ON THE STRENGTH OF SONGUN

August 25 is not an ordinary day for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. On the day in 1960, Kim Jong Il (1942-2011), eternal Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, started the Songun-based leadership by inspecting the Seoul Ryu Kyong Su Guards 105^th Tank Division of the Korean People’s Army.

For over half a century since then under his Songun-based leadership, the DPRK has always safeguarded its sovereignty and dignity with honour in the ceaseless confrontation with the United States which claims to be a “superpower.”

In January 1968 the US armed spy ship Pueblo, which had intruded into the territorial waters of the DPRK and been conducting acts of espionage, was captured by the navy of the KPA. Availing itself of the incident, the US dispatched legions of its troops to the Korean peninsula, clamouring about retaliation against the DPRK. Dark clouds of war hung over the peninsula. The world people were apprehensive about the outbreak of a new war in Korea. The government of the Soviet Union advised the Korean counterpart to release the captured ship. At this juncture, Kim Jong Il stated that he would not release the crew of the Pueblo unless the Americans submitted a letter of surrender and that since the ship was Korea’s booty, he would not return it even if they presented it. The DPRK declared to the world that it would retaliate against the “retaliation” of the US and return all-out war for “all-out war.”

Utterly dispirited by the resolute countermeasures taken by the DPRK, the United States had no option but to sign its letter of apology in December that year, in which it acknowledged its hostile acts and assured that no US ships would intrude into the DPRK’s territorial waters in future. The then US President Lyndon Johnson lamented that it was the first letter of apology ever since the United States was founded.

The same is true of ensuing incidents: The US large espionage plane EC-121 was shot down after having intruded into the territorial air space of the DPRK in April 1969; and the US soldiers committed acts of provocation against the guards of the KPA at Panmunjom along the Military Demarcation Line dividing Korea into the north and the south in August 1976 but were severely punished. In those cases, too, the US made such rackets as if it would start a war at once, but was frightened by the decisive countermeasures and strong military might of the DPRK and gave up its attempts.

The first nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula between 1993 and 1994 was induced by the US, which falsely accused the DPRK of its nuclear issue and instigated the International Atomic Energy Agency to force the DPRK to receive its “special inspection” of the major military sites, while launching war rehearsals on a large scale in south Korea. Such being the case, Kim Jong Il issued an order of the KPA Supreme Commander on declaring a state of war readiness across the country. It was followed by the publication of a statement of the DPRK government that it would withdraw from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty in order to defend its supreme interests of the country.

Finding itself in a dilemma by the bomb-like declarations of the counterpart, the United States was enforced to come to the negotiating table and sign the DPRK-USA Agreed Framework for solving the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula in a peaceful way. The US President Bill Clinton sent Kim Jong Il a letter of assurance, in which he ensured the sincere implementation of the US commitments under the Agreed Framework.

Afterwards, the US picked a quarrel with the DPRK in 1998 over its nuclear facilities for the peaceful purpose while making public the OPLAN 5027 for preemptive nuclear strike and intensifying pressure on it. To cope with this, the DPRK solemnly declared its stand that it had no other choice but to prepare its nuclear deterrent. The more pressure and threats the US applied, the more strongly the DPRK responded to it. The DPRK’s super tough countermeasures compelled the Clinton administration to confess its defeat.

Entering the new century, the Bush administration, branding the DPRK as part of “Axis of Evil” and announcing that it was a target of preemptive nuclear strike, became hell-bent on launching reckless moves of nuclear war provocation. Given the situation, the DPRK formally withdrew from the NPT and then stated its possession of nuclear weapons. It carried out missile launches and underground nuclear test, thus delivering a decisive blow to the US in its acts of arbitrariness and nuclear blackmail.

The US administration could not but make public the removal of the DPRK from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The American magazine Newsweek carried an article about striking the DPRK off the list of states sponsoring terrorism. It said that President Bush informed the US Congress of crossing out north Korea from the list, which was an event symbolic of his surrender to north Korea.

So is the case with the DPRK’s launch of the second artificial satellite Kwangmyongsong 2 in April 2009. When the DPRK announced its launch programme, the US and other hostile forces made much fuss about it. Japan, having defined intercepting of Korea’s satellite as its national policy, deployed combat vessels in its attempt to hamper it.

Nevertheless, the Korean leader had the satellite launched as planned. He took steps to severely punish not only the enemy’s intercepting bases but their strongholds if they dared intercept it.

Indeed, Chairman Kim Jong Il was a peerlessly brilliant commander, who always won victory in the confrontation with the US in the latter half of the 20^th century and the early 21^st century by dint of Songun, defeating the successive US presidents and concurrent commanders in chief of the armed forces of the US–Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bush pere, Bill Clinton, Bush fils and Barack Obama.

Kim Jong Il once said that a powerful military strength supported him when he was taking on the US, a self-styled “sole superpower” in the world, with courage and pluck, and that as he had a powerful army and munitions industry he was at ease and did what he wanted to do.

His words still has a lingering effect on the international society.

HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE DPRK

All citizens who have reached the age of 17 have the right to elect and to be elected, irrespective of sex, race, occupation, length of residence, property status, education, party affiliation, political views or religious belief.

Workers accounted for 12.7% of the deputies to the 13^th Supreme People’s Assembly (parliament) of the DPRK elected in March this year, while farmers 11.1% and women 16.3%. These figures intuitively show on how high a level the people’s political rights are displayed.

In the DPRK all the people conduct free political activities affiliated with various political parties including the Workers’ Party, Social Democratic Party and Chondoist Chongu Party and social organizations.

 The country provides legal guarantee to the rights to speech, the press, assembly, demonstration and religious belief. Let us take religious belief as an example. There are many legal religious organizations in the country. Typical religious buildings are Jangchung Cathedral, Pongsu Church, Jongbaek Orthodox Church and Pohyon Temple in Mt. Myohyang.

The country has already solved such social problems as exploitation and oppression of man by man and the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Provided with every condition necessary for living by the state and society, all people lead an equal and stable life.

From their childhood they take it for granted that they lead a stable life at the expense of the state. In the DPRK every member of society is fully provided with all rights of a social being including the rights to work, rest, free education and free medical care.

The country’s labour law reads in part; Unemployment has disappeared in the DPRK once and for all. In fact, a jobless person is nowhere to be seen in the country. Any person able to work has the right to select a job in accordance with his hope and aptitude and the state provides all the people with stable jobs. Honoured disabled ex-soldiers and weak and disabled persons are also provided with corresponding jobs.

The country enforces a free universal 12-year compulsory education system, which is considered to be the highest level of education in the world. There is a school in any place where there are children of school age, be it an out-of-the-way mountainous area and a small lighthouse islet. University and college students study, even receiving stipends.

Every citizen in the DPRK receives medical treatment free of charge on equal terms, be he or she, a government official, an ordinary worker or a farmer and irrespective of sex, age, place of residence, occupation and property status. The country’s free medical care system is a perfect and thoroughgoing one by which all that are necessary for medical treatment are offered free of charge. Under the free medical care system a daughter of a road maintenance worker was cured of her paraplegia free of charge and a chartered plane carried an ordinary worker’s wife pregnant with triplets to the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital. Such phenomena, which are difficult to find in other part of the world, have become a daily occurrence in the DPRK.

Regarding the construction of dwelling houses as an important undertaking to provide the people with conditions for a cultural and stable life, the state pays close attention to it. Of particular note here is that the state builds all the houses at its expense and provides them to the people gratis. Over the recent years ordinary lecturers, researchers and other working people moved to new homes in modern Changjon Street, Unha Scientists Street and apartment blocks for the lecturers of Kim Il Sung University.

The elderly, disabled and children with no one to support them are taken care of at the expense of the state.

In the DPRK women have equal social positions and rights with men and enjoy special social benefits. Through various policies like granting maternity leave, shortening working hours of mothers with several children and building more maternity houses, nurseries and kindergartens, the state takes special care of mothers and children. Prolific mothers are awarded the title of Mother Hero.

Marriage and the family are protected by the law. Citizens are guaranteed inviolability of the person and the home, privacy of correspondence and all other human rights.

That human rights are excellently ensured in the DPRK is because the country is guided by the Juche idea.

The Juche idea, a man-centred world outlook, holds up man as the most powerful and precious being in the world and demands that everything serves the people. It is quite natural that human rights should be ensured on the highest level in a country which is guided by such an idea.

It is not fortuitous that a US evangelist Billy Graham said after he visited the DPRK; I did not think it necessary to evangelize the country. Both Old and New Testaments are permeated with the God’s love for man. However, the country pursued philanthropy running through the Testaments as state policies. Then why did I need the Testaments in such a country?     

Kim Jong Un Guides Tactical Rocket Test-fire

Pyongyang, August 15 (KCNA) -- On the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the liberation of Korea, the DPRK test-fired an ultra-precision high-performance tactical rocket of Korean style which was developed on the initiative of supreme leader Kim Jong Un and under his guidance.

Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, guided the test-fire.

He learned about the engineering data of the tactical rocket on the observation post and issued an order to test-fire it.

The test-fire proved and confirmed that the maneuverability of the tactical rocket in different trajectories fully meets the requirements of latest military science and technology.

He expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the test-fire was successfully carried out as intended by the Central Committee of the WPK. He highly appreciated the feats of officials, scientists and technicians in the field of national defense science and munitions factories.

He expressed expectation and belief that they would propose more advanced national defense science and technology tasks on the basis of the successes already achieved and positively contribute to qualitatively bolstering up the revolutionary armed forces of the country.

He was accompanied by Hwang Pyong So, Ri Yong Gil, Pyon In Son, Pak Jong Chon and Hong Yong Chil.

KIM JONG UN VISITS KALMA FOODSTUFF FACTORY

Pyongyang, August 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, visited the newly commissioned Kalma Foodstuff Factory.

Going round various places of the factory including rooms for combined control, first processing, freezing vacuum, selection and packing, he acquainted himself in detail with production and business activities.

Recalling that he underlined the need to make good preparations for starting its operation such as establishing an integrated production system with the help of computers and realizing the modernization of production processes, he noted with great satisfaction that the factory successfully carried out the task given by the party.

He said that the factory put its business activities on an IT basis and computerized them on a high level, streamlined all production processes from fish processing to carrying and packing and was keeping the production site neat and clean.

Underlining the need for the Kalma Foodstuff Factory to keep its production going at a high rate, he gave precious instructions to do so.

He specified tasks and ways to scrupulously manage and operate the factory including the issues of properly establishing a raw materials supply system, fully ensuring quality of products and sanitation and safety, developing and producing unchallenged foodstuff that can represent the Kalma Foodstuff Factory in taste and quality and improving packing.

Going round scientific and technological knowledge dissemination room, meeting room and the lounge of the hostel of the factory, he was pleased that its employees can acquire a lot of advanced technology and have been provided with good living conditions.

He noted with great pleasure that the work to finish the project of the factory was done so successfully that it was hard to recognize its appearance when he was visiting it last time. He added: "Its interior looks like a palace while its exterior looks like a park. The longer one watches the factory, the cozier and more attractive it looks. It is a rest home-like and fashionable factory."

Expressing expectation and belief that the employees of the factory would successfully carry out their duty, he had a photo session with them.

He was accompanied by Han Kwang Sang, department director of the C.C., the WPK.

KIM JONG UN PUBLISHES TALK ON DAY OF SONGUN

    Pyongyang August 25, 2013(KCNA) -- Supreme leader Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, published a talk "Let Us Add Eternal Brilliance to Comrade Kim Jong Il's Great Idea and Achievements of the Songun Revolution" to the WPK's Organ Rodong Sinmun and the KPA's Organ Joson Inmingun on Sunday, the Day of Songun.

The following is its full text: With deep respect for the great Comrade Kim Jong Il and firm confidence in the victory of the revolution, our service personnel and people greet the 53rd anniversary of the start of his leadership of the Songun revolution.
    The Day of Songun, when General Kim Jong Il started his leadership of the Songun revolution, is, together with the day of the founding of the KPA (Korean People's Army), a historic day when an important milestone was set up for the history of building up our revolutionary armed forces and the history of our country. As there was this significant day, a historic turn could be brought about in developing our revolutionary armed forces and implementing the cause of the Juche revolution, and the history and traditions of our sacred Songun revolution that had been pioneered and developed by force of arms, achieving victory, could be carried forward continuously.

Songun is a proud tradition of the Korean revolution which was pioneered by Comrade Kim Il Sung and led by him and Comrade Kim Jong Il and the banner of victory and glory.

The great Generalissimos blazed the trail of the Songun revolution for the first time in history, thus creating a new history of Songun and ushering in the era of Songun.
    Having clarified in his early days the truth of the revolutionary struggle that one can emerge victorious against an armed enemy only when one fights him with arms and advanced the idea and line of attaching importance to arms, to military affairs, the great Comrade Kim Il Sung regarded building armed forces as a fundamental problem in the revolution, directed primary efforts to organizing and developing the armed ranks and achieved the historic cause of national liberation with the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army as the main force.
    By relying on the arms of the revolution, he wisely led two revolutionary wars, two stages of social revolution and socialist construction, and thus built on this land socialism of our style centred on the masses of the people and demonstrated the dignity and honour of the country.

Comrade Kim Jong Il, who was faithful to Comrade Kim Il Sung's ideas and cause, led our revolution along the glorious road of victory, braving the severe trials and adversities of history by dint of his unique leadership of the Songun revolution.
    His visit to Seoul Ryu Kyong Su Guards 105th Tank Division of the KPA on August 25, 1960 was a historic event that proclaimed his succession of the cause of the Songun revolution and the start of his Songun-based leadership.
    Songun was the General's revolutionary idea, his practice in the revolution, his political ideal and his political mode.

During the long period spanning more than half a century from the day when he started his leadership of the Songun revolution, the great General visited one KPA unit after another, strengthening the army to be an invincible revolutionary army, and victoriously led the revolution and construction by force of Songun.
    Regarding the strengthening of the KPA as the most important of affairs in the Songun revolution, he raised the KPA as the buttress, the main force, of our revolution and achieved the historic victory in the grim anti-imperialist, anti-US showdown in defence of the country's security and socialism by training the KPA to be the army of the leader boundlessly faithful to the cause of the WPK (Workers' Party of Korea), to be an invincible revolutionary army. He defined the spirit of defending the leader unto death, the spirit of implementing his instructions at any cost and the self-sacrificing spirit displayed by the service personnel as a revolutionary spirit symbolic and representative of the Songun era, as the revolutionary soldier spirit, and led all the service personnel and people to live and struggle in that spirit, thus ensuring that a great turn and changes were brought about in all sectors of the revolution and construction.

In order to consolidate the successes of his Songun-based leadership and administer Songun politics in a comprehensive way, he saw to it that the First Session of the Tenth Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea adopted the Socialist Constitution that embodies the idea and principles of the Songun revolution and established a new state administration structure, whose backbone is the National Defence Commission, and led all state affairs to be conducted on the principle of giving precedence to military affairs.
    The history of his leadership of the Songun revolution is an unprecedented history of thoroughgoing anti-imperialist independence, a history of infinite patriotic devotion; it is also a history of ennobling trust and affection, filled with absolute trust in and maternal affection for the service personnel and people.
    As there was the General's leadership of the Songun revolution, our revolution could win victory after victory surmounting all manner of vicissitudes of history; as there was the General's super-intense forced march of patriotic devotion, our service personnel and people could work historic miracles unknown to mankind.
    Songun was, indeed, our General's immutable revolutionary creed, which he cherished and applied all his life, and a great revolutionary practice, during which he adorned the history of the country with brilliant victories and imperishable achievements.
    In the course of leading the unprecedented Songun revolution, the General formulated and developed the idea of the Songun revolution, and thus created a guiding principle and ever-victorious banner our people and the revolutionary peoples of the world should adhere to in accomplishing the cause of independence.
    The idea of the Songun revolution is an idea of giving importance and precedence to military affairs in implementing the masses' cause of independence, the socialist cause, and pushing ahead with the overall revolution and construction with the revolutionary army as the core force.

With its starting point being the Juche-based revolutionary principle that the victory of the revolutionary cause is decided by arms of the revolution, the idea gives scientific and practical answers to the key questions arising in winning victory in the revolution.

It clarifies the revolutionary theory on building up the arms of the revolution, the revolutionary army, strengthening the driving force of the revolution with the revolutionary army as the core and, by relying on it, advancing the revolution and construction victoriously.

Its most important requirement is that the army should be developed into the army of the Party and the leader, into an invincible revolutionary army capable of defeating any formidable enemy, with importance being attached to military affairs and primary efforts directed to building up the army.

In order for the masses to carve out their destiny and accomplish the cause of socialism amid sharp confrontation with the imperialists and constant danger of war, they must, before anything else, firmly hold up and strengthen the arms of the revolution. It is a serious lesson taught by the history of the world socialist movement that when the arms of the revolution are weak or waver, they can defend neither the destiny of the masses nor socialism. That one must consolidate the driving force of the revolution with the revolutionary army as the main force and propel the revolutionary struggle and construction work by relying on its leading role is a new revolutionary theory elucidated by the Songun idea.

    The revolution is a do-or-die struggle of deciding who prevails over whom between the revolutionary forces and the counterrevolutionary forces, so the destiny of the revolution depends on how the driving force of the revolution is strengthened and how its role is enhanced. Among the social groups that form the revolutionary forces in a socialist society, whose masters are the masses, the group that is the strongest in the revolutionary sense, organized aspect, discipline and fighting capabilities is the revolutionary army under the guidance of the leader. The revolutionary army, for its revolutionary idea, great spiritual strength and revolutionary temperament, is capable of leading the overall society and propelling the revolutionary struggle and construction work. If the revolutionary army stands in the van and the entire people struggle with the revolutionary spirit and temperament of the army by forming an integrated whole with the service personnel, their power is incomparably great.

By the idea of the Songun revolution, a new road, a road to victory, was opened for successfully advancing the masses' cause of independence, the socialist cause, by consolidating the driving force of the revolution and enhancing its role.
    The General's idea of the Songun revolution throws a fresh light on the political theory that Songun politics is the most powerful mode of politics and the basic mode of socialist politics.

    Ideas and ideals are translated into practice by politics, which is a factor that decides the destiny of the masses and the rise and fall of a country and nation.
    The great General elucidated for the first time in history that socialist politics for fully realizing the independent demands and interests of the masses should be Songun politics that gives importance and precedence to military affairs, and formulated Songun politics as the basic mode of socialist politics.
    As he said, Songun politics is a mode of socialist politics that raises military affairs as the most important of all state affairs and defends the country, revolution and socialism and accelerates the overall socialist construction with the KPA as the core, as the main force. It is a mode of independent politics that fully embodies the fundamentals and principles of the Songun idea.

    Formulation of Songun politics as the basic mode of socialist politics has brought about a fundamental change in the history of mankind's politics and the history of socialist politics and presented a treasured sword with which to successfully realize the ideals and principles of socialism.

    The General's Songun idea is a revolutionary idea and theory which embodies a thoroughgoing anti-imperialist, independent stand and the spirit of ennobling love of the country, nation and people and which is based on an iron faith and willpower.
    Songun, a new term in our era, was coined reflecting the unshakeable faith, willpower and great pluck of Comrade Kim Jong Il who, taking full responsibility for the destiny and future of the country and people amid long-drawn-out, sharp confrontation with an imperialist power, solved all problems in our own way and in conformity with the demands and interests of our people and nation. As we have the idea of the Songun revolution, a great idea of Comrade Kim Jong Il, we have been able to defend the dignity of the country, independence of the people and gains of socialism with credit and open the way for the prosperity of the country and rosy future of the nation by our own strength, that is, by force of arms.
    As an idea enriched and developed in the course of the practical struggle to apply the Juche idea, the Songun idea is a scientific revolutionary theory which makes it possible to satisfy the requirements of the Juche idea in a perfect and comprehensive way.

    The formulation and development of the idea and theory of the Songun revolution by the great Comrade Kim Jong Il further enriched the ideological and theoretical treasure-house of our revolution and greatly increased the appeal and vitality of the Juche idea. The Juche idea is the roots of the Songun idea and the latter is a brilliant embodiment of the former.

    Thanks to the Songun idea, the Juche idea could be splendidly applied to the revolutionary practice, shining more brightly as a great guiding ideology which guarantees the victorious advance and accomplishment of the masses' cause of independence. The General performed undying exploits for the country and revolution, for the times and history with his outstanding leadership of the Songun revolution.
    He safeguarded with honour the Juche-oriented socialism, which Comrade Kim Il Sung established, and assured the solid continuity of the revolutionary cause of Juche, the revolutionary cause of Songun, by dint of his leadership of the Songun revolution.
    The Juche-oriented socialism is a precious gain of our revolution Comrade Kim Il Sung achieved devoting his life, and it is our people's lifeblood and the cradle of their true life and happiness. The 90s of the last century, when the reckless anti-DPRK moves of the allied forces of the US and other imperialists to check the victorious advance of our revolution and stamp out our socialism went to extremes, was a period of the severest ordeals for our revolution. When our army and people were at the crossroads whether they would remain an independent people and guards to become victors or be reduced to the imperialists' colonial slaves again, Comrade Kim Jong Il determinedly held up the banner of Songun, and defended the Juche-oriented socialism with honour and achieved brilliant victories. This was a miracle of history which only our General could bring about.
By dint of his leadership of the Songun revolution he laid a firm foundation for the prosperity of the country and the accomplishment of the revolutionary cause of Juche and provided a sure guarantee for victory.

    The most important guarantee for victory in the revolution is to strengthen the party, the General Staff of the revolution, and solidify the driving force of the revolution by uniting the service personnel and people around it.
    A fundamental principle which the great General consistently adhered to in the building of our Party was to build it into the party of the leader. He defined imbuing the entire Party with Kimilsungism as the ultimate objective of its building and wisely led the effort for firmly establishing a monolithic ideological system and a monolithic leadership system across the Party. As a result, our Party could be developed into a revolutionary party which is unfailingly faithful to the ideology and guidance of its leader and possessed of a strong sense of organization and discipline and into an ever-victorious party with solid mass and military bases, and could discharge its mission and role as the guiding force in implementing the cause of the Songun revolution. The General held up single-hearted unity as the greatest foundation of the revolution and perfectly realized the single-hearted unity of the Party, army and people centred on the leader, thus strengthening the driving force of the Songun revolution remarkably.

    By strengthening the KPA to be an invincible army and consolidating the military capabilities of the country to the maximum with the KPA as the core, he provided a sure military guarantee for the victory of the cause of the Juche revolution.
    Under his energetic guidance, the KPA developed into a vanguard detachment which regards defending the leader unto death as its lifeblood and takes the lead in implementing the orders of its Supreme Commander at all costs, and into a trailblazer in the struggle to accomplish the cause of the Songun revolution. A forceful drive was waged to make the defence industry Juche-oriented, modern and informatized, enabling us to produce any sophisticated military equipment as we wish by relying on our own effort and technology. Thanks to the General's outstanding leadership of the Songun revolution, the KPA could be developed into an invincible revolutionary army, ours could become a country which can make and launch artificial satellites and a nuclear state, fully demonstrating its dignity as the powerful Paektusan nation, and we could reliably defend the dignity of the country and the sovereignty of the nation, frustrating the imperialist moves of aggression and challenges at every step.

    The great General laid firm material and technological foundations for the building of a thriving socialist country.

    Under his leadership a grand plan for building a prosperous country was unfolded during the days of the Arduous March and forced march, when our revolution was undergoing grim trials, and a hot wind of creating fresh miracles and innovations swept across the country. Fierce flames of the industrial revolution in the new century flared up ushering in the era of the knowledge economy, monumental structures symbolic of the era were built in all parts of the country and model works representative of Songun culture were created in large numbers. What our service personnel and people created in the Songun era under his guidance constitutes a valuable asset for the prosperity of Kim Il Sung's nation and Kim Jong Il's Korea.

    The great General effected a fresh turn in the struggle for the independent reunification of the country and firmly defended global peace and security on the strength of his leadership of the Songun revolution. He ushered in the June 15 era of reunification by our nation itself, provided a precious asset for the reunification of the country and the common prosperity of the nation and safeguarded peace in Asia and the rest of the world by smashing the imperialists' uninterrupted schemes to unleash a war.

    The great exploits Comrade Kim Jong Il performed for the country and revolution, for the times and history for more than half a century by dint of his tireless leadership of the Songun revolution will shine for ever along with the triumphant advance of our revolutionary cause.

    We should faithfully carry forward his great idea and achievements of the Songun revolution and add eternal brilliance to them.

    The idea of the Songun revolution is a great guideline of our revolution and his Songun-based leadership exploits are a motive force for victory.
    It is the unshakeable faith and unbreakable will of our Party, army and people to carry forward and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche, invariably holding aloft the banner of Songun.

    We should follow to the end the road of Songun, the road of independence and the road of socialism that the great General traversed throughout his life, translate his instructions into brilliant realities and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche, the revolutionary cause of Songun, with credit.

    All officials, Party members and other working people should firmly arm themselves with the General's idea of the Songun revolution, deeply study his great Songun leadership achievements and thoroughly apply and add lustre to them in the revolutionary struggle and construction work.

    The line of giving importance to arms, to military affairs, should be implemented to the letter for the strengthening of the defence capabilities of the country to be steel-strong.

    The KPA should be prepared more firmly into an army strong in ideology and faith, a powerful Paektusan revolutionary army.

    Leadership of the Party is the lifeline of the KPA, and its might is inconceivable separated from the leadership of the Party. The general direction ahead of the KPA is one, that is, to advance straight forward with guns levelled in the very direction our Party indicates. Our arms must serve as an ever-lasting cornerstone that ensures a sure guarantee for the Party and its cause.

    The officers and men of the KPA should burn their hearts with a single idea, a single determination, to support only the Party and the leader and safeguard them unto death, whatever ordeals may crop up and however the situation may change. They should equip themselves firmly with the revolutionary ideas of our Party and cherish a steadfast faith that they will defend to the end the red flag of the revolution, the Juche flag of the Party, at the cost of their lives.

    They should make their training more intensive, as the anti-Japanese guerrillas did on Mt. Paektu, so as to prepare themselves into a-match-for-a-hundred combatants possessed of Kim Il Sung's and Kim Jong Il's military strategy and tactics, heroic combat spirit and actual war capability, establish rigid discipline in their units and assume the perfect appearance of a regular army.
    Military posts and barracks should be laid out as if they were the service personnel's native houses, and satisfactory material and cultural living conditions provided so that they can lead a good service life.

    While discharging their basic duty of defending the country, the service personnel should make breakthroughs in several sectors and major projects of socialist construction, and never feel contented in doing things for the people but always take the lead in this regard.

    A great effort should be channeled into developing the defence industry. The sector of the defence industry should concentrate its efforts on making a bigger stride in building our country into an invincible military power, and thus produce more and better-quality military hardware of our own style that are precise, light, unmanned and intelligent.

    The Worker-Peasant Red Guards should enhance their combat capabilities through intensive combat and political training and reliably defend their respective provinces, counties and villages in time of emergency.

    All the sectors of socialist construction should bring about a great leap forward and great innovation. We should radically improve the people's standard of living by giving a spur to the building of an economic giant, holding aloft our Party's line of simultaneously promoting the two fronts (economic development and the up building of nuclear forces).

    We should make innovations in the sectors of agriculture and light industry, major thrust areas in building an economic giant, and promote construction of dwelling houses, so as to ensure that the people lead an affluent and happy life.
    We should concentrate our efforts on the priority sectors of the national economy, the basic industry sectors, to ensure that the existing self-supporting foundations pay off, and vigorously push ahead with the effort for modernizing them and normalizing their production. We should direct a strenuous effort to the electric-power and coal-mining industries in particular, and develop all sectors of the national economy with metallurgical and chemical industries as twin pillars.
    By rapidly developing science and technology and educating all the people to be well versed in science and technology, we should raise the level of putting the national economy on a modern and CNC basis and perfect the economic structure of the country in keeping with the requirements of the era of the knowledge economy.
    We should accelerate the construction of a cultured socialist nation. It is important to make all the members of society become artists and enjoyers of socialist culture and bring about a fresh turn in all the sectors of cultural construction. By doing so, we should translate into reality the people's desire for a wholesome and cultured way of life.

    In order to bring about a decisive turn in the construction of a thriving socialist country, the militant functions and role of Party organizations should be further heightened.
    Party organizations are the vanguard organizations of the Songun revolution, and the Party's ideology and leadership are implemented through them. They should regard it as the main line of Party work to establish the monolithic leadership system of the Party, and ensure that all officials, Party members and other working people support the leader's ideas and leadership with loyalty and conduct all types of work in line with the Party's ideas and intentions.
    In the current general offensive, Party organizations should give fullest play to the spiritual strength of officials, Party members and other working people. The mother of miracle is the spiritual strength of the masses, and the key to ushering in a new heyday in the building of a thriving nation is to motivate their hearts.
    Party organizations should scrupulously educate officials, Party members and other working people to learn the greatness of the General's idea and achievements of the Songun revolution and exalt their brilliance. They should intensify the frontline-style political work among the masses so that officials, Party members and other working people make it an element of their living to learn from the spirit of the service personnel of defending the leader and carrying out his instructions unto death and their fighting spirit, and make strenuous efforts to create the Masikryong speed by displaying Kim Jong Il's patriotism.

    The service personnel and people should propel the grand socialist construction on the strength of joint operation.

    Joint operation between them is a powerful struggling mode of the service personnel and people in waging an unyielding offensive with one mind and purpose. The commanding personnel of the KPA and leading civilian officials should scrupulously organize and command the joint operations and enlist their spiritual strength and all means to perform unfailingly and in time the revolutionary tasks assigned to their respective units.

    True to the instructions and lofty will of the great Generalissimos, we should make proactive efforts to open a new phase of national reunification, prevent aggression and war and defend global peace and security.

The idea and cause of our Songun revolution are invincible.As the great Juche idea and the Songun revolutionary idea illuminate the road ahead of us and there are the wise leadership of the Party, the single-hearted unity of all the service personnel and people and the invincible KPA, the victory of the revolutionary cause of Juche and the revolutionary cause of Songun is definite.
    As in the past, so in the future, we will achieve only victory for ever, upholding the great banner of Songun.

KIM JONG UN SENDS WREATH TO BEREAVED FAMILY MEMBERS

OF KIM DAE JUNG

Kaesong, August 17 (KCNA) -- A wreath sent by Kim Jong Un, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of demise of former President Kim Dae Jung was conveyed to his bereaved family members on Sunday.

The wreath was courteously conveyed by Kim Yang Gon, secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, to Kim Hong Op, son of Kim Dae Jung.

The ribbon of the wreath bore letters "In memory of late former President Kim Dae Jung" and "Kim Jong Un".

Kim Yang Gon courteously conveyed the words of profound sorrow sent by Kim Jong Un to the bereaved family members on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of demise of Kim Dae Jung.

Noting that Kim Dae Jung performed great feats on the road of national reunification, Kim Jong Un said the feats were more deeply cherished by people.

The relations between the peerless great men and Kim Dae Jung are the noblest and sincerest ones established on the road of working for the country, nation and reunification, Kim Jong Un said, hoping that the bereaved family members and those concerned of the Kim Dae Jung Peace Center would remain true to the intention of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il and the intention of Kim Dae Jung.

Being excited with the message of condolence, wreath and kind words personally sent by Kim Jong Un, Kim Hong Op and those concerned of the Kim Dae Jung Peace Center extended to him the warmest thanks reflecting the warm feelings of the bereaved family members and those concerned of the center.

Present there were Rim Tong Won, former minister of Unification, Pak Ji Won, lawmaker from the Democratic Alliance for New Politics, and those concerned of the center. They arrived in Kaesong by crossing the Military Demarcation Line that day.

US AND S. KOREAN WARMONGERS WILL HAVE TO PAY HIGH PRICE FOR THEIR RECKLESS WAR DRILLS

A spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army on August 17 issued a statement denouncing the United States and the south Korean puppet forces for setting about the Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises again.

The statement said:

The UFG is dangerous nuclear war drills aimed to mount a surprise preemptive strike at the DPRK under the deceptive signboard of “tailored deterrence” and adventurous ones to be staged under the simulated conditions of an actual war designed to ignite a “local and total war” any time under the pretext of non-existent “provocation” of someone.

The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army clarified the principled retaliatory stand of the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK to cope with the war maniacs’ reckless war moves against it, the statement said, and went on:

Now that the US imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces declared a war against the DPRK by announcing their plan to apply the “tailored deterrence strategy” to an actual war, we re-clarify that the Korean-style most powerful and advanced merciless preemptive strike will start any time chosen by us.

If we strike the US imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces, they should be hit hard without any excuse and if we are determined, large and small bases for aggression will be reduced to a sea in flames and ashes.

The projected war manoeuvres for aggression made the US imperialists’ scenario for their permanent presence in south Korea clear and brought the puppet authorities’ sycophancy towards the US and acts of treachery into bolder relief.

Under this situation, we unhesitatingly make public that our revolutionary armed forces will launch successive powerful physical offensives to resolutely terminate all this.

What we cannot overlook any longer is the US imperialists’ invariable attempt at their permanent presence in south Korea and the heinous acts of treachery of the puppet forces, modern-day five traitors of 1905.

Now that they more openly revealed their attempt never to give up their sinister ambition for “bringing down the social system in the north and occupying it” and “achieving unification through absorption” by putting the war manoeuvres “on a regular and annual basis”, our revolutionary armed forces will intensify their military counteraction for foiling them on a regular and annual basis.

Absolutely unpardonable are all crimes adding to the pent-up grudges of all Koreans under the pretext of “regular and annual drills.”

The US imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces will have to pay a dear price for their acts of going against the nation, reunification and peace as they reacted to all the peace initiatives and proposals made by the DPRK with good faith and magnanimity with extremely dangerous war manoeuvres.

They bitterly regretted that they fought a wrong war with a wrong rival and in the wrong time and place. They should never regard this as what happened in the Korean war.

They should bear in mind that our revolutionary armed forces are sure to emerge an eternal victor and the enemies are fated to meet a miserable doom.

DPRK FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN BLASTS U.S., S. KOREAN PUPPET FORCES' UFG

Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday assailing the U.S. and the south Korean puppet forces for kicking off Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises against the DPRK.

The statement said:

The U.S. is becoming all the more undisguised in its criminal moves to disturb peace and ignite a nuclear war through a vicious cycle of tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the region.

The U.S. kicked off together with the south Korean puppet forces the Ulji Freedom Guardian against the DPRK despite its repeated warnings and serious concern of the international community.

The U.S. is staging ceaseless ever-larger scale joint military exercises on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity several times in a year. They are grave military provocations against the DPRK and unpardonable criminal acts of disturbing peace and security.

In order to prevent world public from focusing its criticism on the aggressive nature and danger of the joint military exercises, the U.S. is letting loose such sophism as describing them as "annual" and "defensive" ones. They are, at the same time, terming countermeasures of the DPRK "threat" and "provocation" like a thief crying "Stop the thief!"

When the DPRK's principled stand and efforts to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula and create a peaceful environment drew support and sympathy from those countries in the region at the recent ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum held in Myanmar, U.S. Secretary of State Kerry at the talks between the diplomatic and defense chiefs of the U.S. and Australia held two days later impudently blustered that the just self-defensive steps of the DPRK are "wrecking stability in the whole region" and sparking off "serious concern".

On Friday a deputy spokesperson of the U.S. State Department and a spokesperson of the U.S. Defense Department vied with each other to make such belligerent remarks that it would continue joint military exercises while terming the tactical rocket test-fire of the DPRK a "threat".

Despicable, indeed, is the attitude of the U.S. authorities resorting to foolish deceptive artifice and intrigues to justify their acts to perpetrate aggression and disturb peace.

It is an inveterate method of aggression of the U.S. to ignite a war while making profound confusing of right and wrong.

The U.S. has staged a total of more than 18 000 war maneuvers of various forms for aggression in south Korea for more than six decades since the 1950s, but it claims they have never posed any threat to the north. But it contends that even a single test-fire and drill of tactical guided-missiles for self-defence conducted by the Korean People's Army to cope with them should be called into question. This is the American-style standard and brigandish logic.

Joint military exercises staged in south Korea after the U.S. announced its new defense strategy are assuming more aggressive nature and their scale and frequency are steadily increasing, ranging from the largest-ever joint landing drill aimed to "occupy Pyongyang" to a drill for "breaking through the Military Demarcation Line" all of a sudden, a drill for "restoring administrative units after occupying the north" and a special operation drill for destroying the headquarters of the DPRK.

The U.S. announced that it would apply for the first time during the exercises "tailored deterrence strategy" which calls for mounting a preemptive strike by mobilizing all forms of armed forces including nuclear weapons if a sign of "the use of nuclear weapons and missiles" of someone is detected. This is another undisguised nuclear threat and blackmail.

The danger of the tensions on the Korean peninsula at present, together with the U.S. threat to mount a preemptive nuclear strike being rapidly put into practice, lies in that it is disturbing global peace and security going beyond the regional scale.

The joint military exercises being staged under the pretext of the "threat" from the DPRK are strictly pursuant to the U.S. strategy for world domination to bring down the social system in the DPRK and eye the Asian continent with the Korean peninsula as a bridgehead. This is a stark reality which no one can deny.

The U.S. armed buildup in Northeast Asia including the Korean peninsula and the world's largest war maneuvers will spark off a new arms race and Cold War.

The threat of one party is bound to trigger off retaliation from the other party and a war is bound to break out in this course. This is a lesson taught by history.

If one is weak though one is very honest-minded and just, one is bound to fall victim to the strong and a genuine peace is protected only when one is strong. This is the immutable logic reflected in the DPRK's line of simultaneously developing the two fronts.

If the international community wants peace and stability in the region and the rest of the world, it should recognize the validity and inevitability of the self-defensive steps of the DPRK to protect the security of the country and nation, and take issue with the U.S. and the south Korean puppet forces' provocative nuclear war drills and hold them in check.

As long as the nuclear war maneuvers go on to stifle the DPRK by force, it will put its self-defensive counteraction on an annual and regular basis and take steps at a higher stage in the future which no one can predict.

DPRK FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ASSAILS U.S. STATE SECRETARY'S ANTI-DPRK RECKLESS REMARKS

Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry on Monday gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA blasting the U.S. secretary of State for openly revealing its attempt to stifle the DPRK under the pretext of "human rights issue":

U.S. Secretary of State Kerry let loose a spate of invectives against the DPRK over its "human rights issue" in a speech on the U.S. "Asia policy" held in Hawaii recently.

Unfit for his position, Kerry pulled up the DPRK, telling sheer lies and citing groundless data. This is the most undisguised expression of the U.S. inveterate repugnancy and hostile policy toward the DPRK.

He vociferated about the "human rights issue" of the DPRK before the kick-off of the Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises together with the south Korean puppet forces, now being censured worldwide. Lurking behind this is a sinister political aim to tarnish the DPRK's image at any cost and stir up the international understanding that its social system is the object to be removed by force of arms in a bid to justify the U.S. and south Korean war mongers’ military threat.

In recent years the U.S. has become noisy in its anti-DPRK "human rights" racket not because of any sincere interest in improving "human rights" but in pursuance of its design to bring down the social system of the DPRK under the pretext of "human rights issue".

As it has become clear that the U.S. cannot bring down the DPRK with such lever of pressure as the nuclear issue, the former pursues a strategic aim to isolate and stifle the DPRK by using such lever of pressure as "human rights issue".

In the DPRK the popular masses enjoy genuine rights as true masters of the country and human rights are strictly guaranteed by the state law.

We are ready to cooperate with other countries to further promote the human rights of the popular masses.

But we can never tolerate any attempt to abuse the human rights issue for a pressure means to bring down our social system.

We will shatter the U.S. anti-DPRK "human rights" racket with our principle and counteraction of our style in the future as we have successfully foiled every U.S. move to isolate and stifle the DPRK under the pretext of the nuclear issue.

KIM JONG UN GIVES FIELD GUIDANCE TO CONSTRUCTION SITE OF YONPHUNG REST HOME FOR SCIENTISTS

Pyongyang, August 18 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), gave field guidance to the construction site of the Yonphung Rest Home for Scientists again.

Enjoying with satisfaction the panoramic view of the construction site, he said he felt as if he were seeing the completed rest home which looks like a picture as saying "Well begun is half done" goes. He praised the soldier-builders of KPA Unit 267 for being distinguished in their work as they consider it a rule to unconditionally carry out what the party determines to do.

Going round the general service center, rest home buildings and other places, he learned in detail about the construction.

He was pleased that they are not only building structures in new style to meet the desire, requirements, emotion and taste of the Korean people as required by the design ratified by the party but also constructing the rest home buildings and various service facilities like a de luxe hotel to the best convenience of scientists and outdoor and indoor wading pools and multi-purpose outdoor playing ground on the highest level.

"What pleased me in particular in the construction project was that they are building the interior and exterior of the rest home in a peculiar style, avoiding repetition", he said, adding: "It is peculiar that the two separate buildings of the rest home have been linked by a corridor access and the roofing materials, the color of the wall tiles and the pillars covered with stones look nice."

When the construction of Yonphung Rest Home for Scientists, Wisong Scientists Street and Apartment Houses for Educators of Kim Chaek University of Technology are completed on the occasion of the founding anniversary of the WPK (October 10), the party's policy of attaching importance to science and talents will be fully demonstrated before the whole world, he noted.

He set forth tasks to complete the project at the best level such as satisfactorily providing the rest home with varieties of equipment, fixtures and apparatuses, introducing a geothermal cooling and heating system, planting turf and garden flowers and successfully arranging the environment of the rest home and the embankment on the shore of Lake Yonphung.

Noting that October 10 is near at hand, he told officials once again to finish the construction of the rest home as scheduled by pushing ahead with the project in a three-dimensional and finish-one-by-one method and thus provide it to scientists.

He was accompanied by Hwang Pyong So, Ma Won Chun and Kim Jong Gwan.