The principle of independence is a fundamental principle that our Party has consistently maintained in the revolution and construction

Juche idea has clarified that all the countries and nations aspiring to independence and justice should hold fast to the principle of independence, from the scientific elucidation that independence is life and soul to the country and nation.

Our Party has steadfastly embodied the principle of independence in the revolutionary struggle and construction.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said as follows.

"Independence is the lifeblood and prestige of every country and nation and maintaining independence is the fundamental principle our Party has consistently adhered to in the revolution and construction."

The principle of independence is a fundamental principle that our Party has consistently maintained in the revolution and construction.

The reason why it is fundamental is because, firstly, it helps to safeguard and glorify sovereignty and dignity of the nation.

Each country and nation has right to shape their own destiny on their own as the master as they wish.

Sovereignty is an inalienable right for each country and nation, and nobody is allowed to trample on or violate it. No country or nation would allow themselves to be subordinated or their dignity to be trampled on by others.

There are big and small countries, economically developed and underdeveloped nations in the world, but each country and nation is equal, so no country or nation is allowed to violate sovereignty and dignity of others or will leave their sovereignty and dignity violated.

In order to safeguard sovereignty of the country and dignity of the nation, each nation should hold fast to the principle of independence at any cost.

If not, that nation can't enjoy independence and freedom, happiness and prosperity, nor can do whatever they want to do, nor can say what they think, and thus that nation has no other choice but dance to the tune of others. This will inevitably lead to their bowing to the others, deprived of their sovereignty and dignity under the domination and yoke of the imperialists and thus subject to national humiliation and contempt as an enslaved nation.

Only when the principle of independence is firmly maintained, can the economic self-reliance and self-defense in the military be achieved, and can the political independence be fully ensured.

In order to safeguard the independent right and interests of each country and nation, to independently work out their destiny according to their own will and interests, to fairly exercise sovereignty and demonstrate dignity in the international arena, to develop foreign relations on the principle of complete equality and mutual benefits, the principle of independence should be firmly maintained.

The important guarantee for sovereignty and dignity of a nation actually lies in maintaining the principle of independence.

This issue is of greater importance in our country for its geopolitical location and its distinctive historic development.

The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung treasured independence as life and soul of the country and nation, thoroughly embodied it in his leadership of our revolution, and thus, achieved miraculous victories in two revolutionary wars, successfully built an independent, self-reliant, self-defensive socialist state on this land, fully demonstrating our nation's unlimited power, talents, and indomitable spirit to the world.

During the socialist construction after the war, great-power chauvinists maneuvered viciously to make our country a member state of their military and economic organizations, but the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, with his far-seeing wisdom, rejected it, firmly maintaining the identity of our nation.

Our Party and people, with the firm conviction that they are the masters of their own destiny, didn't accept the invitation, and solved all the problems in an independent way, thus safeguarding the sovereignty and dignity of the nation. We are very proud of this.

Today the imperialists are foolishly making frantic efforts in their scheme to isolate and stifle our Republic through political and military pressure, psychological warfare, economic blockade and sanction, in order to destroy our country-the only bulwark of socialism, the fortress of independence and justice.

In this context, maintaining the principle of independence has been a life-or-death issue for our nation and the Republic.

One's sovereignty and dignity cannot be achieved or safeguarded naturally. It should be achieved and safeguarded only in the course that all members of the nation accomplish national unity and make efforts to solve all the problems related with the nation's destiny on the principle of national independence, starting from individual's common feeling of love for the country and nation.

The principle of independence is the most rightful one that will enable each nation to safeguard their sovereignty and dignity and to accomplish their prosperity under any complicated international situation, not reading others' face and not dancing to the tunes of others.

If this principle is given up or any concession is made in the current world where the imperialists' high-handedness and arbitrariness prevail, it will surely lead to a disaster that will ruin the destiny of the country and nation.

The principle of independence will help to safeguard the sovereignty and dignity of the country and nation, and help to defend basic interests of the nation.

The reason why the principle of independence is the fundamental principle that is constantly maintained by our Party in the revolution and construction is, secondly, because it will help to advance our revolution victoriously without any deviation.

The principle of independence in accomplishing the cause of independence and the cause of socialism is a vital one that will ensure the victorious advance of the revolution.

When the principle of independence is firmly maintained in the revolution and construction, we can successfully advance the revolutionary cause along the road of victory in any complicated situations and under any difficulties.

If revolutionaries start to make concessions on this principle from the lack of revolutionary faith and class stand, they cannot safeguard the precious gains of the revolution nor advance the socialist cause victoriously, and will end in the failure. The principle of independence will lead revolution to victory when maintained, but will bring it to failure when abandoned.

The long history of our revolutionary struggle eloquently shows that the principle of independence should be firmed maintained for the revolution to advance along the road of victory.

The Korean revolution has been a serious political, class struggle against imperialism, dominationism, flunkyism, dogmatism and revisionism, and at the same time has been an uncharted complicated, arduous struggle that cannot be carried out by existing formulas and methods. For this reason the issue of maintaining the principle of independence in the revolution of our country has been a matter of greater urgency and importance.

The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung held fast to the principle of independence to firmly consolidate the motive force of our revolution, to smash every step of counterrevolutionary offensive of the imperialists and reactionaries, and to reject the intervention of Right and Left opportunists, thus accomplishing historical victories in two revolutionary wars, two stages of social revolution and socialist construction.

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il regarded this principle as a vital one that is closely related with the destiny of the revolution, and constantly held fast to it.

The great leaders developed the relations with other parties on the principle of independence, and strengthened international solidarity of our revolution, making great contribution to the cause of anti-imperialist independence, the cause of the world independence.

As mentioned above, our revolution could advance along the road of victory, with no vacillation or deviation for such a long period as it held fast to this principle.

Our people have absolute trust in our Party enough to entrust their lives, advancing towards the final victory of the cause of Juche revolution under its leadership.

The principle of independence is the firm guarantee for the victorious advance of the revolution.

We will continuously hold fast to the principle of independence to achieve the final victory of the cause of Juche revolution, demonstrating the dignity and pride of Kim Il Sung's nation, Kim Jong Il's Korea to the world.