korean people north and south . In April 1948 President KIM IL SUNG called a consultative conference of politicians from both the north and south . A wide range of people attended the conference including some veteran Korean nationalist politicians from south Korea .It was agreed to form a unified Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to hold elections in both north and south .In August 1948 these elections were held . In the north
99,98 percent of the people voted, in south Korea because of the US occupation and brutal fascist repression 77.25 percent of the people took part in the elections.On the 9th of September the newly elected Supreme’s People’s Assembly proclaimed the foundation of the Democratic People’s Republic and elected President KIM IL SUNG as Premier of the Cabinet .
In south Korea the US had brought back to Korea in 1945 one Syngham Rhee who had stolen funds from the independence movement was living a life of luxury in Hawaii with his Austrian born wife . An American writer Mark Gayn described Syngham Rhee as being ‘two centuries before fascism—a true Bourbon. “. So this was the kind of entity that the US created in south Korea ; more extreme than fascism and propped by US bayonets .
For the people of the DPRK its foundation meant that people took power in their own hands and started to build a new people’s democracy and the first steps towards a new socialist society . The foundation of the DPRK basically declared the illegality of the south Korean puppet regime and provided a powerful base for the reunification of Korea .
The foundation of the DPRK was a powerful inspiration to the oppressed peoples of the world ,groaning under imperialist oppression, in their struggle for independence and national liberation. It was also a great inspiration to the international proletariat advancing towards socialism .
The DPRK was founded one year before the People’s Republic of China was founded . In 1948 in Asia some countries had not gained independence , for example Malaysia , Laos and Cambodia . Others such as the Philippines were ruled by reactionary puppet regimes . India had on paper gained independence but in reality still had a lot of British influence and had reactionary social structures . This puts into context the massive achievement that founding the DPRK represented .
The DPRK is the most independent country in the world , a true state of Juche . As Chairman KIM JONG IL wrote "Our Republic is an independent socialist State that absolutely maintains its Juche character and thoroughly preserves its national identity in its development and activities.
The Juche character and national identity are the independence and lifeline of a country, a nation and the masses of the people. The struggle of the masses for independence is waged with the country and nation as a unit, so the party, the government and the masses of each country should conduct the revolution and construction independently and creatively as masters."
The DPRK does not have foreign troops stationed on its soil and it is not a member of the IMF, World Bank , WTO or APEC .
Today People's Korea is one of the few countries in the world free from Covid 19 thanks to the wise policies of the DPRK government and Workers' Party of Korea headed by the respected Marshal KIM JONG UN .
I have witnessed the achievements of the DPRK . Back in September 2012 Driving from the airport one could see the beauty of the DPRK in autumn with the fields covered in swathes of green rice. In the Pyongyang area there was no sign of flood damage or crop failure. Once again my own eyes confirmed the reality of Juche-based socialism . Everyone was going about their business, normally no one was starving or begging, My guide explained to me about the new flats in Changjon street. Some of the flats are 170 square metres. These were newly built and given to the working people free of charge, something unimaginable in a capitalist country . Indeed in my own country the UK rents are sky high .
The DPRK is the only country in the world to provide free housing. No one should be against this ! The DPRK enforces many other popular people-orientated policies such as free education and free medical care.
In September 2018 I was able to participate in the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the DPRK . I recall the military parade held on the 9th of September . Leading the parade were troops dressed in the uniform of the anti-Japanese guerrilla's followed by
columns dressed in the uniform of KPA soldiers of the Fatherland Liberation War .After that paraders from military academies marched past then . Gradually all branches of the Korean People's Army marched past followed by tanks , artillery and missiles . Planes fly across the square and with fireworks made the number "70 " , this was extremely creative . Then fighter bomber aircraft of the KPA roared across the sky trailing beautiful plumes of red , white and blue smoke , the colours of the national flag of the DPRK.
The military parade was closely followed by a massive civilian demonstration . This of course symbolises the unity of the army and people which are unique to Juche Korea. It was a veritable sea of colour as the marchers went past cheering enthusiastically and waving flowers .We could see watching the parade of the civilians that the people in the DPRK all support respected Marshal
KIM JONG UN and the great Workers' Party of Korea. It was like a great carnival of revolutionary ardour and militancy .There were beautifully designed floats , a real treat to look at. We saw slogans such as "Forward along the road of socialism ", "Lets us live our own way " and " Long live the revolutionary spirit of Mt Paektu " which implicitly rejected "reform " and " opening up " and were basically anti -revisionist.
When the parade finished, respected Marshal KIM JONG UN came to the balcony and waved to the crowd . Everyone cheered , jumped up and down and waved.Respected Marshal KIM JONG UN looked happy and confident.
The military parade symbolised the strength and durability of the DPRK
So lets salute the 73rd anniversary of the foundation of the DPRK..
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