Songun – Lifeblood of the DPRK

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has now risen to a high position of a politico-ideological power and military power and is displaying the dignity and honour of Kim Il Sung's nation to the whole world. The geopolitical location of the DPRK is the same as it was. However, the Korean people who were miserably trampled upon are now displaying their dignity as an independent people that nobody dare attack. The dramatic change in the destiny of the Korean nation is, by no means, an accident brought by the times, but the inevitability of history brought by Songun. To the Korean people, Songun is not merely independence and dignity but lifeblood.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said:

"Songun is our independence, dignity and lifeblood."

Songun is the lifeblood of the Korean nation. It means that it is the decisive factor which guarantees the sovereignty of the country and nation and the successful progress and completion of the socialist cause.

What is more important than life to the Korean people is the national sovereignty, and only socialism can provide the independent and creative life to them. Songun is the decisive guarantee for the protection of the sovereignty of the country and the successful progress and completion of socialism which provides te independent and creative life to the people.

First of all, Songun fully guarantees the sovereignty and the right to existence of a country and nation.

The destiny of the masses of the people and the destiny of the nation are inseparably connected. If a girder collapses, so does the rafter. In the same way, if a country and nation perishes, so does the destiny of the individuals in the country. Only when the destiny of the nation is carved out right, can the destiny of individual members of the nation be carved out right.

On the other hand, the question of the destiny of a nation is, in essence, the question of defending the sovereignty and the right to existence of the nation. The distress-torn histories of the nations which had been deprived of their independence by the aggressors and where the people had lived a life under all kinds of humiliation and insult show that if a nation loses its independence and is ruled and controlled by outside forces, the members of the nation will suffer every kind of national humiliation and insult and meet the bitter fate of ruined people. From earlier ages, it is said that a ruined people is more miserable than a dog of a house in mourning. The sovereignty of a nation is inconceivable apart from powerful military capabilities. Without the powerful force of arms, a nation can neither maintain any principled stand in the international arena, nor defend its dignity and the right to existence. This is the plain truth discovered in the history of rise and fall of Korea and other countries of the world.

Not to mention the period of Koguryo which displayed its great influential in the East as a powerful country for almost one thousand years, even in the period of Koryo, the first unified state, the military power of our country was strong and, therefore, maintained the position of an independent nation even when the military forces of the neighboring military powers were prevailing over Asia and Europe. However, the situation changed since the days of Korean Feudal Dynasty. Taking advantage of the incompetence of rulers of the feudal dynasty, who despised military officers and only led a peaceable life without paying any attention to the view for building up 100-thousand army, the Japanese aggressors invaded Korea in 1592. By the end of 19^th century and the beginning of 20^th century, Korea turned into a battlefield of the neighboring countries. The Queen of Korea was dismembered by a gang of Japanese aggressors and the King had to take refuge in the legation of a foreign country. The people only lamented and wailed even when the aggressors fabricated a document of annexation by brigandish means and occupied the whole territory. This was all because Korea did not have powerful arms to defend itself. At the beginning of 20^th century, when Korea was faced with the fate of national ruin, the people hailed for the independence and carried out movements, such as the "compensate-national-bonds" campaign, patriotic cultural movement, the Righteous Volunteers' Army Movement and independence movement. However, they all met with one failure after another due to the weak arms. The Japanese imperialists, who "won the victories" in the wars against China under Ching Dynasty and Russia and occupied Korea as a springboard of aggression in realizing their dream to be a world leading power, had not an iota of intention to grant independence with a good grace to Korea who did not even have a proper army.

It was not just the case of Korea. Many countries in Southeast Asia including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia fell into the colonies of European colonialists and again of the Japanese imperialists during the period between the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. It was entirely attributable to the fact that they did not have powerful armed forces.

Only by Songun which regards the force of arms as a powerful means of defending one's motherland, can the independence of a nation be safeguarded firmly, the dignity exalted highly and people lead a happy life. Songun is indeed a powerful mode of politics which puts an end to the history of national ruin caused by weak military power and ensures national sovereignty.

Secondly, Songun firmly guarantees the successful progress and completion of the cause of socialism.

Socialism is the ideal of mankind and the Korean revolution which had to open up a new path towards socialism was a grim revolution as it should advance amid the acute confrontation and struggle with the imperialism.

The confrontation between socialism and imperialism is a political and ideological confrontation and, at the same time, the confrontation of military power and strength. It can be said that the destiny of socialism is decided by whether it emerges victorious or suffer defeat in the fierce confrontation with imperialism.

The victorious advance of the cause of socialism which is accompanied by the fierce confrontation of power between revolutionary forces and counterrevolutionary forces is made and guaranteed only by the powerful revolutionary armed forces. Without the strength, powerful military force, which is capable of frustrating the aggression and challenges of imperialism, we can neither adhere to the anti-imperialist stand nor win victory in the struggle against the enemies and defend socialism.

Only strong military capabilities can frustrate the anti-socialism maneuvers of the imperialists, defend socialism and provide the masses of people with an independent and creative life.

Socialism is not the invention of somebody. It is an ideal chosen by the masses of people themselves living throughout history. Socialism was born in reflection of aspiration and wish of the masses of people who want to be free from exploitation and oppression, and it is deeply rooted in the heart of the progressive mankind.

The Juche-oriented socialism is the priceless gain of the Korean revolution and the guarantee of genuine life and happiness that President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il provided and glorified throughout their whole life. Under their wise leadership, the Korean people have built up a socialist paradise, in which everyone leads a happy life free from cares and worries, on this land, where centuries-old backwardness and poverty prevailed, with revolutionary passion and creative work crushing the anti-socialism maneuvers of the imperialists and the reactionaries. The Juche-oriented socialism, which is now a life to the Korean people, is still making a successful progress amid the maneuvers of the imperialists and the reactionaries. This is entirely thanks to the powerful revolutionary armed forces provided by Songun.

In the course of the Korean people's struggle for socialism, there were a fierce and life and death confrontation with powerful imperialists and a grand construction of laying eternal foundation for the prosperity of the country. However, it always recorded victory and glory because of the powerful revolutionary armed forces strengthened by Songun.

Songun is a proud tradition and the banner of victory and glory of the Korean revolution pioneered by the great President Kim Il Sung and led by the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung and Comrade Kim Jong Il.

The great leaders have created a new history of Songun and opened up the era of Songun by paving the path of Songun revolution for the first time in the history.

The great President Kim Il Sung considered the building of armed forces as a fundamental issue of the Korean revolution and directed primary efforts to the building, strengthening and developing the revolutionary armed forces. Relying on the revolutionary force of arms, he accomplished the historic cause of national liberation and wisely led two revolutionary wars, two stages of social revolution and the building of socialism, thus building up the people-centered socialism of Korean style on this land.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il carried forward the ideas and lines of giving priority to arms and military affairs and led the Korean revolution with Songun-based revolutionary leadership to a glorious victory braving through the grim difficulties and hardships of history. In particular, in the most fierce and difficult times of our revolution, the great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il strengthened and developed the People's Army into the elite military ranks by dint of the invincible Songun politics and raised the status of the DPRK to the world military power, thus leading the unprecedented struggle to safeguard socialism to victory after victory and creating a miracle of history – gloriously defending and advancing the Juche-oriented socialism.

Today, even under the circumstances where the maneuvers of the imperialists and the reactionaries to suffocate the DPRK are getting worse, the sovereignty of the country is being defended firmly and changes made in the building of a thriving socialist country, a beautiful dream and ideal of the Korean people. This is the brilliant achievement brought by the great Songun.

Songun is not just a tactical measure to overcome the current temporary difficulties. It is an eternal banner of patriotism the DPRK should hold up for all times as long as there remains, on this earth, the imperialism who infringes its sovereignty and considers socialism an eyesore and a great revolutionary line that promotes the successful progress of the socialist cause. Songun was and is now and will always be the eternal lifeline of the DPRK.

The DPRK will regard Songun as its lifeline and take the road of Songun to the very end, no matter how the future international political structures and conditions change, and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche which started and has advanced by force of arms.