Build Socialism in Your own Way

President Kim Il Sung firmly maintained independence in revolution and construction throughout the course of his revolutionary leadership, led Korean revolution to victory and set an example in socialist construction. As a result, the leaders and personages of many countries visited Pyongyang constantly to learn from Juche-oriented socialism and Korean-style socialism.

President Kim Il Sung said:

"Each country should build socialism independently. The actual situation, custom and traditions differ from one country to another, so one should perform socialist construction in one's own fashion. In other words, socialism should be built to suit the aspirations and demands of one's people."

The President persuasively told them that our people always maintained independence in the revolution and construction and that each country should build socialism in its own way.

On June 11, Juche 77 (1988), he met the former Hungarian newly-appointed extraordinary ambassador to the DPR Korea. The President told him about what happened in the Fatherland Liberation War as examples about how we had carried out revolution and construction in our own style from Juche-oriented standpoint.

The President said that during the Fatherland Liberation War, the advisers from the Soviet Union and China were in our country, but in the meeting with our officials, he discussed the matter of whether to follow the advisors from the Soviet Union or the ones from China with them.

The President said that the Soviets eat with Wilka (a knife and fork), the Chinese with chopsticks, but Koreans with a spoon and chopsticks and asked his guest which one was the best. He said that using a spoon and chopsticks is the best for our Korean people as they are used to them while showing his guest with his hand movement. He continued that it was better to use a spoon and chopsticks rather than Wilka because we knew how to use them and that neither Soviet nor Chinese would not be displeased with the fact that we ate food using a spoon or chopsticks. Saying that it is the habit of the Korean people, he said that we should fight in our own way and build socialism in our own way.

The words of the president recollecting the past were plain and popular, but there indeed cherished great truth, which deeply impressed the ambassador and other foreign guests.

On October 27, Juche 77 (1988), President Kim Il Sung met the president of Angola on his state visit to our country and taught them to build a new society in their own way without dancing to the tune of others in a popular style.

They achieved national independence through the arduous struggle of 10 years and embarked on the road of building a new society aspiring socialism but they didn't know how to build a socialism in such situations where they had backward agricultural economy as a result of colonial rule and had to wage a civil war against anti-government armed forces instigated by imperialists. And this was indeed what the president of Angola wanted to know from President Kim Il Sung.

President Kim Il Sung made a clear analysis of the situation in Angola at that time and told him that it was very important to formulate policies in conformity with the actual conditions of his country, adding that there could be various ways to build socialism.

The president of Angola gave a nod of approval with respect and admiration. President Kim Il Sung showed him how to eat food using one hand, saying that a country eats with chopsticks, a country eats with knives and forks, a country eats with its own hands, and that every country should build socialism in its own way.

He was convinced and inspired by President Kim Il Sung who gave clear instructions to build a new society independently in their own way in such a popular style by telling him the example of how they eat food in their ordinary life.

Indeed, President Kim Il Sung was not only the father and great leader of the nation who led the Korean revolution to victory under the banner of independence but also the outstanding leader of the world revolution who clearly indicated the road ahead of the world progressives.

Juche-oriented socialism, Korean-style socialism