For Global Independence

Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), eternal President of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, advanced an idea on making the whole world independent.

In April 1982 he formulated that the independent world means a world where all forms of dominationism and colonialism have been wiped out and the sovereignty of all countries and nations is fully granted. In September 1988 he elucidated that the essence of the struggle for making the world independent is to establish an international relationship based on independence and make the international community democratic.

He also clarified the main target and the driving force in the struggle for global independence. Defining as the main target of the struggle the imperialist and dominationist forces including the US imperialism, he illuminated that all the anti-imperialist forces that advocate independence across the world should firmly unite and fight resolutely against the imperialist reactionary forces.

President Kim Il Sung positively encouraged the people in the colonial countries in their struggle for national liberation.

He met numerous revolutionaries and fighters from many countries of the world, explained the strategies and tactics on the struggle for national liberation in their countries and solved all complicated problems and difficulties.

Agostinho Neto, former president of Angola, said that as he fought with strategies and tactics indicated by President Kim Il Sung he was able to drive out the colonialists and achieve independence of the country. Samora Machel, former president of Mozambique, said that they could win victory as the great hero Comrade Kim Il Sung showed them the road ahead.

President Kim Il Sung rendered selfless material aid and moral support to the newly independent countries in their nation-building.

The developing countries who achieved independence through the national liberation struggle had been groping for the ways to build a new society, but in vain. Taking advantage of this, the imperialists attempted to intervene in the internal affairs of these countries, under the pretext of “aid.” The newly independent countries were liable to be caught again in the trap of the imperialists. Many heads of state who tried to find their way out paid attention to the DPRK that was building socialism successfully under the banner of independence. Leaders of many developing countries including Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Tanzania, Madagascar, Guyana and Malta, visited the DPRK.

President Kim Il Sung informed them of the valuable experiences the DPRK had gained. He added that they should not mechanically imitate those of the DPRK whole, but apply them in conformity with the specific situations of their countries, just as man swallows foods that are sweet, and, if not, spits them out. He saw to it that they saw the successes and experiences the Korean people gained in several sectors with their own eyes.

The greatest achievement he gained for the independence of the world was that he strengthened and developed the non-aligned movement.

The non-aligned movement, which emerged as an independent political force on the stage of history in the 1960s, faced the danger of decline owing to several challenges and difficulties entering the 1970s. At that time some developing countries hesitated or refused to be involved in the movement, watching the faces of big countries and the West. In order to strengthen and develop the movement into a powerful anti-imperialist independent force and enhance its role he paid a visit to former Yugoslavia, one of the founding countries of the non-aligned movement, in June 1975. He ensured that the DPRK joined the movement in August 1975, followed by many countries which supported and admired it. In the latter half of the 1970s the number of the non-aligned countries increased to nearly 100.

Many heads of state of the non-aligned countries requested President Kim Il Sung to take the lead in the non-aligned movement. Josip Broz Tito, president of former Yugoslavia, visited the DPRK in his advanced age of over 80, in August 1977, to express his thanks to President Kim Il Sung who saved the non-aligned movement from danger and said that the President must play the leading role in expanding and developing the movement in the future.

President Kim Il Sung showed his close concern on developing the world’s socialist movement for global independence.

He had long emphasized that world socialist movement should achieve genuine cohesion and development based on independence. He launched energetic activities for the reconstruction and a fresh upsurge of the socialist movement, holding high the banner of independence, in the face of collapse of socialism in former Soviet Union and other east European countries.

The achievements gained by President Kim Il Sung for making the world independent will shine forever.