Wednesday 14 December 2022

REMEMBERING COMRADE KIM JONG IL - SPEECH OF DR DERMOT HUDSON TO ONLINE MEETING 13.12.2022

The purpose of this presentation is not to mourn comrade KIM JONG IL but to celebrate his life and at the same time propagate the truth about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with the aim of increasing solidarity with it.

A posting on Twitter and Instagram by Turkish comrades reminded me of a particular aspect of the life of comrade KIM JONG IL .They had posted a picture of comrade KIM JONG IL cooking food while wearing a chef’s hat . Now this picture is rarely seen outside the DPRK . Now I remember back in September 2016 when I had gone one night to the coffee shop in Changjon Street with my guide . As we walked up the stairs to the coffee shop my guide smiled beautifully at the big picture of comrade KIM JONG IL which I had never seen before and at the time the picture was unknown outside of the DPRK . My guide’s smile was a natural and unaffected one . The imperialists like to call the DPRK a ‘dictatorship ‘ or ‘totalitarian ‘ and claim that people are made to do things by force or compulsion but no one was forcing my guide to smile . People can be made to do many things by force but smiling is not one of them .


The picture of comrade KIM JONG IL cooking reflected fully the humble and modest nature of comrade KIM JONG IL , a man who as a student participated in the rebuilding of Pyongyang and had worked at Lathe No 26 of the Pyongyang Textile Machinery Factory . Comrade KIM JONG IL was often dressed in the same simple clothes as Korean working people . He wore the same parka for many years .He was a true people’s leader who once said that flowers should be made to bloom on a rock if it was for the people. Comrade KIM JONG IL put forward  the slogan  "We Serve the People!" which reflected his profound people-oriented outlook. and also embodied the Juche idea which postulates that the masses are the masters of the revolution and construction and that everything should serve them . Even during the ‘arduous march ‘ period in the DPRK during the 1990s  comrade KIM JONG IL made sure that soya milk was supplied to children  and also as far as I know not a single hospital or school closed during that  period .


 Comrade KIM JONG IL had passed away on the morning of the 17th of December 2011 whilst actually giving on-the-spot guidance to key economic sectors of the DPRK  . From his early days to the end of his life. comrade KIM JONG IL visited more than 14 290 units across the country, travelling the long distance of 669 844 kilometres which is the equivalent to going round the earth 17 times. Even in the last year of his life Chairman KIM JONG IL  continued with an intense pace of field guidance despite health problems and warnings from his doctor. The train that comrade KIM JONG IL passed away on in 2011 can be seen in Kumsusan Palace of the Sun and is kept in  its original state with comrade KIM JONG IL’s papers ,glasses and computer on the desk , just as they were before he passed away .I remembering visiting the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun and my guide said with emotion that it was as if comrade KIM JONG IL had just gone to take a rest .


Comrade KIM JONG IL visited all kinds of places from army units to farms and factories .In 2017 our delegation visited the same simple 2 storied farmers house at Migok Co-Operative Farm near Sariwon City which had been visited by Chairman KIM JONG IL in 2006 . It was the simple home of an ordinary farmer  rather than a high level official or VIP . Comrade KIM JONG IL gave guidance in all weather ; in the blazing sun or in the depths of winter . He went down mines and other dangerous places .There is the famous picture of comrade KIM JONG IL descending into the Komdok mine in 1975 . He also visited Panmunjom ,the place where the US imperialists and People’s Korea stood in confrontation with  each other at gunpoint , a number of times including in 1996 . He had no fear of the enemy .


The security of the people and the socialist system of the DPRK was defended by comrade KIM JONG IL  . In some countries socialism was abandoned leading to mass unemployment , insecurity and poverty . However comrade KIM JONG IL ensured that the DPRK did not go down this disastrous route but instead carried forward the ideas of President KIM IL SUNG and continued along the road of Juche and the road of socialism . Some expected that after President KIM IL SUNG passed away in July 1994 the DPRK would adopt ‘reform ‘ and ‘opening up ‘ but comrade KIM JONG IL rebuffed declaring “ Expect No Change from Me ‘


When the DPRK was threatened by the incessant moves for aggression by the US imperialists and south Korea , comrade KIM JONG IL administered and developed in depth  Songun (army first ) politics.comrade KIM JONG IL led the work of defence up-building and continued the cause of Juche-army building pioneered by the great leader President KIM IL SUNG. Stressing the importance of the anti-imperialist military front he led the DPRK to victory in the DPRK-US confrontation smiting the reactionary US imperialists by carrying out 2 nuclear tests so that the DPRK became a global nuclear power , a proud independent socialist nuclear power of Juche.The independence and security of the DPRK was safeguarded. Thanks to this legacy bequeathed by comrade KIM JONG IL, the DPRK can sit  down and negotiate with the USA as an equal partner.


 Although eleven years have passed since comrade KIM JONG IL passed away , the vitality of his ideas shines even brighter today and his work is carried forward by his successor dear respected Marshal KIM JONG UN . People's Korea ,which was the legacy of comrade KIM JONG IL , today is prospering despite the extreme sanctions of the imperialists.


We join with the people of the DPRK , with KFA branches and organisations throughout the world and Juche idea study organisations in remembering comrade KIM JONG IL , the great leader of the Korean people.

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