opinion

On April 9 32 years ago, Comrade Kim Jong Il was elected as chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK.

Since then, the DPRK people and service personnel of the Korean People’s Army had performed miracles and feats in the campaign to defend socialism and the struggle to accomplish the cause of building a powerful nation under his wise leadership.

In retrospect, the hostile forces argued that it was a matter of time for the DPRK’s socialism to come to an end, taking advantage of the collapse of socialism in some countries in the 1990s.

At that time the Chairman resolutely declared that he would defend the red flag of Juche associated with the whole life of President Kim Il Sung forever by holding fast to arms together with the Party and that as long as he held these arms in hand, they would be able to defend the socialist country and build a prosperous country without fail.

At that time when the Korean revolution had to overcome a multitude of trying ordeals, he made a long journey of Songun, the journey of devotion for the building of a powerful socialist country, continuously with such iron will and indomitable faith.

On the way to the frontline to meet the soldiers he crossed the rugged Chol Pass again and again, climbed the precipitous Mt Osong by pushing his field car, visited at dawn Panmunjom where armed enemies were within a calling distance and made his way through the wild sea to Cho Island on board a boat at the risk of his life.

Indeed, the long journey of Songun he made was an untrodden path that could not be followed without ardent patriotism.

In those years, he visited big industrial establishments, small regional-industry factories, agricultural and livestock farms, schools and shops, as well as army posts for national defence across the country, to give field guidance over all fields of the economy, culture and people’s living. The intensity of his field inspection tour was beyond the people’s imagination.

Thanks to his long journey of patriotic devotion to every nook and cranny of the country, including the chemical and metallurgical industry bases, miracles were created in succession on this land.

They included artificial earth satellites which were launched demonstrating the strength and technology of the country, many monumental structures which mushroomed throughout the country, the land realigned into standard sizes as befits that of socialist Korea, the Kaechon-Lake Thaesong waterway which was successfully completed in a short span of time and the industrial revolution in the new century.

Every one of these proud successes, which serve as the eternal foundations for building a thriving country, was the priceless fruition of the patriotic devotion of Chairman Kim Jong Il and the fruit which was borne after the seeds sown by him sprouted.

Therefore, the DPRK people keenly realize what a great man they held in high esteem as their leader as they experience the stirring reality of today when the solid foundations for building a thriving nation and eternal assets provided by him prove highly effective.