A Look at the DPRK :: Weekly Blitz

Alexandr Mikhailov Illin of Russia wrote a book Political Leader of the 21^st Century. Here are excerpts:

History shows that it is a common intention of national leaders and statesmen and a unanimous desire of every nation to build a powerful nation with high dignity and political stability. In the world there are countries boasting of military strength or economic prosperity. But there is no politico-ideological power like the DPRK where the army and the people are firmly united around the leader Kim Jong Il and whose political foundations are solid.

I stayed in the country for a short period of time, but I keenly realized how it has turned into a socialist politico-ideological power under the banner of the Juche idea, the banner of Songun. The country is the only one able to say and do whatever it wants to do on the international arena, without studying the face of any superpower or neighbouring countries.

To build a politico-ideological power is more difficult than to build an economic or military power. In the present world, some countries have achieved high economic growth or miracles in a short span of time, but it is only the DPRK that has attained the highest goal of building a politico-ideological power.

It is none other than the leader Kim Jong Il who built such a power unprecedented in history. The country's history of socialist construction and its present reality prove the truth that socialism will be able to demonstrate its invincible might in all fields of politics, military affairs, the economy and culture only when the voluntary zeal and creativity of the popular masses are brought into full play by holding fast to people's thinking as the mainstay and giving priority to ideological work.

Kim Jong Il put forth the programme of modelling the whole society on the Juche idea, which was an important occasion in bringing about a radical turn in ideological work of the Workers' Party of Korea. In the course of modelling the whole society on the Juche idea, the contents of the Party's ideological work came to be filled with the Juche idea, the revolutionary idea of President Kim Il Sung, the methods of publicity and inspiration created by the President during the anti-Japanese armed struggle were actively introduced in the work, and the ideological and spiritual traits of officials, Party members and working people improved onto a new high level.

The foremost symbol of a socialist power is its politico-ideological might, the essence of which is single-hearted unity. It can be said that the might of single-hearted unity is the source of the DPRK's pluck with which it can firmly maintain its political independence and adhere to its independent policy on the international arena. Single-hearted unity is the eternal revolutionary philosophy and ever-victorious banner of the WPK.

Kim Jong Il has long regarded the Juche-oriented theory of the importance of ideology as an almighty sword and cemented the single-hearted unity of the Party and the revolutionary ranks in every way, thus turning the politico-ideological power of the country into the invincible. With such power, the country is opposing the political and diplomatic offensives of the imperialists with stronger offensives, and mercilessly smashing their manoeuvres for military aggression and vicious psychological warfare to defend the dignity of the nation and work continuous miracles in the building of a great, prosperous and powerful nation.

Not long ago, a Russian newspaper Vladivostock reported as follows: "The DPRK is widely known to the international community as a country of single-hearted unity. President Kim Il Sung regarded single-hearted unity as the mainstay of revolution and administered the politics of love for and trust in the people, and thus turned the country into one big family. The unity has been further cemented by the leader Kim Jong Il. The unity will give the answer to the question of history about how the Korean people have emerged victorious in the grave war to defend socialism."

The Nepalese newspaper Nepal News reported on the true feature of the DPRK where the leader, the Party and the masses are single-mindedly united, stressing: "Under the leadership of His Excellency Kim Jong Il the DPRK has become an invincible nation. It is the only country on earth where all people form a family with their leader as their father and help and lead one another, and the leader and the people are intimately related. Any attempt on the part of the forces that intend to conquer the country will be frustrated as long as the nation is based on single-hearted unity behind the leader and has powerful armed forces like the Korean People's Army. The country has proved to the world that any country, though small, can firmly defend its sovereignty, dignity and interests."

As I have witnessed, the DPRK is certainly a politico-ideological power where the whole Party, the entire army and all the people are united around the leader in one and the same idea to form an impregnable fortress.

Years ago some KPA soldiers, unexpectedly drifting about on the sea, were detained by south Korea. Witnessing the soldiers' indomitable will and courage, mass media of the world reported to the effect that the KPA soldiers were possessed of the toughest fighting spirit and ideological faith. When the south Korean authorities tried to convert them by means of pressure and appeasement, the KPA soldiers sang the song No Motherland Without You praising the leader Kim Jong Il. As they were fully convinced that they could not live apart from the leader's embrace they said in unison during a harsh interrogation, "If you don't call our Supreme Commander without the honorific title, we'll never answer you." When they were asked about their unit's designation and names, they also replied in unison, "We are soldiers of the respected Supreme Commander Kim Jong Il." The south Korean authorities tried to make them change their clothes, but the soldiers refused to do so, saying, "We'll wear our own military uniform bearing the badges of the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung's portrait." Even when the south Korean authorities tried to allure them by means of money, cars, palatial mansions and gold wrist watches, the soldiers would firmly stick to their faith. Their noble ideological-spiritual world and strong faith finally compelled the south Korean authorities to recognize that the KPA led by Kim Jong Il is a peerlessly strong army in ideology and faith.

In my youthful years before I became a journalist of a Moscow newspaper after graduating from university, I saw a DPRK documentary film on the country's functions held in celebration of the 40^th anniversary of national liberation, and I still vividly remember it. I think it was on the evening of August 15, 1985, and there took place an impressive torchlight procession in Kim Il Sung Square. Youths and students, amid the solemn singing by a chorus of hundreds, began to march by the rostrum of the square in columns, with the first column forming the letters "40^th anniversary of liberation." And the cheers shocked the square that was brilliantly illuminated, and there appeared another column forming the Party emblem of a sickle, a hammer and a writing brush, followed by another forming the letters "single-hearted unity." At the moment there were loud cheers of "Long live the single-hearted unity!" resounding through the night sky. Looking at the endless procession, I fully understood the indomitable spirit of the politico-ideological power where all the people are firmly united around the leader single-mindedly.

I later saw with deep emotion another documentary film on the demonstration of over one million working people in Pyongyang held in celebration of the 40^th birthday of the DPRK. I also saw other impressive films on military parades and demonstrations held in celebration of similar commemoration days including the birthday of the KPA. The films make me fully realize once again the might of the politico-ideological power developed and strengthened by the leader Kim Jong Il.

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