Songun Politics and the Korean Peninsula

Songun politics is the basic mode of politics of socialist Korea. 

When socialism collapsed one after another in the end of the last century, and, taking advantage of it, anti-socialist offensive of the United States became focused on the Korean peninsula leader Kim Jong Il of the DPRK formulated Songun politics as the basic political mode of socialism. 

Songun politics is exerting its great influence on the situation of the Korean peninsula. Songun politics is the main guarantee for safeguarding peace and security on the Korean peninsula. Nowhere is to be found in the world like the Korean peninsula in which the military confrontation is so acute and the threats of a nuclear war are existing constantly. Typical example is the two rounds of nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula. 

In the 1990s, the United States in its attempt to stifle the DPRK boisterously fussed about the doubt about the latter’s nuclear development, and tried to instigate the International Atomic Energy Agency into inspecting the military objects in Korea which were not related to the nuclear establishments. When this failed, it attempted to force the “special inspection” by relying on its air strike force. 

Entering the new century, the United States preposterously branded socialist Korea as the “outpost of tyranny” and “axis of evil” and uttered their wild words that it would render a nuclear preemptive attack on the DPRK even though the latter has no nuclear weapons. Even threatening the DPRK to be the next target after Iraq the US launched continuously nuclear war rehearsals by mobilizing colossal troops. If the DPRK had hesitated or vacillated in the slightest, the United States would have made no scruple of starting a war on the Korean peninsula. 

Kim Jong Il held higher the banner of Songun to deal with the extreme anti-socialist offensive of the US-led imperialist allied forces. He inspected a unit of the KPA on the first year after the demise of President Kim Il Sung, founding father of socialist Korea, in July 1994, and continued his inspection tours to the army units. During his inspection trips to the army units he ensured that all the service personnel were prepared with the firm ideology to sacrifice their lives without hesitation to defend their motherland and socialism. He also led the army to further intensify the combat drills so as to make all the soldiers a-match-for-a-hundred combatants. Along with this he put forward the line of giving priority to building the defence industry and channelled all efforts to its development. 

By creating a climate of giving importance to the military affairs throughout the society and elevating the army-people unity, the traditional traits of Korea, to a new, higher plane, he enlisted the Korean army and people in the struggle to defend socialism, rallied as one. As a result, the country’s defence capabilities have been strengthened in every way, and powerful nuclear deterrent built up. With its possession of nuclear deterrent the DPRK could cope with the United States which used to sway the nukes, bringing the power into balance on the Korean peninsula, and thus preventing the United States from provoking a war in this region. The United States and its allied forces are still conducting nuclear war games without letup to aggravate the regional situation to extremes but they can by no means breach peace on the peninsula as long as there is Songun politics. 

Songun politics is dynamically accelerating the reunification movement of the Korean nation. Witnessing the stark reality that the peace and stability on the Korean peninsula are firmly guaranteed not by the nuclear umbrella of the United States but by dint of Songun of socialist Korea, the south Korean people are admiring and praising north Korea in which Songun politics is administered. 

Under the situation, the historic inter-Korean summit was held in Pyongyang in June 2000. Kim Jong Il made sure that the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration was adopted so that the north and south of Korea would reconciliate, unite and advance along the road of reunification with the ideal of By Our Nation Itself. Thanks to the joint declaration both sides of Korea, which had persisted with antagonism and hostility over half a century, resumed free travels by air, land and sea and entered into economic cooperation and cultural exchange. The ideal of By Our Nation Itself rendered the entire Korean nation the trend toward rejection of the foreign forces, achievement of the great national unity and reunification of the country independently and peacefully. 

In 2007 he made sure that the October 4 Declaration, action programme for June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, was adopted, thus developing the reunification movement of the Korean nation onto a higher level. The June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and October 4 Declaration provided by Kim Jong Il are acknowledged as the eternal banners of the reunification in spite of the trials and challenges of history. 

Songun politics of Korea is now being carried forward with credit by Kim Jong Un, its supreme leader. Under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, great successor to Songun politics, peace and security of the Korean peninsula will be surely guaranteed and Korea will be reunified in the near future.

Kim Jong Il’s Exploits in Party Building

On June 19, 1964, or 50 years ago, Kim Jong Il (1942-2011) started working at the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

In the whole period of leading the WPK, he raised as the principal task its strengthening into the party of Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), its founder, both in name and reality, and put it into effect. He formulated the revolutionary idea, Juche idea, authored by Kim Il Sung as the only guiding ideology of the WPK, and proclaimed the modelling of the whole society on the Juche idea as its highest programme. Thanks to his guidance, the WPK has developed into a body ideologically pure, organizationally integrated and unified in action, into a body in which the monolithic ideological system and monolithic leadership system of the leader are firmly established. 

In those days, owing to the manoeuvres of modern revisionists, the authority of the leaders was undermined in the ruling parties in several socialist countries, and the socialist movement of the world was undergoing twists and turns. However, the WPK consolidated as firm as a rock its organizational and ideological unity and cohesion with Kim Il Sung at the centre true to his cause of party building, and this was a valuable fruit of Kim Jong Il’s thoroughgoing outlook on the leader, unparalled insight, principled and resolute political decision and seasoned leadership ability. 

Kim Jong Il built the WPK into a party which had formed an integral whole with the masses of the people, bears full responsibility for people’s destiny and faithfully serves them. Raising the strengthening of the blood-sealed ties between the WPK and the people and the consolidation of its mass foundation as an important principle in its building and a matter that has bearing on its very existence, he saw to it that all its organizations and officials thoroughly implemented its mass line and always went among the people to live and work as their servants.

True to his benevolent politics and all-embracing politics, the WPK successfully achieved the single-hearted unity of the leader, the Party and the masses for the first time in history in the midst of worldwide political upheavals, turned the whole society into a great harmonious socialist family, and displayed the might of an invincible party which leads to victory the cause of socialist construction enjoying the absolute support and trust of the broad sections of the masses at all times. Kim Jong Il developed the WPK into a powerful political force that leads the revolutionary cause of Songun. 

He was on the road of Songun-based revolutionary leadership with Kim Il Sung in his early years and was deeply interested in the development of the Korean People’s Army. He realized definite leadership of the WPK over the army and led the latter to carry out the line of modelling itself on the Juche idea. Noteworthy is that he formulated Songun politics as the main mode of socialist politics in the 1990s as demanded by the changed environment and the developing situation, and further developed the WPK into a political organization that leads the Songun revolution. 

Having identified Songun as the lifeline of the Party and the revolution and solved all the problems based on the principle of giving precedence to military affairs, he raised the KPA as the main force for the socialist cause and led it energetically to the successful fulfilment of its mission and role as the standard-bearer of the Songun revolution as he continued the long march of Songun. He ensured that all Party members learned from the political and ideological traits of the service personnel and the revolutionary and militant working spirit, the method of Party’s political work in the army and its living examples of cooperation between military and political officers were popularized among Party organizations and its officials, thus markedly improving the spirit of the revolution, organization, discipline and unity of the WPK and enhancing its leading authority and role in the revolution and construction. 

Kim Jong Il led the service personnel and people of the DPRK to acquire formidable spiritual strength so that they could bring about epoch-making changes and miracles in implementing the cause of the WPK, the cause of building a thriving socialist country. Having turned Party work definitely into work with people, work with their thoughts and feelings, in his early years, he led the WPK to hold fast to people’s thinking as the key in the revolution and construction, raised the political and ideological work as the first process of all undertakings to enhance in every way the revolutionary zeal and creative activeness of the masses and, by relying on them, vigorously advanced the gigantic historic cause of transforming nature, society and man as required by the Juche idea. 

In the mid-1990s he made public Giving Priority to Ideological Work Is Essential for Accomplishing Socialism, Socialism Is a Science and other works and kindled more fiercely the flames of ideological revolution to make the service personnel and people cherish a conviction in the sure victory of socialism. It provided a powerful guarantee for win victory defending socialism and building a thriving country. 

Thanks to the far-sighted leadership of Kim Jong Il who devoted primary efforts to the strengthening of the ideological position in the revolution and construction, the service personnel and people of the DPRK, with indomitable mental strength, could completely change the looks of the country, accelerate putting the national economy on a modern and informatic footing and ushered in a heyday in developing the country’s science and technology and building socialist culture under difficult conditions. 

The exploits Kim Jong Il performed for building the WPK will shine forever together with socialist Korea which is winning victory after victory.

The Juche Philosophy and Songun Policy Study Group (Malta)

The Juche Philosophy and Songun Policy Study Group (Malta) was set up by the Communist Party of Malta in June 2009. The Study Group's original website was http://juchesongunmalta.blogspot.com, but access to this site was no longer possible due to a number of technical difficulties. This new website was set up on the 16th June, 2014. 

The main objectives of this Group are as follows:

1.) To educate people about the Juche Idea/Philosophy;
2.) To educate people about the Songun Policy;
3.) To provide information about life in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK);

4.) To promote a greater degree of friendship and co-operation between Malta and the DPRK.

Unfortunately, many stories about life in the DPRK are not grounded on any reliable evidence. Sadly, a number of lies and stereotypes about the DPRK have been spread by countless individuals who know little about that part of the world and who are mainly interested in countering the spread of socialism.

The Juche Philosophy and Songun Policy Study Group (Malta) intends to challenge various cliches and to present a different view regarding the DPRK. This will be done through this site and via a number of activities that will be organised throughout the year. Whoever would like to receive more information about this Group should send an email to the following email address: juchesongunmalta@gmail.com