Korea Prides Itself on Its Youth

In February this year a national meeting of Songun youth was held in Pyongyang, the capital city of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. In its congratulatory message to the meeting, the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea stated that it is a great pride of the WPK to have the youth who are firmly equipped with the Juche idea and the Songun idea and are playing the pivotal role in national defence and socialist construction, and that they are a sure guarantee for a bright future of Songun Korea and the victory in the cause of building a great, prosperous and powerful socialist nation of the Juche type.

Regarding National Defence as a Sacred Duty:

The Korean youth regard national defence as their sacred duty. Here is a good example. At the time when the US imperialists and reactionaries were driving the situation in the Korean peninsula to the brink of war following the DPRK's launch of its artificial earth satellite Kwangmyongsong 2, and when the situation on the West Sea of Korea was aggravated to the extreme, large numbers of youths across the country volunteered to join or rejoin the army. The satellite launching is an independent right of the DPRK and the US-led reactionaries had no ground to dispute it. But they made military threats to the Republic, maintaining that it was not a satellite but a missile. The Korean youth, therefore, turned out as one to defend their country against the sinister moves of the enemy.

Then in March 1993 when the US insisted on an "ad hoc inspection" and UN sanctions on Korea and held a frenzied "Team Spirit 93" joint military exercise by using "nuclear suspicion" as a pretext, more than 1.5 million youths volunteered for military service within ten-odd days after the KPA Supreme Commander issued an order announcing a semi-war state. At present countless young people are serving in the People's Army to defend the socialist system and the welfare of the people.

In the Van of Building an Economic Power:

Many things in Korea have the word "youth" in their names—Paektusan Songun Youth Power Station, March 5 Youth Mine, Namhung Youth Chemical Complex, Hyesan Youth Station, Youth Hero Road, Youth Park, and so on. Many structures including modern factories and other enterprises built in all parts of the country are associated with the heroism and great feats of the youth.

The leader Kim Jong Il visited the construction site of the Paektusan Songun Youth Power Station in May 2010 and highly praised the young builders for their mettle and fortitude manifested in carrying on the vast construction work in the face of extreme difficulties under the slogan "Let's live gloriously in our youthful days!" In recent years, the youths in the leading sectors of the national economy and basic industries led the van of building new processes for the production of Juche iron, Juche fertilizer and Juche fibre based on materials and fuel abundant in Korea, making a contribution to cementing the foundation of the independent national economy.

The youths of the March 5 Youth Mine completed the modernization of the crushing and ore-dressing processes, beautification of their settlement and other huge tasks in two years, which would ordinarily have taken five years, and completely changed the appearance of the mine. The youths in the field of light industry are actively carrying on socialist emulation for increased production of primary and all other consumption goods while promoting the modernization of light industry.

The youths are now becoming young innovators and heroes of the Songun era displaying enthusiasm and mettle in all fields of the national economy according to the WPK's grand plan for the building of an economic power.

Masters of Cutting-Edge Science and Technology:

The Korean youths are making a great contribution to the building of a prosperous nation by means of science and technology under the slogan of "Break through the cutting edge!" Young scientists and technicians in the State Academy of Sciences and other scientific research institutions have been working hard to develop the core basic technologies and cutting-edge science and technology, including information technology, nano technology and bioengineering technology, through a war of brainpower and technology. They did their bit in making a brilliant success of all processes of production and launching of an artificial satellite and carrier rocket, including observation of its performance after launching, without any help of an outsider.

They are now all out in the endeavours to equip all branches of the national economy with CNC technology. Young engineers of the Huichon Ryonha Machine Complex have taken the lead in the exertion for turning their factory into a model outfit of the 21^st century through a scientific and technological campaign and a technical-innovation spirit.

At present young scientists and technicians in the metal, machine, chemical and light industries and other fields of the national economy are concentrating their efforts on the introduction of higher-standard CNC technology in the production processes. Students of universities and colleges and working youths of factories and cooperative farms are also displaying creative abilities and energies in the struggle for improving the people's living standards and building a prosperous nation by stepping up their scientific research activities and technical innovation campaigns.

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