KIM JONG
IL
ON PRESERVING
THE JUCHE CHARACTER AND NATIONAL
CHARACTER OF THE REVOLUTION AND CONSTRUCTION
CHARACTER OF THE REVOLUTION AND CONSTRUCTION
June 19, 1997
There is
now a sharp confrontation in the world between
socialism and imperialism, and between the
forces of independence and the forces of
dominationism. In the complex international
situation and relationship between forces, the
people’s struggle against domination and
subjugation and for independence is
continuing.The imperialists and reactionaries
are tenaciously maneuvering to arrest the
world progressive people’s drive towards
independence and to obstruct their struggle
for independence with a view to realizing
their ambition for domination, but no forcer
can ever turn back the main trend of our age
which is heading for independence.
In order
to thwart the dominationist machinations of
the imperialists and reactionaries and give a
strong impetus to the people’s cause of
independence, the cause of socialism, we must
maintain the Juche character of the
revolutionary struggle and construction and
sustain their national character.Preserving
these qualities is imperative for the
independent development of the country and
nation and for success in realizing
independence for the popular masses.Past
experience and lessons have proved that
adherence to the Juche character and national
character is the key to success in the
revolution and construction and vital to
national prosperity.
Under the
wise leadership of the great leader Comrade Kim
Il Sung, our Party and our people have
resolutely maintained the Juche character and
national character in opposition to
imperialism and dominationism throughout the
entire period of the revolutionary struggle.As
a result, they have achieved an independent
development of the country and nation without
any deviation and have won brilliant victory
in the revolution and construction.
In the
future, too, we shall firmly keep the Juche
character and national character of the
revolution and construction and fight
staunchly along the road of Juche.
1
Adherence
to the Juche character and national character
of the revolution and construction is a
fundamental principle that must be maintained
in accomplishing the people’s cause of
independence, the cause of socialism.
Maintaining
the Juche character of the revolution and
construction means that the popular masses
shape the destiny of their country and nation
and their own destiny independently and
creatively by being the masters of their
destiny.Sustaining the national character
means preserving and developing the good
qualities of the nation and embodying them in
all spheres of social life.
Maintaining
the Juche character and sustaining the
national character of the revolution and
construction is a principled requirement for
carrying out the socialist cause in keeping
with its own nature of independence and past
and present conditions.The socialist cause is
the revolutionary cause of independence, which
is aimed at realizing independence for the
popular masses and advances and is
accomplished by the struggle of the masses.A
country and nation is a community of people as
well as a basic unit in which they shape their
destiny.The masses’ destiny is inseparably
linked with the destiny of their country and
nation.Since the popular masses live and shape
their destiny within a nation-state as a unit,
the masses’ cause of independence, the
socialist cause, is in no way separate from
their country and nation, and it is impossible
to realize the masses’ independence unless the
independence of their country and nation is
ensured.A man as a social being is a member of
a social stratum and social class as well as a
member of his nation.He has both the class
character and national character.Since each
nation has peculiar cultural traditions that
have been formed and consolidated down through
history, it is impossible to meet the masses’
desire for independence and their interests to
the full if their national character is
ignored.It is only when the socialist cause
preserves the Juche character and national
character that it can be a truly revolutionary
cause that champions and realizes independence
for the masses and ensures the independent
development and prosperity of the nation.
Preserving
the Juche character and national character is
the common requirement and aspiration of all
countries and all peoples.There exist no
people who do not love and value their country
and nation or like to see the dignity and soul
of their nation trampled upon and ignored.In
order to ensure that socialism strikes root
deep in the people’s minds and advances with
strong sympathy and support of the masses, it
is necessary to maintain the Juche character
and national character in carrying out the
socialist cause so as to keep the dignity of
the country and the soul of the nation.
Preserving
the Juche character and national character and
ensuring the independent development of the
country and nation are an essential
requirement for strengthening international
unity and solidarity and contributing truly to
the development of the world revolutionary
movement.There are many countries nations in
the world, and each country and nation has its
own characteristics, but all the countries and
nations are equal and
independent.International unity and solidarity
are the relationships of mutual support and
cooperation among the countries and nations
which aspire after independence.These
relationships can develop as truly voluntary
and durable ties only on the basis of ensuring
the independent development of each country
and nation and respecting each other’s
independence.Unity and cooperation based on
independence constitute a truly
internationalist relationship among countries
and nations.When the Juche character and
national character are suppressed, and when
the independence of countries and nations is
trampled upon, inequality and discord occur
among countries and nations, and unity and
cooperation become impossible.The socialist
cause is a national cause and also an
international one, and the world socialist
cause advances and is accomplished through the
process of victory and development of the
revolution in each country.Only when the
people of each country carry out the
revolution and construction in their country
successfully as masters can the world
socialist causes advance triumphantly.
Although
preserving the Juche character and national
character is a matter of fundamental
significance in shaping the masses’ destiny,
no correct solution was given to this problem
by the previous working-class theories.
One
previous theory, which clarified the law of
the development of human history from the
point of view of historical materialism,
related the formation of nations to the
emergence and development of capitalism and
predicted that the nation itself would
gradually disappear with the liquidation of
the capitalist system and with progress in the
building of socialism and communism in all
countries.Under the circumstances in the past
when the driving force of the revolution was
not prepared in each country and nation and
when the need to strengthen international
solidarity among the working class in the
struggle against capitalism and imperialism
was the basic problem, that theory was unable
to raise the question of sustaining the Juche
character and national character of the
socialist cause to be carried out.The previous
theory’s argument that the working class has
no motherland can be viewed as reflecting the
requirement for strengthening international
working-class unity and solidarity which were
urgent for the socialist movement of the
period as well as the need for overcoming
opportunism which spread bourgeois nationalism
in the working-class movement and the
socialist movement.
In our
times when the popular masses carry out the
revolution and construction actively on their
own initiative with the nation-state as a unit
and with their destiny firmly in their hands,
the task of each country and nation for
adhering to the Juche character and sustaining
their national character has presented itself
as an urgent requirement.However, the
political parties in several countries which
were building socialism in the past failed to
evolve a new theory and a new policy in
keeping with the new realities and find
correct solutions to the problems arising in
ensuring the independent development of
countries and nations.Those parties regarded
the national contingents carrying out the
revolution and construction to meet their
people’s desires and to suit their national
characteristics and their countries’ specific
situations within the world socialist movement
as contradicting internationalism, and did not
pay due attention to the matter of preserving
independence of the countries and nations and
sustaining the national
characteristics.Because of this prejudice and
incorrect policy, socialism in these countries
failed to develop as a cause for these
countries and nations and, in consequence,
lost its national footholds and support.
Socialism is a class cause and at the same
time a cause for national development and
prosperity. The process of the development and
consummation of the socialist society must be
the process of meeting the class demand and
interests of the working masses and also the
process of making the country rich and strong
and bringing prosperity to the nation.Since
the working class and the other working masses
makeup the overwhelming majority of any
nation, the practice of ignoring the Juche
character and national character will
inevitable result in the failure to meet even
the class demand of the working masses
properly.Because the socialist cause failed to
become the cause of genuine national
independence in several countries, socialism
suffered a gradual weakening of its class
foundation and was unable to ward off
frustration and collapse due to the
anti-socialist manoeuvres of the imperialists
and the renegades from the revolution.
In the
countries where socialism collapsed, the
dignity of the countries and nations was
trampled upon, their peoples suffered
disasters and even bloodshed was caused by the
clashes between nations.Taking advantage of
these events, the imperialists are making
frantic efforts to cloud the image of
socialism by attributing national calamities
to socialism.
The
imperialists’ allegation that socialism is
inferior to capitalism in the development of
nations is a shameless lie that black is white
and white is black.It is not socialism but
capitalism that blocks the road of national
development.In the capitalist society where
the nation is split into hostile classes and
individuals’ interests are placed above public
interests, national unity cannot be achieved,
people cannot have the attitude as befits
masters towards the development of the country
and nation, nor can the social wealth be used
properly for the common development of the
nation.The exploiting class which owns all the
means of production and wealth in the
capitalist society is only interested in
making money.The reactionary exploiting class
does not hesitate to sell out the interests of
their country and nation and harm other
countries and nations for money-making.It is
the immutable nature of imperialism to
dominate and plunder other nations.Under
capitalism there can be neither national
equality nor free development of nations.The
genuine prosperity of a country and nation can
only be realized in the socialist society in
which the entire nation has common interests
and all the social wealth is used for the
common development of the nation.Socialism
ensures free development of nations and
abolishes both class exploitation and all
forms of social inequality.
Under the
guidance of the great leader Comrade Kim
Il Sung, our Party and our people have
firmly and consistently maintained the Juche
character and properly sustained the national
character of the revolution and construction
and thus advanced the Juche revolutionary
cause victoriously.
The
respected leader Comrade Kim Il Sung
was a great thinker, theoretician and
statesman who advanced the idea of preserving
the Juche character and national character for
the first time in history, translated it
brilliantly into reality and gave successful
leadership to the revolution and construction.
Preserving
and embodying the Juche character and national
character is the principled requirement of the
revolutionandconstructionelucidatedby the
Juche idea created
by the great leader Comrade Kim
Il Sung.The Juche idea, the man-centered
outlook on the world, is a noble idea of
loving the people as well as an idea of true
love for the country and nation; it is a great
revolutionary idea of our times which
illuminates the road of advancing the cause of
world independence forcefully.The Juche idea
has clarified that the country and nation are
the basic unit for shaping the destiny of the
masses and that the popular masses must firmly
maintain the Juche character and national
character of the revolution and construction
in order to shape their destiny independently.
The Juche idea has scientifically proved that
the process of nations’ development in
carrying out the socialist cause is not a
process of one nation being assimilated to
another nation or being merged into another,
but a process of each nation developing into a
civilized and powerful nation and steadily
expanding and advancing cooperation and ties
among different nations on the principle of
complete equality and voluntary will while
leading their own lives and making history
with freedom.On the basis of the elucidation
of the independent nature of the socialist
cause and the socio-historical conditions of
its implementation, the Juche idea has defined
the maintenance of the Juche character and
national character as the fundamental
principle that must be adhered to in the whole
course of building socialism.The Juche idea
has linked socialism and nations to the same
destiny for the first time, and guaranteed the
possibility for countries and nations to
achieve lasting prosperity in step with the
victorious advance of socialist construction.
By introducing the Juche idea and advancing
the theory of maintaining the Juche character
and national
character, the great leader Comrade Kim
Il Sung provided absolutely correct
guidelines for leading the socialist cause as
the genuine cause of independence for the
popular masses, as the cause of countries and
nations.This is an imperishable achievement he
made in the history of human thought.
Our Party
and our people, holding high the banner of the
Juche idea, have smashed all kinds of
machinations of the imperialists and
opportunists in the struggle for the
independence and sovereignty of the country
and for socialism, resolutely defended and
embodied Juche character and national
character. In the course of this, we have
registered brilliant successes and accumulated
valuable experiences.
Our Party
and our people have regarded the adherence to
the Juche character as the basic principle of
the revolution and construction and always
subordinated everything to the destiny of our
revolution and our nation and found solutions
to all problems by centring on this matter,
thus pioneering an untrodden path of
revolution and construction in an independent
and creative way.
Rock-solidly
united around the great leader Comrade Kim
Il Sung, the Party and people
categorically rejected and frustrated the
great-power chauvinism which stood in the way
of our revolution.This was of special
importance in defending the interests and
dignity of our nation and adhering to the
Juche standpoint in the revolution and
construction.In the past the great-power
chauvinists slandered the maintenance of Juche
by our Party and people in the revolution and
construction as “nationalism” and
“isolationism” and exerted pressure upon
us.However, we fought them without compromise
in order to save the destiny of the country,
nation and socialism. Even when they were
deprived of their country and had to fight the
arduous revolutionary war in a foreign land
against the Japanese, the Korean communists
established Juche to the letter with an
unshakable standpoint and attitude that they
were the masters of the Korean revolution.
During the difficult years of post-war
rehabilitation and socialist construction,
they also resolutely rejected the pressure and
arbitrariness of the great-power chauvinists
who meddled in our internal affairs and forced
an “integrated economy”. If the Korean
communists had not maintained their own lines
and conviction that the Korean revolutionaries
should carry out the Korean revolution, they
would have failed to liberate their country.If
we had abandoned the policy of building an
independent national economy and entered the
‘CMEA’ unable to bear the pressure of the
great-power chauvinists during socialist
construction after the war, it would have been
impossible for us to build the socialist state
which is independent, self-sustenant and
capable of self-reliant defence.While
rejecting great-power chauvinism which put
down the Juche character, our Party and people
conducted a tireless, fierce struggle to
overcome flunkeyism which flattered and
yielded to the great power.We thus removed any
room for great-power chauvinism to set foot,
eradicated the idea of dependence on outside
forces which was handed down through history
and thoroughly established the standpoint and
attitude as the masters of the revolution in
our country.
The
struggle of our Party and our people to adhere
to the Juche character was conducted as an
integral part of the struggle to strengthen
the unity and solidarity of the world
socialist movement.Thoroughly rejecting all
sorts of misguided tendencies of setting the
Juche character against internationalism, we
made energetic efforts to strengthen
internationalist unity and solidarity in
keeping with the nature of the socialist
movement.Even though they were carrying out
the unprecedentedly complex and arduous
revolution, the Korean communists and people
maintained the internationalist principle of
actively supporting and encouraging the people
of other countries in their cause for
anti-imperialist independence and for
socialism and fighting in unity with the class
comrades-in-arms and the revolutionary
people.When the difference in opinions and
discord between the socialist countries
aggravated to the point of split in the world
socialist movement, our Party, with a firm,
principled and independent stand, directed
great efforts to ensuring mutual understanding
and harmony among the socialist countries.Even
though it was carrying out the revolution
under difficult circumstances, our Party gave
unstinted assistance and support to the other
socialist countries which were fighting an
anti-US war.Our Party and our people made
energetic and positive efforts to develop the
relations of friendship and cooperation based
on complete equality and mutual benefit not
only with the socialist countries but also
with all the countries which sought
independence, thus making a great contribution
to strengthening the internationalist
solidarity among the progressive forces
throughout the world.
The
successes and experiences of our struggle to
pioneer the road of revolution in an original
way as the masters of our own destiny and to
unfold a new history of unity and solidarity
in the world socialist movement and the
progressive movement based on independence
clearly demonstrate that the maintenance of
the Juche character constitutes an important
guarantee for the victory of both our
revolution and the world revolutionary
movement and that it is an absolutely correct
way to remain loyal not only to the national
but also to the international duties.
Our Party
has valued the national character, sustained
our nation’s fine traditions in every possible
way and materialized them in all spheres of
the revolution and construction.
The
national character which is formed through
history may have the limitation of the period
and class, but it is a mistake to regard the
national character as the breeding ground of
the idea of returning to the past and
bourgeois nationalism.The national character
embodies the spirit of national independence
and the cultural traditions of a nation, which
constitute a precious wealth of the country
and nation and an important asset for the
building of socialism.
Our Party
has preserved and steadily developed the fine
traits of our people who are resourceful and
courageous, and who love justice and truth,
value morality and resent injustice. These
qualities have become an important factor in
propelling socialist construction and in
developing the country to be prosperous.Our
Party’s policy of preserving and developing
the national character has won active support
from the people and displayed great vitality
in deepening the people’s trust in the Party
and planting socialism deep among them.
Our Party
made the national character a major basis of
national unity.It is the common psychology of
the members of the nation to love their nation
and value their national character.This
feeling is of great importance in uniting and
rallying the whole nation. From the early days
of the revolutionary struggle, the true Korean
communists attached great importance to the
national character and worked hard to achieve
the unity of the people from all walks of life
on the basis of it.In the course of this, they
succeeded in achieving unity with the
nationalists as well.The imperialists and
reactionaries are talking as if there were an
impassable gulf between communism and
nationalism in order to drive a wedge of
hostility and discord within the nation, but
communism and nationalism have the common
desire and aspiration of love for one’s
country and nation. It is impossible to
achieve national unity if the positive aspect
of nationalism is ignored and rejected because
of its limitations.What is opposed to
communism is not nationalism in general but
bourgeois nationalism, national egoism and
national chauvinism which subordinate the
common interests of the nation to the
interests of a handful of the exploiting class
in the guise of nationalism.We realized unity
and cooperation with the nationalists on our
initiative by giving prominence to the
community of loving the nation and valuing the
national character and led them tirelessly to
go on the road of patriotism so that they make
great contribution to the struggle for
national liberation and socialism while
casting their lots with the communists.
It is the
national character and love for the nation and
the spirit of national independence which
emanate from the national character that can
be the foundations of great national unity and
national reunification in our country where
the nation is divided by foreign forces and
different ideas and systems exist in the north
and the south.Especially when the national
character is trampled underfoot and
obliterated in south Korea by foreign forces
and the reactionaries, we may lose the
foundations of the unity of the whole nation
and national reunification and the nation may
become heterogeneous and divided into
different nations unless we hold high and
sustain the national character in every way.
All our
Party’s policies for national reunification,
particularly the 10-Point Programme of the
Great Unity of the Whole Nation for
Reunification of the Country put forward by
the great national father Comrade Kim Il
Sung, are blended with the noble spirit
of national independence and love for the
nation which value and sustain the national
character.By paying deep attention to
sustaining and embodying the national
character in leading the struggle for national
reunification, our Party has created mature
conditions for uniting the whole nation in the
north, the south and abroad, and for realizing
the coordinated development of the country and
nation.
It is of
special importance that we have stressed the
Korean-nation-first principle in the struggle
to preserve and embody the national character.
Our Party has considered it to be a main link
in the struggle for sustaining the national
character to encourage the popular masses, the
masters of the revolution construction, to
take pride and self-confidence in the
greatness of the Korean nation and brighten
the soul and spirit of the nation, and laid
great emphasis on this work.Our Party has
brought about an all-round development and
flowering of our people’s admirable national
character, which has been shaped through
history, created new fine national traits
successfully in all fields of revolution and
construction and social life and, on this
basis, advanced the Korean-nation-first
principle and armed the people with this
principle.The establishment of the
Korean-nation-first spirit has effected a new
advance in the struggle to sustain the
national character and raised its role beyond
measure in carrying out the cause of
socialism.As is evidenced in our people, young
and old, men and women, throughout the country
fondly singing “My Country is Best”, all our
people are proud of being Koreans.With a high
sense of self-respect and pride as the best
nation living and working in the good
socialist system under the care of the great
leader, and under the leadership the great
Party, our people are exalting the national
dignity and displaying national
resourcefulness in the struggle for the
prosperity and development of the country and
the victory of socialism.
The
experience of our Party and people in the
struggle to sustain the national character
shows that only when the party and the state
of the working class value the national
character and work hard to embody it in the
revolution and construction can they unite the
entire nation, advance triumphantly the cause
of socialism by giving full play to their
patriotic enthusiasm and realize the
independent development and prosperity of the
country and nation.
By giving
wise leadership to the struggle of our Party
and people for the preservation of the Juche
character and national character, the great
leader Comrade Kim Il Sung set a
brilliant example of leading to victory the
revolutionary cause of the popular masses
under the banner of independence. History has
recorded numerous patriots and patriotic
struggles, but it has never known such a
communist revolutionary as the great leader
Comrade Kim Il Sung who firmly
safeguarded the Juche character and national
character with faith in independence and a
noble patriotic spirit, treading a thorny
revolutionary path nor has it witnessed such a
revolutionary cause of genuine national
independence as the Juche revolutionary cause
pioneered and led by Comrade Kim Il Sung.
The
socialism of Juche is the brilliant fruition
of the great idea and leadership of the
respected Comrade Kim Il Sung who
opened up an original way of carrying out the
socialist cause, the cause of independence for
the popular masses. Our socialism of Juche
which has been built by ourselves in keeping
with our desire and national characteristics
is a people-centred socialism which has made
the popular masses the masters of everything
and made everything serve them; it is the
socialism of independence, self-sufficiency
and self-reliant defence, which has
strengthened the Juche character and fully
displayed the national character; it is the
socialism dedicated to love for the country
and nation.Here lies its essential
characteristics and its superiority.Because it
has most effectively combined love for the
people with love for the country and nation,
the independence of the popular masses with
the independence of the country and nation,
socialism in our country is advancing along
the road of victory with an invincible
vitality and force and displaying ever greater
attraction in carrying out the cause of
independence for humanity.
By
building Juche-orientated socialism which
defends and realizes the independence of the
popular masses and guarantees the independent
development and prosperity of the nation under
the guidance of the great leader Comrade Kim
Il Sung, our Party and people have
proved that adhering to the principle of
national independence as well as the principle
of the working class in the revolution and
construction and keeping the Juche character
and national character are the road to victory
and glory, Great-power chauvinists and
opportunists slandered our adherence to the
Juche character and national character and our
struggle for the revolution and construction
on the principle of national independence as
if these were contrary to socialism, but, in
the long run, it is our Party and our people
that have defended and brightened socialism
through to the end. Our socialism is
vigorously advancing along its track in spite
of worldwide political upheavals because our
Party is consistently leading the revolution
and construction from the standpoint of
Juche.Although those who once posed themselves
as “orthodox” socialists and internationalists
discarded socialism and betrayed
internationalism, our Party and people have
been invariably and unfailingly faithful to
internationalism under the banner of socialism
and, while defending the impregnable fortress
of socialism, are striving for the
reconstruction of the socialist movement and
the cause of independence for humanity by
pooling efforts with all the revolutionary
parties and progressive people who cherish
independence and socialism.
2
Stepping
up socialist construction and realizing the
reunification of the country and its
prosperity by preserving and embodying the
Juche character and national character is the
unshakable faith and will of our Party and
people.We must thoroughly implement this line
which was the life-long desire of the great
leader Comrade Kim Il Sung and whose
credibility and validity have been proved by
history.
Loving
one’s country and nation is a prerequisite for
maintaining the Juche character and national
character of the revolution and construction.
A
revolutionary must boundlessly love and
respect the country and nation. Without a
country and nation, nobody can live and shape
his destiny.As the destiny of an individual is
inseparably connected with the destiny of the
nation, our Party is exerting efforts to
educate all members of society to have a
correct view on the nation and producing such
art and literary work as the multi-part
feature film “The Nation and Destiny”
expending much effort.The theme of “The Nation
and Destiny” is that the destiny of the
country and nation immediately means the
destiny of individuals and that the existence
of one depends on the survival of the
other.Those who want to shape their own
destiny truly must consider the country and
nation as the base of their lives and as their
home of happiness and love them ardently; they
must find the worth and value of their lives
in devoting their all for the independence and
prosperity of the country and nation.
How people
approach their own class and how they live as
a member of the class is an important
question, but it is no less important how they
live and fight as a member of the nation.It is
most important now for all Koreans to love the
country and nation, lead a genuine life as
members of the Korean nation and devote their
all to the common aim of the nation,
transcending the different systems created
temporarily owing to national division, as
well as different ideas and ideals, different
political views and religions and different
classes and strata.Those who share the blood
and soul of the Korean nation must link their
own destiny with the destiny of the country
and nation and fight devoting body and soul
for the independent reunification of the
country and the prosperity of the nation, no
matter which class and stratum they belong to,
in what social system they exist and whether
they live at home or abroad.
For the
party in the position of revolutionary
leadership to treasure the country and nation
and bear the responsibility for their destiny
is the fundamental condition for fulfilling
its leadership mission.Defending and
maintaining the independence of the country
and nation is a prerequisite for realizing the
independence of the popular masses.If a
working-class party regards only the ideals
and demands of the class as absolute and
neglects national interests, it cannot fulfil
the responsibility for the destiny of the
country and nation, give a correct guidance to
the patriotic struggle and realize the
independence of the masses with credit.A party
which leads the revolution and construction
must think and act with the attitude of
attaching importance to the country and nation
and lead the masses of the people correctly to
defend the interests of the country and nation
resolutely and realize the development of the
country and the prosperity of the nation.
Our
Party and people are proud of having set a
brilliant example of patriotism in the
long-drawn-pout revolutionary struggle for
independence, sovereignty and socialism. The
Korean communists were the most ardent
patriots who had fought devoting their all to
the liberation of the fatherland and its
independent development.The history of
pioneering and advancing the Korean revolution
shows the ceaseless sacred struggle of our
people for the country and nation.Our people
are proud of their patriotic traditions which
are now being carried forward brilliantly
under the leadership of our Party.By carrying
forward the noble patriotic traditions, all
our people must implement devotedly our
Party’s idea and policy of defending the
fundamental interests of the country and
nation and making their country, their
motherland, more prosperous.
Carrying
out the revolution and construction in one’s
own style on the principle of national
independence is the fundamental requirement
for preserving the Juche character and
national character.
Dealing with the problems arising in shaping the destiny of one’s country and nation according to one’s own decision is the right to independence which nobody can infringe upon.The revolutionary parties and peoples must resolutely reject the intervention and pressure of the outside forces and resolve their own problems according to their own decisions and judgement to suit their demands and interests.
Dealing with the problems arising in shaping the destiny of one’s country and nation according to one’s own decision is the right to independence which nobody can infringe upon.The revolutionary parties and peoples must resolutely reject the intervention and pressure of the outside forces and resolve their own problems according to their own decisions and judgement to suit their demands and interests.
The
failure to assert one’s own opinion and faith,
when under the pressure of foreign forces,
leads to subordination and national ruin.This
is proved by the catastrophic fate of the
countries and nations which followed the
intentions of the imperialists and
dominationists and lived consulting their
pleasure. The more pressure the imperialists
and dominationists apply, the more firmly the
revolutionary parties and peoples must assert
their opinion and carry out the lines and
policies they have adopted.If they yield to
the pressure of the outside forces and
vacillate or give up their aim in difficulty
and thus abandon their faith and withdraw from
the road they themselves have chose, they
cannot rise up again.No matter how grave
difficulties and trials they may face, the
revolutionary parties and peoples should never
lose their faith in the validity of their
cause and invariably follow the road to
independence, the road they have chosen,
fighting with an indomitable will.
In
advancing the revolution and construction and
developing society, it is always necessary to
find out and rely on one’s own way and
methods.It is not right for the masters
responsible for the destiny of the nation to
copy or blindly imitate others.It is natural
to introduce what is good or developed among
others’ things, but it is intolerable to
imitate them mechanically or consider them to
be basic.The parties and peoples who are
building socialism should not tolerate the
capitalist “Western style” in managing the
state and social system and organizing social
life, but instead they should apply their own
style, which is revolutionary and national, in
all spheres of state and social life including
politics, the economy and culture.
The
countries which are experiencing social
problems, economic difficulties and disasters
because of national disputes must also find
out a way to overcome them by their own
efforts, not expecting anything from the
“prescription” of the imperialists. The
so-called “prescription” that the imperialists
are propagating around the world are neither
good for the development of other nations nor
“ingenious plans” to activate the economy of
other countries and ensure national
reconciliation; these are the schemes to
embellish themselves and gain their profit in
this process.As reality shows, in the
countries which accepted the imperialist
“prescription”, social problems and economic
difficulties have become more serious and
national disputes become more chronic.The
countries which are suffering social economic
difficulties and national disputes must reject
the “prescription” of the imperialists which
only worsens their conditions.They must break
through the difficulties following their own
prescription.
Our
Party and people are proud of having chosen
their own revolutionary road independently and
having advanced the revolutionary cause.
Solving all the problems arising in the
revolution and construction in their own way
based on their independent views.Our style is
derived from man-centred Juche philosophy and
patriotism.Because we have not followed
others’ opinion and prescription, but relied
firmly on our own views and the revolutionary
methods of our style, we have been able to
build a powerful socialism of Juche and make
it prosperous.In the future, too, we must live
and carry out the revolution in our own way on
the principle of national independence so as
to firmly defend and develop socialism of our
style and make the country and nation ever
prosperous.
Our
own force is the real guarantee for preserving
and embodying the Juche character and national
character.
The
fundamental factor in preparing our own force
is to build up the political force of our
own.In order to preserve the Juche character
and national character it is necessary to
prepare our own force in all spheres including
the material and economic force, but what is
most important is to build up a strong
political force, the driving force of the
revolution.
Unity
means the strength of the driving force of the
revolution.
In
the struggle for the independence of the
country and nation it is imperative to achieve
national unity based on the unanimous desire
and common interests of the nation.At present,
our urgent task is to achieve great national
unity and build up our own force for national
reunification.Only when a nation wide unity is
realized can we crush the divisive forces at
home and abroad and accomplish the cause of
national reunification.All the compatriots in
the north, the south and abroad must fight
dynamically to realize the independent
reunification of the country, the great
national desire, rallied rock-solid under the
banner of great national unity.
In
the socialist society where class antagonism
has been eliminated, the nation is the people
and vice versa and the centre of their unity
is the party and the leader.National unity in
the socialist society must be the unity of the
whole society in ideology and purpose centring
on the party and the leader.Our Party has
equipped the entire people firmly with the
Juche idea and turned the whole of society
into one socio-political organism, whose
membershave been united firmly centring on the
Party and the leader, thereby building up
creditably the independent driving force of
the revolution, the integrated whole of the
leader, the Party and the masses.The strength
of the independent driving force relying on
the single-hearted unity of the leader, the
party and the masses is the fundamental
guarantee for all our victories both in the
struggle against imperialism and in socialist
construction.By consolidating and developing
this single-hearted unity and displaying its
power to the full, we must safeguard the
independence of the country and nation firmly
from enemy encroachment and step up the
revolution and construction vigorously.
In
addition to our own political force, the
economic and military forces must be
prepared.The parties and peoples who have not
prepared their own economic and military
forces cannot fulfil their responsibility and
play their role satisfactorily as the
independent driving force of the revolution
and construction and preserve the Juche
character and national character.The
revolutionary parties and peoples should exert
all their energy, enduring all hardships, to
prepare their own economic and military forces
that guarantee the independent development of
the country.
The
role of science and technology in economic
construction and defence build-up has
increased beyond measure, and the scientific
and technological competition is brisk on a
worldwide scale.In this situation, without
developed science and technology it would be
impossible to build up strong economic and
military forces.
The
parties and peoples who are building socialism
should develop science and technology by their
own efforts to suit the requirement of the
revolution and the specific situation in their
countries, maintain thoroughly their own
attitude. The work of expanding and developing
scientific and technological exchanges with
different countries and introducing advanced
science and technology from other countries,
too, must be based on their own reality. If
they give full rein to the strength and
intelligence of their people relying on the
strength of the advantages of socialism, and
mobilize all possibilities and potentials
actively, they will be fully able to scale a
high peak of scientific and technical
development and ensure the independent
development of the country by means of science
and technology.
Our
Party and people have regarded it as the
fundamental requirement for building an
independent sovereign state to prepare their
own strong economic and military forces and
laid powerful economic and military
foundations that guarantee the independence of
the country and the prosperity of the nation,
by waging an indomitable struggle sparing a
penny and tightening their belts from the
first days of the building of a new society.
Today we can firmly defend the fundamental
interests of the revolution and the dignity of
the country from the imperialists’ vicious
manoeuvres against socialism and our Republic
because we have built the powerful independent
national economy and self-reliant defence
power.By continuing a vigorous struggle to
strengthen the force of the independent
national economy and self-reliant defence
power, we must further strengthen the material
foundation of the independent state and social
life and defend reliably the security of the
country and the happy lives of the people.
In
preserving the Juche character and national
character it is very important to enhance
national pride and self-confidence among the
people.
National
pride and self-confidence are the
manifestation of love for the nation and the
spirit of national independence.The
revolutionary parties should always step up
ideological work to cultivate the spirit of
national independence among the people so that
they are proud of their country and nation and
determined to defend and develop them.An
ideological offensive for boosting the spirit
of national independence should be undertaken
especially by small and backward countries and
the countries which have heavily suffered
domination and intervention by big countries
and in which flunkeyism and dogmatism remain
deep-rooted.
National
pride and self-confidence are formed and
displayed when the good qualities of one’s
nation are understood. The good qualities of a
nation which are formed socially and
historically in the struggle to shape the
destiny of the country and nation have nothing
in common with racial characteristics, nor are
these qualities acquired by any special
nation.Every nation is blessed with its good
qualities and has the aspiration and desire to
preserve and promote them.Only when the
revolutionary parties appreciate the fine
traits of their nations and encourage them
positively, can they help the people to
acquire national pride and self-confidence.
What
is important in preserving and boosting the
good qualities of the nation is to carry
forward the national heritage correctly.
Nihilism which ignores and abandons national
inheritance is the main obstacle which impedes
the flowering and development of the fine
national traits.In order to preserve the good
qualities of the nation, it is imperative to
have an attitude of appreciating the national
heritage and thoroughly reject and overcome
nihilism which denies the nation’s fine
traits.Restorationism which tries to preserve
things of the past thoughtlessly on the excuse
of appreciating the national heritage is also
a harmful tendency preventing the good
qualities of the nation from being preserved
in a correct manner.If restorationism is
tolerated, it would revive outdated and
backward mentality which reflects the
requirement and interests of the exploiting
class and goes against times and create an
obstacle in the way of preserving the fine
national traits in conformity with the
requirement of socialism.To preserve the fine
national traits it is necessary to reject both
the nihilistic attitude and the restorationist
tendencies towards the national heritage and
correctly combine the national stand with the
class stand, the historical principle with the
contemporary trend and thus discard what is
outdated or incompatible with socialism and
encourage and develop what is progressive and
popular.
In
addition to preserving the national heritage
handed down through history with a correct
view, new fine national traits must be
cultivated continuously.It is only when new
national traits are created based on the
inherited good qualities of the nation that
nation’s fine traits can bloom and develop
further and their role become more essential
in enhancing national pride and
self-confidence.By stepping up the revolution
and construction successfully, the parties
which build socialism must create new national
traits continuously in all spheres of
politics, the economy, ideology, culture and
morality and boost national pride and
self-confidence among the people.
The
good qualities of the nation are best
cultivated and displayed while carrying out
the revolutionary cause under the guidance of
the great leader.These qualities can be
attributed to the greatness of the leader; the
pride and self-confidence in the nation’s
excellence find concentrated expression in the
pride and confidence in having the great
leader.
Our
people have become a great nation under the
care of the respected leader Comrade Kim
Il Sung and have acquired excellent
national traits under his leadership.Today the
people around the world call our nation in
association with the name of the respected
leader Comrade Kim Il Sung and praise
the good qualities of our nation as the
excellent traits of Kim Il Sung’s
nation.
The
core of the traits of Kim Il Sung’s
nation consists of loyalty and dutifulness to
their leader.Our people’s unlimited loyalty
and dutifulnesstothegreatleaderComradeKim
Il Sung have become firmly established
as their faith and will, as their conscience
and morality, through life experience of
shaping the destiny of the country and nation
for many years in history. Loyalty and
dutifulness to the leader are the highest
expression of the good qualities of Kim
Il Sung’s nation and constitute the
basis of all the other fine traits of his
nation.The mental and moral excellence of our
people – the strong sense of uniting behind
the Party and the leader with a single mind
and purpose, revolutionary faith in the
socialism of Juche, unlimited devotion to
their country and the revolution, the
revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and
fortitude, revolutionary optimism,
revolutionary morality and comradeship with
which all members of society help and lead
each other forward – emanates from their
loyalty and dutifulness to the great leader
and finds clear expression through them.We
must further consolidate and carry forward
stoutly the excellent qualities of our people
who are loyal and dutiful to the leader so
that the people remain unfailingly loyal and
dutiful to their leader and their Party
generation after generation.
We
must continue to step up education in the
Korean-nation-first principle to encourage the
people to brighten the greatness of the Korean
nation further with a strong sense of national
pride and self-confidence.
The
struggle to preserve the Juche character and
national character is the struggle against
imperialism and dominationism.
Taking
advantage of the trials which the cause of
independence for the popular masses is
undergoing, the imperialists are nor working
more blatantly than ever to obliterate the
Juche character and traits of other countries
and nations and realize their dominationist
ambition.Without struggling against the
dominationist machinations of the imperialists
at present, it would be inconceivable to
ensure the independent development of the
countries and nations nor would it be possible
to prevent people from falling to the lot of
colonial slavery again.
The
illusions about and fear of imperialism should
be dispelled.
Aggression
and plunder are the real nature of
imperialism.No matter how the international
situation may change, the dominationist
ambition of the imperialists will not
change.Nothing is more foolish and dangerous
than pinning hopes on the imperialist “aid”,
being unable to see through the aggressive and
predatory nature of imperialism.The
imperialist “aid” is a noose of plunder and
subjugation aimed at robbing ten and even a
hundred things for one thing that is given.
The revolutionary parties and peoples must see
clearly the miserable situation in the
countries and nations which harboured
illusions about imperialism, must always hold
on to the anti-imperialist, independent stand
and wipe out even the slightest element of
illusions about the imperialists.
The
fear of imperialism is another expression of
illusions about imperialism.Imperialism is by
no means an object of fear; it is doomed as
the refuse of history.If you are afraid of
confrontation with imperialism and are willing
to abandon the anti-imperialist struggle, you
will never free yourselves from its domination
and control.The revolutionary parties and
peoples must see through the vulnerability of
imperialism, courageously stand against the
bluffing imperialists, and resolutely crush
their reactionary offensive with revolutionary
offensive.
We
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 ganster-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.
The imperialists have cooked up the trend of a “monolithic world” for the purpose of reducing the whole world to the Western-style “free world” and subjugating and assimilating all nations to themselves.All countries and nations must see clearly the danger of the imperialist policy of obliterating nations which is pursued in the name of the trend towards a “monolithic” world and must intensify the struggle to defeat the dominationist manoeuvres of the imperialists.
The imperialists have cooked up the trend of a “monolithic world” for the purpose of reducing the whole world to the Western-style “free world” and subjugating and assimilating all nations to themselves.All countries and nations must see clearly the danger of the imperialist policy of obliterating nations which is pursued in the name of the trend towards a “monolithic” world and must intensify the struggle to defeat the dominationist manoeuvres of the imperialists.
The
imperialist moves to obliterate other nations
and assimilate them are directed not only to
foreign countries and nations but also to the
minority nations and foreign residents in
their own countries. The Japanese
imperialists, who imposed immeasurable
misfortune and suffering upon the Korean
nation in the past by means of the most
heinous colonial rule and the policy of
obliterating our nation, are now making
frantic efforts to suppress the national
rights of the Koreans in Japan, and erase
their national consciousness, and are working
tenaciously to assimilate them to
themselves.This is the most glaring example of
the imperialist attempt.The parties and
states, which are responsible for the destiny
of their overseas compatriots, must keep a
close eye on the cunning policy of national
assimilation pursued by the imperialists and
step up the struggle to expose and shatter it.
The
“ethnological doctrine” “cosmopolitanism” and
other reactionary doctrines which have been
declared bankrupt by history are nor being
adapted and changed into various forms and
used as ideological instruments to paralyze
people’s national consciousness and
revolutionary spirit and justify the
imperialist policy of obliterating nations.In
order to keep the Juche character and national
traits, we must thoroughly expose and shatter
all sorts of reactionary ideological trends
and lies aimed at hiding and justifying the
dominationist nature of the imperialists.
The
struggle against the dominationist maneovures
of the imperialists should be linked with the
struggle against the traitors to the nation.
Without combating the traitors who sell out
national interests in collusion with the
imperialists against their own countries and
nations, it would be impossible to defeat
imperialism and dominationism or achieve the
development of nations.This is clearly shown
by the situation in the south of our country.
In
south Korea where our national traits have
been grossly trampled upon because of the
flunkeyist, treacherous acts of the successive
reactionary rulers, the soul of the nation and
refined customs are now being totally erased
by the clamour of the authorities for
anti-national “internationalization” and
”globalization”.Their clamour for these
schemes means an unheard-of treachery to
maintain their powers and comfort in return
for the obliteration of everything that is
national and for their total sell-out of the
country and nation to foreign forces.Their
humiliating open-door policy which is pursued
in the nbamne of “internationalization” and
“globalization” allows the American, Japanese
and Western fashions to flood all spheres of
politics, economy and culture.In consequence,
in south Korea all areas of social life,
ranging from the mode of politics, the
language, written and spoken, to the way of
life, are imitating the American, Japanese and
Western fashions, the foreign forces lord it
over, and the national traits and dignity are
being wantonly violated and obliterated.In
order to cut off the noose of domination and
subjugation by the imperialists in south Korea
and open up the road of independent
development, we must sweep away the traitors
who have sold out the country and nation to
foreign forces and invited all sorts of
national misfortune and miseries.
In
order to oppose imperialism and dominationism
and preserve the Juche character and national
character, international unity and cooperation
among the progressive people of the world must
be strengthened.Only when the progressive
people throughout the world support and
encourage each other, closely cooperate and
pool their efforts can each country achieve
national independence, prosperity and
development, and the cause of
globalindependence be realized with
success.The socialist countries, non-aligned
and developing countries must, in solid unity
under the banner of independence, make dynamic
efforts to democratize the international
community, thus abolish the old international
order of domination and subordination set up
by the imperialists, and establish a new one
which is based on sovereignty, equality,
justice and impartiality.They must actively
develop South-South cooperation on the
principle of collective self-reliance so as to
achieve prosperity all together.
Independence,
peace and friendship are the ideals of our
Party’s foreign policy which makes it possible
to strengthen international solidarity and
contribute to the cause of world independence.
Our Party and our people have always
endeavoured to develop relationships and
cooperation with all the people of the world
on the principles of independence and
equality, peace and friendship and mutual
benefit and to establish just international
relations and order between countries and
nations. We must make dynamic struggle to
strengthen unity and cooperation with the
progressive people throughout the world and to
democratize the international community.We
will thus fulfil our international duty and
historic mission in the struggle to defend the
independence of all countries and nations and
to make the world independent.
It
is a consistent policy pursued by our Party,
which is guided by the Juche idea, to value,
preserve and materialize the Juche character
and national character.
As it did
in the past, our Party will invariably
maintain the principle of Juche and national
independence so as to bring further prosperity
to our country and our fatherland which was
won back and built by the great leader Comrade
Kim Il Sung, and to achieve the cause
of national reunification and accomplish the
socialist cause of Juche.