After President KIM IL SUNG passed away unexpectedly in July 1994 the baton of leadership passed to Chairman KIM JONG IL . The period after President KIM IL SUNG passed away proved to be a most difficult and trying period for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK ) . Not only had the Korean people suffered the greatest loss in 5,000 years with the demise of their great leader President KIM IL SUNG but also faced the cruel and severe isolate and suffocate tactics of the US-led imperialists ; People’s Korea was a socialist fortress standing alone against the imperialists . At the same time the DPRK suffered several consecutive years of natural disasters which caused huge losses in agricultural production and damage to infrastructure .
This period became known as the “Arduous march “ period a name which recalled the period in the Anti-Japanese armed struggle which the anti-Japanese guerrillas led by President KIM IL SUNG had to undertake a march in conditions of enemy encirclement ,sub zero temperatures and a shortage of provisions.
During the mid 1990s the imperialists predicted the so-called “collapse “ of the DPRK . In May 1996 the imperialist media claimed that the DPRK would close within 3 months and that everyone in the DPRK was starving to death . Needless to say when our Juche Idea Study Group of England delegation visited the DPRK in June 1996 we did not see a single person starving .
Comrade KIM JONG IL firmly believed in the superiority and invincibility of socialism , to him socialism was not just a belief but a science . The Western imperialists and others hoped that the DPRK would “reform “ and “open up “ , they even secretly offered aid to the DPRK through backdoor channels on the condition that the DPRK gave up socialism but comrade KIM JONG IL declared "Expect No Change from me!" . These words were very meaningful indeed . It symbolised both continuity as well as the defence of Juche-based socialism.
On New Years day of 1995 comrade KIM JONG IL visited the Takabasol(Dwarf Pine tree) army post and declared declared that the DPRK was at the crossroads , that they could either live under independent socialism or become colonial slaves of the imperialists (colonial slavery had become the lot of many countries under the so-called New World Order of Bush. Clinton and Blair). To defend independence and socialism the DPRK needed to effect Songun politics , the revolutionary line of giving priority to the army and modelling society on the revolutionary soldier spirit. This was the only way to defeat imperialism and defend independence.
Comrade KIM JONG IL with iron-willed determination energetically lead the Korean people to defend socialism and become the victors in the “Arduous March “ the From September 1994 to December 1999 comrade KIM JONG IL gave on the spot guidance 247 times covering a distance of 129,000 km .
Comrade KIM JONG IL ensured that socialist construction was carried on despite the most trying conditions, by applying the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance. The gigantic Anbyon power station was completed in 1996 .This in terms of construction costs, materials and resources were double that of the West Sea Barrage which was constructed in the 1980s at the cost of $ 4 billion. Many small and medium-sized power stations were also built. The KPA between 1995 and 2000 built the Chongynu Bridge, the Kumnung Tunnel No 2, the Pyongyang-Hyangsan motorway, the Thaechon Power station no 5 and the April 25 hotel.
Measures were taken one by one to alleviate the food shortage issue. In 1997 Chairman KIM JONG IL said that the entire army and all people must be mobilized for effective farming that year by all means, so as to solve the food problem decisively and bring the “Arduous March” to a successful conclusion. The People’s Army, he said, should give active, large-scale support to farming that year, organizing support to the countryside down to the last detail. Land rezoning was carried out on a massive scale so as to eliminate any residual vestiges of feudal landownership, making it impossible to restore capitalism in the DPRK countryside and boosting production facilitating greater use of mechanisation.
On the 31st of August 1998 People’s Korea shattered the predictions of the imperialist pundits and doom-mongers. With an earth shattering roar the first satellite of Juche , the Kwangymyongsong 1,soared into the sky . People’s Korea rather than collapsing entered the space age !
Thus great comrade KIM JONG IL had led the Korean people to victory over the imperialists during the “Arduous March “ .
Glory to the memory of the great leader comrade KIM JONG IL !
Dr Dermot Hudson
Chairman Korean Friendship Association UK
Chairman British Group For the Study of the Juche Idea
Hon Secretary General Global Farmy for the Study of KIM JONG UN People’s First Policies
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