DPRK in 2018 -pictures from a Russian Friend

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Has Photo Session with Participants in 5th Meeting of Company Leaders and Political Instructors of KPA

Pyongyang, March 28 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, had a photo session with the participants in the 5th meeting of company leaders and political instructors of the KPA at the May Day Stadium on Wednesday.

He was accompanied by Ri Myong Su, Kim Su Gil, Ri Yong Gil, No Kwang Chol and other commanding officers of the KPA.

When he appeared in the stadium, all the participants enthusiastically welcomed him.

He was presented with bouquets by the commanding officers of the exemplary companies of the Army, Navy, Air and Anti-Air Force of the KPA.

He expressed the belief and expectation that the company leaders and political instructors would fulfill their mission and duty and had a photo session with them.

On the same day, he summoned exemplary company leaders and political instructors to the office building of the Party Central Committee in specialty and had a photo taken with them again. -0-

Spokesperson for DPRK Foreign Ministry on Golan Heights in Syria

Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA on March 27 as regards the issue of the Golan Heights in Syria:

It is a global recognition that the Golan Heights is an inalienable sacred territory of Syria, and the relevant resolutions were also adopted at the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly.

The denial of Syria's dominion over the Golan Heights is an infringement upon the sovereignty of Syria, and this could lead to further aggravating the unstable regional situation.

We extend full support and solidarity to the struggle of the Syrian government and people for taking back the occupied Golan Heights, safeguarding the country's sovereignty and achieving territorial integrity. -0-

Juche and Brexit- contribution of the Juche Idea Study of England to the Brexit debate

Britain was due to leave the European Union (EU) on the 29^th March 2019 because the British people voted in a referendum to exit the EU. However, this departure has now been postponed and article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty (providing for member states to secede) will not be invoked until June 2019 or possibly later. The purpose of this paper is not to debate a no-deal Brexit versus different variants of Brexit deals, nor is there any point in discussing a second referendum as the British people clearly voted to leave the EU. The purpose of this article is to examine how the Juche Idea can be applied to a post-Brexit Britain and if there are lessons from the DPRK's experience in building an independent national economy that can be applied to the UK after Brexit. Some opponents of the Juche Idea in the UK argue that it is irrelevant to Britain or that it is merely an abstract thought that cannot be applied to Britain because it is an imperialist country. We aim to show that Juche would actually fit in very well to the realities of a post-Brexit Britain.

Firstly, it is our view that to apply Juche in Britain would involve having to leave the EU. The EU denies independence to its member states and it is really a vehicle for globalisation and neo-liberalism, despite some believing that the EU is a “socialist” and “internationalist” project. In fact, it was created as the economic and political counterpart of NATO in Western Europe.

The Greek case made it evident that it is impossible to negotiate a different policy inside the framework of the EU, other than fully adhering to its embedded neo-liberalism. The ability of the EU to impose its will upon anyone who attempts to choose a different course inside the EU was fully expressed in the Greek case. The EU showed its true colours in deliberately bringing down the left wing government of Tsipras in Greece and it managed to reinstate a government who aligned with its ideological goals. At every turn, the EU has favoured protectionism for big business and the wealthy, and tougher regulation for everyone else.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Left in Britain strongly opposed the UK’s membership of the EU. For example, the old Communist Party of Great Britain and Labour Left figures like Tony Benn were implacable opponents of the EU. In the 1975 referendum on Britain’s membership of the Common Market, continued membership was supported by the majority of the Conservative Party, Liberal Party and the dominant right wing of the Labour Party. Those advocating to leave the Common Market came from the left of the Labour and the Communist Party. At the 1979 general election, Labour supported remaining in the European Economic Community (EEC). However, after their defeat and with Michael Foot becoming leader, Labour turned decisively against the EEC. The 1983 Labour manifesto stated: “We will also open immediate negotiations with our EEC partners, and introduce the necessary legislation, to prepare for Britain’s withdrawal from the EEC, to be completed well within the lifetime of the Labour government.”

The mainstream Left and so-called progressives argue for continued membership of the EU because they believe that this union can be reformed, which will lead to the creation of a “People’s Europe”. However, the deeply embedded neoliberalism and authoritarianism of the EU as a class project means that we have to move beyond thinking in terms of “another EU” and reform of the EU.

In November 2018, French president Emmanuel Macron warned that Europeans cannot be protected without a “true, European army” to defend the EU from China, Russia and even the US. Many EU leaders, including German chancellor Angela Merkel, have expressed support for a “real, true” European army. This increased level of military co-operation will increase the power of Franco-German imperialism. An independent Britain must avoid all imperialist alliances.

The EU far from pursuing a progressive or just foreign policy has been very keen to impose harsh, draconian sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The EU has also imposed sanctions on Venezuela, while at the same time recognising the reactionary puppet imposter Juan Guaidó as “president “. Therefore, the EU is not on the side of progress anywhere in the world.

EU trade policies are having a detrimental impact on developing countries. The EU is trying to impose favourable trade agreements to bolster their economic hegemony on the world stage at the expense of the developing nations. An example of this is the Raw Material Initiative. The EU is basically a bloc of imperialist countries, so Brexit is a good opportunity for Britain to cut ties to the reactionary EU.

Historically, the leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea were critical both of the EU and its ideological foundations. The great leader President KIM IL SUNG in his seminal work "Let Us Embody More Thoroughly the Revolutionary Spirit of Independence, Self-Sustenance and Self-Defence in All Fields of State Activity' (1967) recognised the deeply reactionary nature of the EU pointing out that "The European Common Market”, the “integration of the world economy” and the like, loudly advertised by the imperialist powers today, all pursue the heinous, aggressive aims of strangling the economic independence of the newly independent states and subordinating these countries to their rule"

The great leader Comrade KIM JONG IL wrote in his classic work On Preserving the Juche character and national character of the revolution and construction " wrote that "We must" must smash up the vicious and cunning policy of the imperialists who seek to obliterate nations and the reactionary doctrines which try to justify this policy.

The imperialists’ reactionary policy of suppressing the Juche character of nations and obliterating national traits is now taking on a new form in the guise of gangster-like fuss about the trend towards a “monolithic” world. In the situation where each country and nation shape their destiny with their own ideas and systems, there can be no “monolithic” world which covers all spheres of politics, economy and culture. With social development and ties and interchange among different nations becoming closer, common features increase in the lives of nations. However, this process always presupposes the independent and individualistic development of nations and takes place on the basis of such development"

Establishing Juche in Britain would inevitably clash with membership of the EU because the EU project is about limiting the sovereignty of its member states and trying to integrate them into a “unified Europe” with a single free market. The EU aims to destroy independent and sovereign nations in Europe and create a single European super-state run by an undemocratic bureaucracy. Decision making in the EU is dominated by the unelected European Commission and the European Central Bank. The EU is part of the globalisation project of the imperialists, so leaving the EU is striking a blow for independence.

The remain lobby is spreading scare stories about shortages and price increases in a post-Brexit Britain, but this ignores the fact that it was the EU that ended cheap food in the UK. On the leave side, there is talk of getting free trade deals with various other countries around the world. Some right-wing Brexiters also want to turn Britain into a tax haven and a super exploitative economy, which would turn the UK into a sweatshop like south Korea or Singapore. However, we Juche Idea followers reject such reactionary and anti-people ideas. Moreover, the question of Brexit should not be seen in terms of making trade deals etc, but as an opportunity to build an independent national economy.

The Juche idea with its emphasis on self-reliance could be applied to a post-Brexit Britain. The UK can also learn from the DPRK's vast experience in building an independent national economy. President KIM IL SUNG taught us that "building an independent national economy means building a diversified economy equipping it with up-to date technology and creating our solid bases of raw materials ,thereby building up an all embracing economic system in which every branch is structurally interrelated so as to provide domestically most of the products of heavy and light industry and the agricultural produce needed to make the country wealthy and powerful and to improve the people's living condition".

The DPRK has a diversified economy that produces a wide range of products from cosmetics to rockets. Despite facing sanctions and blockades over many years, the DPRK’s economy has thrived and enjoyed a high rate of growth with industrial output value growing at 19.1 per cent per annum during the period 1957 to 1970. Furthermore, from 1946 to 1984, industrial output increased by 431 times and national income increased by 65 times. The south Korean 'Bank of Korea ' in 2016 estimated the DPRK's economic growth at 3.9 per cent per annum. These figures prompted Reuters (no friend of the DPRK) to write “North Korea 2016 economic growth at 17-year high despite sanctions: South Korea”. It should also be pointed out that the DPRK's dependence on foreign trade is minimal, as the percentage of foreign trade in the gross national product was estimated to be 4.8 per cent.

A post-Brexit Britain should take inspiration from the DPRK by first securing

economic independence and then building an economy that is diversified and able to meet people's needs. In the past few decades, industries in the UK have disappeared and there has been the rise of the retail sector, the finance sector and other non-productive sectors. In the UK, only 12 per cent of GDP comes from manufacturing industry, as compared to 30 per cent in 1970, which is a decline of over 50 per cent. Although the UK is amongst the wealthy countries of the world, its economy is dangerously unbalanced because it lacks a strong base of productive and extractive industries. However, these problems are not entirely the EU's fault as the longer term decline of British capitalism and the general crisis of capitalism have also been a big contributing factor. Nevertheless, the EU has greatly accelerated deindustrialisation.

Arthur Scargill, former leader of the National Union of Mine workers and President of the Socialist Labour Party, called for coal mines and cotton mills to be reopened. We would support this and believe that such an action would make a positive and practical contribution towards an independent national economy. Britain could easily produce many products that are now imported and greater agricultural self-sufficiency could be achieved.

Throughout the period of Britain's membership of the EU, unemployment has never been below 1 million. Many EU member countries have high levels of unemployment. A post-Brexit Britain based on Juche and self-reliance would strive to have a diversified economic structure, with all sectors serving the needs of the people and providing full employment.

A post-Brexit Britain should not become more dependent on other countries, neither should it try to compete with other capitalist countries by lowering wages and cutting social benefits. We should instead become self-reliant by relying on own resources. We must move away from dependence on foreign trade by expanding the internal market.

A truly independent Britain can only be achieved by leaving NATO, IMF, the world bank and other capitalist organisations. It would also be necessary to close all US bases and expel all US military and intelligence personnel from British soil.

Only Juche can create a sovereign Britain. We all know the problems associated with the notion of sovereignty, especially its association with nationalism, racism, and colonialism. However, this progressive form of sovereignty is based upon a social relationship that is different from that of bourgeois “sovereignty.” The “people” of this reclaimed popular sovereignty would be all working class people who are struggling against the policies of European capitalist classes.

There is an anxiety caused by people’s sense of a lack of control over their own lives, anger against a cynical political class and disbelief against the undemocratic framework of the EU. Thus, there is a desire for democracy as emancipation, independence, and justice. This discontent has also led the rise of right-wing parties, but only a Juche based party would achieve independence and true freedom. Therefore, Juche is the answer to the rise of the right-wing following the EU referendum.

Juche can help us to achieve a genuine “People’s Brexit” that would allow the people to take control of their country and destinies. Let’s build an independent and self-reliant People’s Britain under the banner of Juche!

Written by Dermot Hudson and  Shaun Pickford

Juche Idea Study Group of England March 2019.

Ill-boding remarks

On March 14, Na Gyong-won floor leader of the opposition Liberty Korea Party insisted on the special investigation committee into anti-national act divided the nation after Korea’s liberation at a meeting of the party.

 In this regard, civic organizations and descendants of fighters for national independence visited the National Assembly on March 22 to demand Na’s resignation of assemblywoman.

                           

A hundred years ago, the pro-Japanese element Lee Wan-yong made absurd remarks the anti-Japanese movement led to national disunion to weaken the Mach 1 independence resistance. Na made the same remarks as if Lee came back to life, they said.

Na, who inflicted untold wounds upon the champions of independence movement and their descendants, should resign her membership and I demand Na to make an apology before the history and people in the name of a descendant of champion of independence movement, 101 years-old patriot Im Woo-churl noted.

On March 18, a civic body issued a statement to strongly denounce Na.

Branding her remarks as an absurd one, it contended that she has a gross misunderstanding about the history.

It demanded Na to make an apology to the people and resign her membership. It said that it would take a strong step to make Na face punishment by the people if she declines to accept the demand.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Guides 5th Meeting of Company Leaders and Political Instructors of KPA

Pyongyang, March 27 (KCNA) -- The 5th meeting of company leaders and political instructors of the Korean People's Army (KPA) took place here on March 25 and 26.

The meeting analyzed and reviewed successes and experience gained in the course of embodying the spirit of the 4th meeting of company leaders and political instructors of the KPA and discussed tasks and ways for further enhancing the responsibility and role of company leaders and political instructors as required by the work for modeling the entire army on Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism.

Attending the meeting were company leaders and political instructors, commanding and political officers of units at all levels and military schools who have devoted themselves to turning their companies into elite militant ranks and true homes of soldiers.

Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, appeared in the platform to guide the meeting.

Seen in the platform were leading officials of the armed forces organs including Ri Myong Su, Kim Su Gil, Ri Yong Gil and No Kwang Chol, KPA commanding officers, exemplary company leaders and political instructors.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un made an opening address.

He said that over the past five years, measures were taken and deep guidance provided to thoroughly apply the main idea of the 4th meeting of company leaders and political instructors of the KPA to the army-building and military affairs and thus signal successes were made in strengthening all the companies and a springboard for developing the people's army into an invincible elite army was laid.

Saying with pleasure that sitting together with company leaders and political instructors, he seems to meet all the beloved soldiers whom he always missed even during his visit to foreign countries, he expressed deep respect for all the company leaders and political instructors of the army who are devoting themselves to increasing military capabilities while undergoing hardships and worrying a lot about their soldiers.

Expressing the belief that the meeting would serve as a significant occasion to provide a new landmark for strengthening companies by thoroughly embodying the Party's idea and policy of attaching importance to companies as required by the developing revolution, he declared the meeting open.

Army General Kim Su Gil, director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, made a report.

He said in his report that the period after the fourth meeting of company leaders and political instructors of the KPA were the days of honor when they keenly felt the wise guidance of the Supreme Leader and those of pride when all the companies have developed into matchless combat ranks which formed a harmonious whole with him.

The reporter referred to the tasks for increasing the combat capabilities of companies, the cells and main combat units of the KPA, in every way.

He called for smartly kindling the fresh flames of strengthening the companies and further consolidating the invincible might of the heroic KPA under the ever-victorious guidance of the Supreme Leader.

Speeches were made at the meeting.

Speeches made at the first-day and second-day meetings referred to the achievements and experience gained during the past five years in the work for training soldiers to be one-match-for-a-hundred stalwart fighters and making companies true home of soldiers by firmly keeping the building of politico-ideologically strong army and morally strong army as two mainstays.

Speeches were also made on the issue of drawing lessons from the faults made by some company leaders and company political instructors, who failed to take good care of soldiers' living and conduct substantial training, and the ways of thoroughly rectifying them.

Listening carefully to those commanding officers who made good speeches about achievements and experience gained in the work for strengthening the companies, the Supreme Leader encouraged them and highly appreciated their distinguished deeds and dedicated efforts.

Pointing out one by one the achievements, experience, lessons and deviations mentioned in the speeches, he earnestly called on all the participants in the meeting to actively learn from the excellent achievements made by those units which are taking the lead.

A decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK on conferring the title of Labor Hero on exemplary company leaders and political instructors was read out by Kim Su Gil.

Kim Jong Un conferred the certificates and Gold Medal (Hammer and Sickle), Order of National Flag First Class on KPA officers Nam Chol Man, Choe Song Min, Choe Un Hui, Pak Hong Gwan and Ri Man Bok, who made great contributions to strengthening companies, and had a photo taken with them on the platform.

He made a speech.

Saying that he was very pleased to see again through the meeting the real picture of good men among company commanding officers of the entire army, he highly appreciated their devotion to the Party and the revolution.

Underlining the need for the participants to be well aware of the Party's intention of organizing the meeting, deeply study and actively generalize good experience and thus make sure that substantial surge is brought about in strengthening the companies, he set forth militant tasks for company leaders and political instructors of the entire army.

He also set forth in detail the tasks of steadily deepening the essential five-point education, vigorously conducting the education in the revolutionary tradition, positively putting forward the examples to make soldiers adorn every moment of their military service with loyalty and feats, etc. for developing the revolutionary armed forces into an ideologically-prepared elite force.

Noting that the Korean revolution would make a vigorous advance forever, he ardently called for dynamically fighting for the victory of the Korean sacred revolution.

A written oath to Kim Jong Un was adopted at the meeting.

Kim Jong Un made a closing speech.

He said that all the company leaders and political instructors of the KPA sat together to analyze and review successes, experience and lessons gained in the struggle for strengthening the companies and discuss practical measures, and expressed great satisfaction over the successful meeting held amid their elated political enthusiasm.

He again underlined the need for the participants to fulfill their honorable mission and duty in the struggle for strengthening the companies into elite combat ranks devotedly defending the Party Central Committee and making the companies true homes of soldiers, always keeping in mind that the decisive guarantee for rounding off combat preparedness lies in strengthening the companies.

Expressing the belief and expectation that the participants in the meeting would devote their all to strengthening the companies as intended by the Party, he declared the closing of the meeting. -0-

KCNA Commentary on LKP Desperate Bid to Revive Dictatorship

Pyongyang, March 26 (KCNA) -- The "Liberal Korea Party" (LKP) of south Korea is now recklessly crying out for "checking the leftist dictatorship".
Describing the present regime as a "leftist dictatorial regime," "pro-north fascist regime," "campaigning government," etc. coteries of the conservative and traitorous party set up a "special committee for checking the leftist dictatorship" within the party.
They are branding the agreement on the "amendment to the election law" by the ruling party and three opposition parties as "a legislative coup for prolonging the life of the leftist dictatorial government."
Their vicious campaign against the leftists based on the coloring theory reminds one of the dark fascist age when the successive dictators lorded it over.
Deep-seated evil scum, who had been pushed to a tight corner after facing stern punishment of the history, are recklessly seeking to come back to power. This is a frontal challenge to the participants in the candlelight struggle who are desirous of new politics, new social system and new life.
So far, the conservatives have only paid lip service to "renovation" and "change" since Park Geun Hye was impeached, while sharpening a sword of retaliation. And now they are revealing their true colors after putting off the deceptive mask.
This shows how desperately the traitors seek to rally the conservative forces again and grab power so as to reverse the trend of history into the past when sycophancy, treachery, confrontation with fellow countrymen and fascist dictatorship were rampant.
Representative Hwang Kyo An recently let loose such horrible remarks that "the political party of leftist red guards entered the parliament" and "it is thinking only of prolonging the life of the leftist dictatorship". He also declared that "his party's aim is to win the general election and give birth to its government."
The conservatives, obsessed by the greed to grab power, are driving the south Korean society into a serious situation by a torrent of abuse and reckless acts, shocking the people from all walks of life.
South Korean media and experts comment that the high-spirited LKP would continue to carry out their coloring offensive until the "presidential" election for the goal of "grabbing power" and the conservative reorganization.
It is crystal clear to all that if the traitors are allowed to run amuck to rally the conservative forces again and to realize the wild ambition to come back to power, there would be a revival of the dark age of fascism and dictatorship in south Korea.
The reality in south Korea teaches a lesson that the herd of traitors must be eradicated to the last.
The south Korean people will frustrate the last-ditch attempt of the conservative riff-raff of Park Geun Hye to revive the dictatorship by conducting another candlelight resistance.
What's more, the words "dictatorship", "fascism" and "coup" are suitable for condemning the crime-woven political party of traitors LKP. -0-