Wednesday, December 24, 2003
KIM JONG SUK FIGHTER FOR INDEPENDENCE by Elizaberh Farrell New Worker paper.
(this article is reproduced from the New Worker newspaper and the JISGE express thanks to the author and New Worker
newspaper)
KIM JONG SUK FIGHTER FOR INDEPENDENCE
by Elizabeth Farrell
Kim Jong Suk was a Korean revolutionary communist and fighter for national liberation. She devoted her life to the struggle against the Japanese colonial rule and the victory of the revolution. Her marksmanship was legendary – but she always placed equal importance on communist education and filled the ranks of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army with Kim Il Sung’s Juche idea. Kim Jong Suk was also the wife of Kim Il Sung, and Kim Jong Il’s mother. This short account of her life and revolutionary activities marks the 86th anniversary of her birth.
Kim Jong Suk was born in Hoeryong, in the north Hamyong province of Korea, under Japanese occupation on 24 December 1917. She grew up in a revolutionary and patriotic family of share-cropping poor peasants.
The police often raided the family’s house in search for evidence against Kim Jong Suk’s father, who was engaged in the struggle for Korea’s independence. And when Kim Jong Suk’s family were unable to repay debts to a landowner, they were evicted from their land. So in the spring of 1922, the Kim family crossed the Tuman river into China. They settled in Beigou, north eastern China, where they took up share-cropping again. Kim Jong Suk, who was only five years old at this time, worked in the field with her mother and her brother every day and wove cloth by night.
When she was 10, her older sister Kim Kwiinnyo was taken by the landowner because the family could not repay debts, and was forced to become his servant. Kwiinnyo cried as she was taken away, while the rest of the family was injured trying to protect her. This left a deep impression on Kim Jong Suk.
The landowner, still not satisfied and angry at the family trying to prevent Kwiinnyo from being taken away, evicted them from their land and hut. Once again homeless and without income, Kim Jong Suk’s family moved to Xishanli, also in China. But her father was ill and her elder brother, who had been seriously injured by Japanese forces, was also unable to work.
Under these conditions, Kim Jong Suk came to realise at a very early age that the oppressive colonial system, which had caused her family so much misery, could never provide a better future for working people. Her father died soon after the family had moved to Xishanli. Just before, he told Jong Suk: “I wanted to be buried in Korea – I wanted to become Korean earth when I decayed. But even this wish is not going to be fulfilled. Wherever you are, you must not forget your hometown, must not forget Korea, and must fight for Korea.” Kim Jong Suk never betrayed her father’s wish and fought for Korea all her life.
In 1930 Kim Il Sung sent a political worker to work undercover in Fuyan, where Kim Jong Suk lived at the time. It was through the night school he set up that Jong Suk’s wish to learn was first realised; she was the first to enrol. Recalling her excitement, she later said: “How grateful I was when the night school was opened! That was the first gratitude I had felt in my life. I was so happy that I shed tears holding on to the edge of the blackboard.”
Her class-consciousness developed at this night school and she was asked by the Young Communist League (YCL), founded by Kim Il Sung, to take part in agitation and distribute leaflets.
In September 1931 Kim Jong Suk was admitted to the Children’s Vanguard, a paramilitary organisation founded by Kim Il Sung for young people and children. This was the beginning of a new life for Jong Suk, an important first step on the road to becoming a guerrilla fighter for Korea’s independence.
When Japanese troops assaulted the village and burnt her family’s house in 1932, Jong Suk lost her mother and sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law, minutes before dying, asked for Kim Jong Suk to bring up her son.
Kim Jong Suk later told a comrade-in-arms about this tragic event, saying: “Mother’s death shocked me too hard to shed tears. The thought of bringing up my infant nephew in this harsh world dazed me as if the sky had fallen in, as if the earth had sunk into an abyss. Neither crying nor writhing seemed to lead me out of despair – but the consciousness of revolution helped me rise.
“With determination to fight stoutly for the revolution under General Kim Il Sung’s leadership, I stood up again with fresh hope.”
She did just that. She pulled herself together and, just 10 days after the death of her mother, joined the YCL.
Kim Jong Suk was the first woman to join the YCL in Fuyan. She made her way to the guerrilla zone, with her younger brother, Kim Ki Song. The guerrilla zone had just been formed, after the foundation of the Anti-Japanese People’s Guerrilla Army. Here she worked as a member of the Number Eight District Committee of the YCL and as leader of the Children’s Corps. She did everything she could to train the Children’s Corps members, many of whose parents had been killed by the Japanese, into reliable reserves of the Korean revolution.
Her work with the children involved collecting ammunition for the guerrillas, taking them to do weeding in the fields and assigning them to the tasks of signal communication and scouting. She also organised the art troupe of the Children’s Corps, performing revolutionary songs. She prepared the performance programme and directed the rehearsals of the art troupe. She always reminded her audiences of why the art troop was performing. During one New Year performance she told the masses of workers gathered to hear the songs: “Seeing out the old year full of trials, we are seeing in a new year full of hope. In the past year, the Korean people started the great war against the Japanese, fighting through flames – united behind General Kim Il Sung in the new year they will give crushing blows to the Japanese imperialist aggressors.”
She later led the YCL work at the Sandaowan guerrilla base, where she first met Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong Suk participated in the meeting of the county party committee secretariat he had convened.
In March 1934 the Anti-Japanese People’s Guerrilla Army was reorganised into the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army (KPRA). This made it possible for the guerrilla units, which had been organised in various counties, to be brought together under a unified organisational system that could carry out partisan activities on a larger scale. A year after the KPRA was formed Kim Jong Suk joined it in the Chechangzi guerrilla zone.
On receiving her rifle, Kim Jong Suk said: “With this rifle bearing the blood of the revolutionary forerunners and the people’s desire for national liberation, I will be faithful to General Kim Il Sung until the last moment of my life. I take this one rifle as one hundred rifles and will shoot one bullet as one hundred bullets to take revenge on the enemy.”
The party organisation entrusted her to carry out YCL work within her unit as soon as she joined the army.
Since then she played a key role in military and political activities, making her contribution to the cause of national liberation. She used to say that she had not even the right to die before fulfilling her revolutionary tasks.
Amongst many other things, she educated women in Naitoushan in the far north of Korea, and rallied them behind a women’s association. A Japanese document reports: “After moving to Naitoushan, the communist army gathered the villagers in November 1935 and replaced the [feudal village head] with a peasant committee. At a consultative meeting, the villagers elected the chairman, vice-chairman and head of the accounting section of the committee.
“Subsequently, the committee supported revolutionary organisations by providing them with food and fuel and carrying materials for them. In February the following year a women’s association was formed.” These achievements were a direct result of Kim Jong Suk’s activities.
By 1936, Kim Jong Suk was fighting in the KPRA unit personally led by Kim Il Sung. In May that year, the Association for the Restoration of the Fatherland (ARF), the first anti-Japanese national united front organisation, was founded. Kim Jong Suk understood its historical significance of this immediately. Kim Il Sung was elected Chairman of the ARF at the formation meeting. He wrote The ten-point programme of the ARF, setting out the way to achieve national liberation. Kim Jong Suk studied this work in detail and explained it to other guerrillas, as well as distributing and explaining it to the people.
“The KPRA soldiers”, Kim Jong Suk pointed out, “are not only combatants who fight against the enemy with weapons in their hands, but also information workers and organisers who arm the people with the idea of Comrade Commander [Kim Il Sung] and mobilise them in the struggle to put it into effect.
Therefore, when they face the enemy, they must fight valiantly, like lions, and when they go among the people, they must be excellent information workers.”
During her work in the KPRA main unit, she devoted herself to the safety of the headquarters at Mount Paektu, regarding this as her main task. Kim Jong Suk was always the first to defend Kim Il Sung – both fighting to educate people with his political ideas and protecting him physically, many times acting as a human shield.
She exposed counter revolutionaries and fought in important battles, like the battle of Hongqihe, the battle of Dashahe and may others.
In 1937, having proved herself as a reliable political worker, she was admitted to the Communist Party. Kim Il Sung immediately assigned her to carry out key tasks – expanding the network of ARF organisations and building the party. She conducted underground work, many times narrowly escaping death at the hands of Japanese imperialists. She was arrested in Singalpha, an area of great strategic importance for the Japanese at the time, while doing underground work. But she managed to break free with the support of the villagers, who had placed great trust in her.
Kim Jong Suk never showed mercy to the class enemy but always cared warmly for her comrades: cooking, sewing uniforms, and nursing the sick. She educated and led KPRA soldiers with firm belief in the revolution and was a remarkable example to others.
At the KPRA headquarters on Mount Paektu, Kim Jong Suk gave birth to Kim Jong Il on 16 February 1942. She later recalled: “My son was born on Mount Paektu. He grew up wrapped in my military uniform and being carried on my knapsack during marches. He learned to walk with my rifle in his hand and lived on the wild vegetables and water of Mount Paektu. I was determined to bring up my son to be a worthy son of Mount Paektu.”
The soldiers of the KPRA concentrated their efforts on political study and military training while preparing for the decisive battle in the national liberation of Korea. Kim Jong Suk devoted all her efforts to strengthening the KPRA politically, ideologically and militarily. She directed the work of the small units and of the underground workers to be sent to different parts of Korea. Kim Jong Suk mastered the tactics of modern and regular warfare and took an active part in training. She was well known as a crack shot throughout the KPRA. One guerrilla once remarked: “Her bullets have eyes”. Another said: “The devil himself would bow to her.”
Japan singed an unconditional surrender on 15 August 1945.When Kim Jong Suk and the other KPRA soldiers at Mount Paektu heard this news, they danced and hugged each other. The work of building socialism began immediately – people’s committees were set up, and party organisations appeared throughout Korea as soon as Japanese imperialism was defeated. They were led by the revolutionary and national resistance organisations that had made up the ARF.
Kim Jong Suk continued working tirelessly after national liberation in 1945. She strove to explain and propagate the line of building the party, the state and the armed forces to the broad masses and fought to implement party decisions. Immediately after liberation, when Korea cruelly divided into two parts, she struggled to unite all patriots – in both parts of the country.
In particular, Kim Jong Suk rallied women under the banner of communism, ensuring that women’s organisations were formed through the north of Korea. These organisations carried out a massive campaign in wiping out illiteracy amongst women, and guiding them towards social emancipation. Upholding the Juché-orientated economic construction programme, she inspired Koreans to rebuild the economy that had been destroyed by Japanese imperialism.
Kim Jong Suk inspected factories of all kinds, giving workers a helping hand wherever she went. She pointed out that, with their collective knowledge, the Korean masses could overcome the difficulties in reconstruction and build an independent national economy.
She once said in an interview with a Korean newspaper: “As you know, Korea is not completely liberated yet, so the Korean people must make more sacrifices. They must first unite on a mass basis, and at the same time undertake construction with great energy. We Korean women must awaken to the situation in Korea, and work as one for the building of a great nation.
“We must achieve women’s emancipation, our aspiration, through the establishment of our state power and the complete independence of Korea as soon as possible. From now on, I will study the Korean situation and work hard to build a new Korea.”
Kim Jong Suk also put a lot of effort into making sure that Korean people had the chance of an education. When, in 1946, the first people’s university – Kim Il Sung university in Pyongyang – was established, she guided the way in which students should be selected. She pointed out that the purpose of founding the university was to “educate the sons and daughters of the working people and the revolutionaries”. She then determined that one or two years of intensive preparatory education should be given to them.
She further took the children of fallen KPRA soldiers under her wing, knowing that their parents had wanted them to be brought up into reliable reserves of the revolution. In 1947 she opened the Mangyongdae revolutionary school, the successor to the Children’s Corps schools which she herself had attended at the time of anti-Japanese struggle.
Kim Jong Suk lived for only four years in the newly liberated Korea. She died at the early age of 32, to the great sorrow of the Korean people. But in that short time, she rendered distinguished service to the cause of national liberation and socialism. Her achievements will always be remembered by the Korean people.
Just before her funeral, Kim Il Sung recalled his wife’s great achievements: “Kim Jong Suk was an ardent revolutionary who devoted her all for the revolution. She was a crack shot and an experienced underground operative, as well as an iron-willed communist who was never daunted by any trials or difficulties no matter how severe. She lost her parents and brothers in her childhood, and was forced to part with her relatives. She grew up going through many hardships. She loved the country and her comrades dearly, and devoted her all for the interests of the revolution. Whatever she did was for her comrades, not herself.”
newspaper)
KIM JONG SUK FIGHTER FOR INDEPENDENCE
by Elizabeth Farrell
Kim Jong Suk was a Korean revolutionary communist and fighter for national liberation. She devoted her life to the struggle against the Japanese colonial rule and the victory of the revolution. Her marksmanship was legendary – but she always placed equal importance on communist education and filled the ranks of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army with Kim Il Sung’s Juche idea. Kim Jong Suk was also the wife of Kim Il Sung, and Kim Jong Il’s mother. This short account of her life and revolutionary activities marks the 86th anniversary of her birth.
Kim Jong Suk was born in Hoeryong, in the north Hamyong province of Korea, under Japanese occupation on 24 December 1917. She grew up in a revolutionary and patriotic family of share-cropping poor peasants.
The police often raided the family’s house in search for evidence against Kim Jong Suk’s father, who was engaged in the struggle for Korea’s independence. And when Kim Jong Suk’s family were unable to repay debts to a landowner, they were evicted from their land. So in the spring of 1922, the Kim family crossed the Tuman river into China. They settled in Beigou, north eastern China, where they took up share-cropping again. Kim Jong Suk, who was only five years old at this time, worked in the field with her mother and her brother every day and wove cloth by night.
When she was 10, her older sister Kim Kwiinnyo was taken by the landowner because the family could not repay debts, and was forced to become his servant. Kwiinnyo cried as she was taken away, while the rest of the family was injured trying to protect her. This left a deep impression on Kim Jong Suk.
The landowner, still not satisfied and angry at the family trying to prevent Kwiinnyo from being taken away, evicted them from their land and hut. Once again homeless and without income, Kim Jong Suk’s family moved to Xishanli, also in China. But her father was ill and her elder brother, who had been seriously injured by Japanese forces, was also unable to work.
Under these conditions, Kim Jong Suk came to realise at a very early age that the oppressive colonial system, which had caused her family so much misery, could never provide a better future for working people. Her father died soon after the family had moved to Xishanli. Just before, he told Jong Suk: “I wanted to be buried in Korea – I wanted to become Korean earth when I decayed. But even this wish is not going to be fulfilled. Wherever you are, you must not forget your hometown, must not forget Korea, and must fight for Korea.” Kim Jong Suk never betrayed her father’s wish and fought for Korea all her life.
In 1930 Kim Il Sung sent a political worker to work undercover in Fuyan, where Kim Jong Suk lived at the time. It was through the night school he set up that Jong Suk’s wish to learn was first realised; she was the first to enrol. Recalling her excitement, she later said: “How grateful I was when the night school was opened! That was the first gratitude I had felt in my life. I was so happy that I shed tears holding on to the edge of the blackboard.”
Her class-consciousness developed at this night school and she was asked by the Young Communist League (YCL), founded by Kim Il Sung, to take part in agitation and distribute leaflets.
In September 1931 Kim Jong Suk was admitted to the Children’s Vanguard, a paramilitary organisation founded by Kim Il Sung for young people and children. This was the beginning of a new life for Jong Suk, an important first step on the road to becoming a guerrilla fighter for Korea’s independence.
When Japanese troops assaulted the village and burnt her family’s house in 1932, Jong Suk lost her mother and sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law, minutes before dying, asked for Kim Jong Suk to bring up her son.
Kim Jong Suk later told a comrade-in-arms about this tragic event, saying: “Mother’s death shocked me too hard to shed tears. The thought of bringing up my infant nephew in this harsh world dazed me as if the sky had fallen in, as if the earth had sunk into an abyss. Neither crying nor writhing seemed to lead me out of despair – but the consciousness of revolution helped me rise.
“With determination to fight stoutly for the revolution under General Kim Il Sung’s leadership, I stood up again with fresh hope.”
She did just that. She pulled herself together and, just 10 days after the death of her mother, joined the YCL.
Kim Jong Suk was the first woman to join the YCL in Fuyan. She made her way to the guerrilla zone, with her younger brother, Kim Ki Song. The guerrilla zone had just been formed, after the foundation of the Anti-Japanese People’s Guerrilla Army. Here she worked as a member of the Number Eight District Committee of the YCL and as leader of the Children’s Corps. She did everything she could to train the Children’s Corps members, many of whose parents had been killed by the Japanese, into reliable reserves of the Korean revolution.
Her work with the children involved collecting ammunition for the guerrillas, taking them to do weeding in the fields and assigning them to the tasks of signal communication and scouting. She also organised the art troupe of the Children’s Corps, performing revolutionary songs. She prepared the performance programme and directed the rehearsals of the art troupe. She always reminded her audiences of why the art troop was performing. During one New Year performance she told the masses of workers gathered to hear the songs: “Seeing out the old year full of trials, we are seeing in a new year full of hope. In the past year, the Korean people started the great war against the Japanese, fighting through flames – united behind General Kim Il Sung in the new year they will give crushing blows to the Japanese imperialist aggressors.”
She later led the YCL work at the Sandaowan guerrilla base, where she first met Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong Suk participated in the meeting of the county party committee secretariat he had convened.
In March 1934 the Anti-Japanese People’s Guerrilla Army was reorganised into the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army (KPRA). This made it possible for the guerrilla units, which had been organised in various counties, to be brought together under a unified organisational system that could carry out partisan activities on a larger scale. A year after the KPRA was formed Kim Jong Suk joined it in the Chechangzi guerrilla zone.
On receiving her rifle, Kim Jong Suk said: “With this rifle bearing the blood of the revolutionary forerunners and the people’s desire for national liberation, I will be faithful to General Kim Il Sung until the last moment of my life. I take this one rifle as one hundred rifles and will shoot one bullet as one hundred bullets to take revenge on the enemy.”
The party organisation entrusted her to carry out YCL work within her unit as soon as she joined the army.
Since then she played a key role in military and political activities, making her contribution to the cause of national liberation. She used to say that she had not even the right to die before fulfilling her revolutionary tasks.
Amongst many other things, she educated women in Naitoushan in the far north of Korea, and rallied them behind a women’s association. A Japanese document reports: “After moving to Naitoushan, the communist army gathered the villagers in November 1935 and replaced the [feudal village head] with a peasant committee. At a consultative meeting, the villagers elected the chairman, vice-chairman and head of the accounting section of the committee.
“Subsequently, the committee supported revolutionary organisations by providing them with food and fuel and carrying materials for them. In February the following year a women’s association was formed.” These achievements were a direct result of Kim Jong Suk’s activities.
By 1936, Kim Jong Suk was fighting in the KPRA unit personally led by Kim Il Sung. In May that year, the Association for the Restoration of the Fatherland (ARF), the first anti-Japanese national united front organisation, was founded. Kim Jong Suk understood its historical significance of this immediately. Kim Il Sung was elected Chairman of the ARF at the formation meeting. He wrote The ten-point programme of the ARF, setting out the way to achieve national liberation. Kim Jong Suk studied this work in detail and explained it to other guerrillas, as well as distributing and explaining it to the people.
“The KPRA soldiers”, Kim Jong Suk pointed out, “are not only combatants who fight against the enemy with weapons in their hands, but also information workers and organisers who arm the people with the idea of Comrade Commander [Kim Il Sung] and mobilise them in the struggle to put it into effect.
Therefore, when they face the enemy, they must fight valiantly, like lions, and when they go among the people, they must be excellent information workers.”
During her work in the KPRA main unit, she devoted herself to the safety of the headquarters at Mount Paektu, regarding this as her main task. Kim Jong Suk was always the first to defend Kim Il Sung – both fighting to educate people with his political ideas and protecting him physically, many times acting as a human shield.
She exposed counter revolutionaries and fought in important battles, like the battle of Hongqihe, the battle of Dashahe and may others.
In 1937, having proved herself as a reliable political worker, she was admitted to the Communist Party. Kim Il Sung immediately assigned her to carry out key tasks – expanding the network of ARF organisations and building the party. She conducted underground work, many times narrowly escaping death at the hands of Japanese imperialists. She was arrested in Singalpha, an area of great strategic importance for the Japanese at the time, while doing underground work. But she managed to break free with the support of the villagers, who had placed great trust in her.
Kim Jong Suk never showed mercy to the class enemy but always cared warmly for her comrades: cooking, sewing uniforms, and nursing the sick. She educated and led KPRA soldiers with firm belief in the revolution and was a remarkable example to others.
At the KPRA headquarters on Mount Paektu, Kim Jong Suk gave birth to Kim Jong Il on 16 February 1942. She later recalled: “My son was born on Mount Paektu. He grew up wrapped in my military uniform and being carried on my knapsack during marches. He learned to walk with my rifle in his hand and lived on the wild vegetables and water of Mount Paektu. I was determined to bring up my son to be a worthy son of Mount Paektu.”
The soldiers of the KPRA concentrated their efforts on political study and military training while preparing for the decisive battle in the national liberation of Korea. Kim Jong Suk devoted all her efforts to strengthening the KPRA politically, ideologically and militarily. She directed the work of the small units and of the underground workers to be sent to different parts of Korea. Kim Jong Suk mastered the tactics of modern and regular warfare and took an active part in training. She was well known as a crack shot throughout the KPRA. One guerrilla once remarked: “Her bullets have eyes”. Another said: “The devil himself would bow to her.”
Japan singed an unconditional surrender on 15 August 1945.When Kim Jong Suk and the other KPRA soldiers at Mount Paektu heard this news, they danced and hugged each other. The work of building socialism began immediately – people’s committees were set up, and party organisations appeared throughout Korea as soon as Japanese imperialism was defeated. They were led by the revolutionary and national resistance organisations that had made up the ARF.
Kim Jong Suk continued working tirelessly after national liberation in 1945. She strove to explain and propagate the line of building the party, the state and the armed forces to the broad masses and fought to implement party decisions. Immediately after liberation, when Korea cruelly divided into two parts, she struggled to unite all patriots – in both parts of the country.
In particular, Kim Jong Suk rallied women under the banner of communism, ensuring that women’s organisations were formed through the north of Korea. These organisations carried out a massive campaign in wiping out illiteracy amongst women, and guiding them towards social emancipation. Upholding the Juché-orientated economic construction programme, she inspired Koreans to rebuild the economy that had been destroyed by Japanese imperialism.
Kim Jong Suk inspected factories of all kinds, giving workers a helping hand wherever she went. She pointed out that, with their collective knowledge, the Korean masses could overcome the difficulties in reconstruction and build an independent national economy.
She once said in an interview with a Korean newspaper: “As you know, Korea is not completely liberated yet, so the Korean people must make more sacrifices. They must first unite on a mass basis, and at the same time undertake construction with great energy. We Korean women must awaken to the situation in Korea, and work as one for the building of a great nation.
“We must achieve women’s emancipation, our aspiration, through the establishment of our state power and the complete independence of Korea as soon as possible. From now on, I will study the Korean situation and work hard to build a new Korea.”
Kim Jong Suk also put a lot of effort into making sure that Korean people had the chance of an education. When, in 1946, the first people’s university – Kim Il Sung university in Pyongyang – was established, she guided the way in which students should be selected. She pointed out that the purpose of founding the university was to “educate the sons and daughters of the working people and the revolutionaries”. She then determined that one or two years of intensive preparatory education should be given to them.
She further took the children of fallen KPRA soldiers under her wing, knowing that their parents had wanted them to be brought up into reliable reserves of the revolution. In 1947 she opened the Mangyongdae revolutionary school, the successor to the Children’s Corps schools which she herself had attended at the time of anti-Japanese struggle.
Kim Jong Suk lived for only four years in the newly liberated Korea. She died at the early age of 32, to the great sorrow of the Korean people. But in that short time, she rendered distinguished service to the cause of national liberation and socialism. Her achievements will always be remembered by the Korean people.
Just before her funeral, Kim Il Sung recalled his wife’s great achievements: “Kim Jong Suk was an ardent revolutionary who devoted her all for the revolution. She was a crack shot and an experienced underground operative, as well as an iron-willed communist who was never daunted by any trials or difficulties no matter how severe. She lost her parents and brothers in her childhood, and was forced to part with her relatives. She grew up going through many hardships. She loved the country and her comrades dearly, and devoted her all for the interests of the revolution. Whatever she did was for her comrades, not herself.”
SPEECH ON THE 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELECTION OF COMRADE KIM JONG IL AS KPA SUPREME COMMANDER
SPEECH ON 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELECTION OF COMRADE KIM JONG IL
AS SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE KPA AND THE 86TH ANNIVRESARY OF THE BIRTH OF
MRS KIM JONG SUK
Comrades and friends ,
Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of the KPA on the 24th of December 1991 marked a proud event which gave steady continuity to the history and tradition of the victorious Korean revolution shining thanks to the army.
He has adorned the past decade full of ordeals with an immortal heroic epic, shouldering upon himself all the burdens of the Korean revolution and the socialist cause.
It was under his leadership that the destiny of the homeland and the people was saved from the crossroads of life or death, the socialist cause firmly safeguarded, the stern ordeal during the "arduous march" victoriously overcome and a new era of Juche-oriented revolution opened up.
It that period when he was elected supreme commander of theKPA many socialist countries collapsed and the US imperialists un amok to strangle the DPRK under the pretext of the nuclear issue.
The so called 'nuclear crisis', which has lasted from the early 1990s up to this date, is the political and military showdown between north Korea and the United States, that is, a confrontation of strength between the anti-imperialist independent forces and the imperialists. The key to victory in this confrontation is victory in the ideological confrontation. This is just the maxim of Chairman Kim Jong Il.
In the 1990s quite different with the 1960s, it was really serious matter that the anti-imperialist independent forces of the world could not unite against the imperialists' moves for invasion and war. North Korea could not but hold aloft the banner of socialism all alone. Throughout the international community there was neither ally nor supporter to north Korea in the anti-imperialist struggle. North Korean people should fight single-handed against the United States. Under that situation they needed to have new political mode and revolutionary line to further intensify the anti-imperialist struggle.
Imperialists have increased pressure upon north Korea on the plea of nuclear issue and additionally the natural disasters repeated year by year, causing economic difficulties there. The Chairman had no alternative but winning in the ideological confrontation against imperialists.
The acute contradiction between imperialist forces and anti-imperialist forces cropped out into the Cuban Crisis in the early 1960s, and the contradiction in the early 1990s produced the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. The Cuban Crisis was not a political and military crisis between Cuba and the United States, but a crisis between the former Soviet Union and the United States. And the crisis of the Korean Peninsula is the political and military confrontation between north Korea and the United States.
The Cuban Crisis came to an end with the political defeat of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union sustained the political defeat at last, though it had powerful potentials enough to stand against the imperialist forces both politically and militarily during the Cuban Crisis. Why? it was mainly because Moscow abandoned the idea of independence to fight against the threat of war. The Soviet Union, which had physical for against the United States, was shoved by the United States' offensive. It has practically proved that the essence of the issue is not the physical force and that defeat in the ideological confrontation leads to defeat in the competition of physical power.
Under the ledership of comrade Kim Jong Il a new mode of politics Songun or army based politics
have beeb created.
DPRK has been able to defend its independence against the US imperialist efforts to strangle it under the pretext of the ‘nuclear issue’ even though it is a country of 22 million people.Far bigger countries than the DPRK gave into US Imperialism for example the USSR had an army of 3 million and the capability to destroy the USA several times over but in 1962 it capitulated to US imperialism during the Carribean Crisis.It should also be mentioned that due to ideological weakness the USSR collapsed In 1991 without a shot being fired.
The path covered by him to steer the Korean revolution as the supreme commander represented an immortal history in which an unprecedented unique army-based political mode was created and the new era of army-centered revolution dawned.
The Korean people are loudly beating the drum of the drive to build a prosperous and powerful nation in a daring spirit and with optimism about future braving difficulties even under the present acute and complicated situation. This is a stirring reality brought about by the great army-based policy.
Under comrade Kim Jong Ils wise leadership the work of consolidating the whole country as an impregnable bulwark capable of repelling any surprise attack of imperialists.As well as the
KPA regular troops there are Worker Peasant Red Guards and the Red Young Guards.
All the officers and men of the KPA and the people will as always win victory after victory flying high the flag of the supreme commander even if they may face such a trial as the "arduous march" and dynamically advance towards
Comrade Kim Jong Il has conducted on the spot guidance.In the period of the "Ardourous March " and "forced march" which lasted from September 1994 to December 1999 comrade Kim Jong Il gave on the spot guidance 247 times covering a distance of 129,000 km.
He also led the army to establish the guiding system of the party within itself more thoroughly given the circumstances in which the winds of non party and non politics are blowing.
Songun politics /has achieved significant results:
First of all,Songun politics have made it possible to smash the designs of allied imperialist forces to stifle Korean style socialism.After the collapse of the USSR and the East European socialist countries the US imperialists turned the spearhead of attack against the DPRK with the aim of creating a unipolar world under the total domination of capitalism.Thus the DPRK had to fight against the siege and oppression attack of the imperialists.Only by powerful armed forces was the DPRK able to counter the manouvres of US imperialism and achieve victory in the politico-military showdown with the American imperialists.In 1998 the US imperialists planned to attack the DPRK with the 5027 war plan but this was thwarted.
The military power of the DPRK also provided real bacing for thw DPRK's independent diplomacy.Thus during the period of the Clinton adminstration the DPRK achieved many diplomatic victories.
Under army-first politics achievements have been made in the economic field-several major power stations including the 3rd largest in the world costing $8 billion to build plus many small and medium power stations have been constructed.Land realignment has been carried out.The Youth hero motorway from Pyongyang to Nampo was constructed. A total of 800 new structures have been created in the
last 6 or s years.
Indeed because of the Songun revolutionary idea the DPRK has been able to take bold ,resolute and strong steps to defend its independence such as the reactivation of the independent nuclear power industry,the expulsion of the IAEA inspectors(in reality spies of US imperialism) and the withdrawal from the the one sided and unjust NPT. Moreover the DPRK has taken a tough stance in the DPRK-US negotiations and Earlier this year MIG 29s of the KPA Air Force successfully chased off a US Spy plane thereby defending the skies of the Juche motherland from the US imperialist Aggressors.These moves strike fear in to the hearts of the US imperialists and their Followers but are applauded by the progressive people of the world and Juche idea Followers throughout the world.These decisive moves of the DPRK in defending Its independence are the fruit of the Songun Idea and the Songun revolutionary Leadership of the great leader supreme commander Marshal Kim Jong
Today supreme commander comrade Kim Jong Il is wisely leading the
people and the Army in the life and death confrontation with the imperialists.He is not only
the supreme commander of the KPA but in effect the supreme commander of the world
anti imperialist front.
Let us celebrate with vigour the 12 th anniversary of the election of comrade Kim Jong Il
as KPA supreme commander.
AS SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE KPA AND THE 86TH ANNIVRESARY OF THE BIRTH OF
MRS KIM JONG SUK
Comrades and friends ,
Kim Jong Il's election as supreme commander of the KPA on the 24th of December 1991 marked a proud event which gave steady continuity to the history and tradition of the victorious Korean revolution shining thanks to the army.
He has adorned the past decade full of ordeals with an immortal heroic epic, shouldering upon himself all the burdens of the Korean revolution and the socialist cause.
It was under his leadership that the destiny of the homeland and the people was saved from the crossroads of life or death, the socialist cause firmly safeguarded, the stern ordeal during the "arduous march" victoriously overcome and a new era of Juche-oriented revolution opened up.
It that period when he was elected supreme commander of theKPA many socialist countries collapsed and the US imperialists un amok to strangle the DPRK under the pretext of the nuclear issue.
The so called 'nuclear crisis', which has lasted from the early 1990s up to this date, is the political and military showdown between north Korea and the United States, that is, a confrontation of strength between the anti-imperialist independent forces and the imperialists. The key to victory in this confrontation is victory in the ideological confrontation. This is just the maxim of Chairman Kim Jong Il.
In the 1990s quite different with the 1960s, it was really serious matter that the anti-imperialist independent forces of the world could not unite against the imperialists' moves for invasion and war. North Korea could not but hold aloft the banner of socialism all alone. Throughout the international community there was neither ally nor supporter to north Korea in the anti-imperialist struggle. North Korean people should fight single-handed against the United States. Under that situation they needed to have new political mode and revolutionary line to further intensify the anti-imperialist struggle.
Imperialists have increased pressure upon north Korea on the plea of nuclear issue and additionally the natural disasters repeated year by year, causing economic difficulties there. The Chairman had no alternative but winning in the ideological confrontation against imperialists.
The acute contradiction between imperialist forces and anti-imperialist forces cropped out into the Cuban Crisis in the early 1960s, and the contradiction in the early 1990s produced the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. The Cuban Crisis was not a political and military crisis between Cuba and the United States, but a crisis between the former Soviet Union and the United States. And the crisis of the Korean Peninsula is the political and military confrontation between north Korea and the United States.
The Cuban Crisis came to an end with the political defeat of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union sustained the political defeat at last, though it had powerful potentials enough to stand against the imperialist forces both politically and militarily during the Cuban Crisis. Why? it was mainly because Moscow abandoned the idea of independence to fight against the threat of war. The Soviet Union, which had physical for against the United States, was shoved by the United States' offensive. It has practically proved that the essence of the issue is not the physical force and that defeat in the ideological confrontation leads to defeat in the competition of physical power.
Under the ledership of comrade Kim Jong Il a new mode of politics Songun or army based politics
have beeb created.
DPRK has been able to defend its independence against the US imperialist efforts to strangle it under the pretext of the ‘nuclear issue’ even though it is a country of 22 million people.Far bigger countries than the DPRK gave into US Imperialism for example the USSR had an army of 3 million and the capability to destroy the USA several times over but in 1962 it capitulated to US imperialism during the Carribean Crisis.It should also be mentioned that due to ideological weakness the USSR collapsed In 1991 without a shot being fired.
The path covered by him to steer the Korean revolution as the supreme commander represented an immortal history in which an unprecedented unique army-based political mode was created and the new era of army-centered revolution dawned.
The Korean people are loudly beating the drum of the drive to build a prosperous and powerful nation in a daring spirit and with optimism about future braving difficulties even under the present acute and complicated situation. This is a stirring reality brought about by the great army-based policy.
Under comrade Kim Jong Ils wise leadership the work of consolidating the whole country as an impregnable bulwark capable of repelling any surprise attack of imperialists.As well as the
KPA regular troops there are Worker Peasant Red Guards and the Red Young Guards.
All the officers and men of the KPA and the people will as always win victory after victory flying high the flag of the supreme commander even if they may face such a trial as the "arduous march" and dynamically advance towards
Comrade Kim Jong Il has conducted on the spot guidance.In the period of the "Ardourous March " and "forced march" which lasted from September 1994 to December 1999 comrade Kim Jong Il gave on the spot guidance 247 times covering a distance of 129,000 km.
He also led the army to establish the guiding system of the party within itself more thoroughly given the circumstances in which the winds of non party and non politics are blowing.
Songun politics /has achieved significant results:
First of all,Songun politics have made it possible to smash the designs of allied imperialist forces to stifle Korean style socialism.After the collapse of the USSR and the East European socialist countries the US imperialists turned the spearhead of attack against the DPRK with the aim of creating a unipolar world under the total domination of capitalism.Thus the DPRK had to fight against the siege and oppression attack of the imperialists.Only by powerful armed forces was the DPRK able to counter the manouvres of US imperialism and achieve victory in the politico-military showdown with the American imperialists.In 1998 the US imperialists planned to attack the DPRK with the 5027 war plan but this was thwarted.
The military power of the DPRK also provided real bacing for thw DPRK's independent diplomacy.Thus during the period of the Clinton adminstration the DPRK achieved many diplomatic victories.
Under army-first politics achievements have been made in the economic field-several major power stations including the 3rd largest in the world costing $8 billion to build plus many small and medium power stations have been constructed.Land realignment has been carried out.The Youth hero motorway from Pyongyang to Nampo was constructed. A total of 800 new structures have been created in the
last 6 or s years.
Indeed because of the Songun revolutionary idea the DPRK has been able to take bold ,resolute and strong steps to defend its independence such as the reactivation of the independent nuclear power industry,the expulsion of the IAEA inspectors(in reality spies of US imperialism) and the withdrawal from the the one sided and unjust NPT. Moreover the DPRK has taken a tough stance in the DPRK-US negotiations and Earlier this year MIG 29s of the KPA Air Force successfully chased off a US Spy plane thereby defending the skies of the Juche motherland from the US imperialist Aggressors.These moves strike fear in to the hearts of the US imperialists and their Followers but are applauded by the progressive people of the world and Juche idea Followers throughout the world.These decisive moves of the DPRK in defending Its independence are the fruit of the Songun Idea and the Songun revolutionary Leadership of the great leader supreme commander Marshal Kim Jong
Today supreme commander comrade Kim Jong Il is wisely leading the
people and the Army in the life and death confrontation with the imperialists.He is not only
the supreme commander of the KPA but in effect the supreme commander of the world
anti imperialist front.
Let us celebrate with vigour the 12 th anniversary of the election of comrade Kim Jong Il
as KPA supreme commander.
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
JUCHE IDEA STUDY GROUP OF ENGLAND CAFEPRESS STORE NOW ON LINE
We now have our own store on cafepress
http://www.cafeshops.com/juchegroup
http://www.cafeshops.com/juchegroup
JOINT MEETING OF JISGE AND UK KFA
Thursday 18th of December
Meeting convened by UK KFA and the Juche Idea Study Group of England
+Association For the Study Of Songun Politics of the UK-the Society
For Friendship with Korea have agreed to support as well.
Purpose of the meeting is to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the
election of the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il as supreme commander
of the Korean Peoples Army and also the anniversary of the birth of
anti Japanese woman revolutionary figher Madam Kim Jong Suk.Hopefully
we will be showing a video .
Details of venue will be released to members upon request by emailing
uk@korea-dpr.com
Meeting convened by UK KFA and the Juche Idea Study Group of England
+Association For the Study Of Songun Politics of the UK-the Society
For Friendship with Korea have agreed to support as well.
Purpose of the meeting is to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the
election of the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il as supreme commander
of the Korean Peoples Army and also the anniversary of the birth of
anti Japanese woman revolutionary figher Madam Kim Jong Suk.Hopefully
we will be showing a video .
Details of venue will be released to members upon request by emailing
uk@korea-dpr.com
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
MEETING OF JISGE AND ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF SONGUN POLITICS.
On the 29th of November 2003 we held a meeting of the Juche Idea Study Group of England and Association For the Study of Songun Politics of the UK partly to discuss the holding of a larger meeting of the Group in December to celebrate the anniversary of the election of the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il as supreme commander of the KPA and the anniversary of the birth of the immortal woman revolutionary Madam Kim Jong Suk.
The meeting was attended by the general secretary of the
Juche Idea Study Group of England general secretary Shaun Pickford
who made the long journey from Stoke On Trent and other members of the
group.
Messages of support to the group from the US Songun Study Group and
the Japan mission of the National Democratic Front of south Korea
were read out.
The meeting heard a reportback from the European Seminar on the
Juche Idea in Paris on the 4th of October.I said that the seminar
was attended by delegates from many European countries as well as
observers from Senegal and a delegation of the International Institute
of the Juche Idea.Many speakers spoke on the vitality of Songun politics.
Secretary Shaun Pickford read out a speech entitled for
"an Independent Peoples England" in which he stressed the need to
apply the Juche idea to the UK and realize the independence of the
UK.Comrade Shaun Pickford for the first time outlined the Study Group's theory of the 'controlled social collapse ' of imperialist countries.Suggestions were made to campaign against the rubbish culture of
US Imperialism.
I made a presentation on the question of Songun politics using as
source material the text of the interview given by director Han Ho Sok.
It was stressed that the Songun idea fully embodies the Juche idea
and reflects the entire experience of the Korean revolution.The Songun
idea is for the whole world .It was resolved to have deeper discussions on
the Songun idea in the future and also to possibly visit the DPRK at some
point in the future to hold in depth discussions with the Korean
Association of Social Scientists.
The meeting was attended by the general secretary of the
Juche Idea Study Group of England general secretary Shaun Pickford
who made the long journey from Stoke On Trent and other members of the
group.
Messages of support to the group from the US Songun Study Group and
the Japan mission of the National Democratic Front of south Korea
were read out.
The meeting heard a reportback from the European Seminar on the
Juche Idea in Paris on the 4th of October.I said that the seminar
was attended by delegates from many European countries as well as
observers from Senegal and a delegation of the International Institute
of the Juche Idea.Many speakers spoke on the vitality of Songun politics.
Secretary Shaun Pickford read out a speech entitled for
"an Independent Peoples England" in which he stressed the need to
apply the Juche idea to the UK and realize the independence of the
UK.Comrade Shaun Pickford for the first time outlined the Study Group's theory of the 'controlled social collapse ' of imperialist countries.Suggestions were made to campaign against the rubbish culture of
US Imperialism.
I made a presentation on the question of Songun politics using as
source material the text of the interview given by director Han Ho Sok.
It was stressed that the Songun idea fully embodies the Juche idea
and reflects the entire experience of the Korean revolution.The Songun
idea is for the whole world .It was resolved to have deeper discussions on
the Songun idea in the future and also to possibly visit the DPRK at some
point in the future to hold in depth discussions with the Korean
Association of Social Scientists.
