Workers’ Party of Korea marches on!

by Paddy Colligan

 
The Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) convened its Ninth Party Congress on 19th February in Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Over the next week, the 5,000 delegates to the Congress reviewed the work of the WPK from the preceding five years and discussed plans for the next five years. The proceedings of the Ninth Congress of the WPK are a matter of interest to the world.
Members were elected to national and provincial WPK leadership bodies. Commanding officers of the Korean People’s Army were appointed. Kim Jong Un, who was re-elected Secretary General of the WPK, made an introductory presentation and a closing address.
Kim Jong Un, who is also the President of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, described the Congress as having “drawn great interest at home and abroad, as it was convened in a period when our socialist construction is being pushed ahead … vigorously” in the midst of a “global political situation [that] is experiencing serious and rapid change”.
The DPRK, with a population of about 26 million, is situated on the northern part of the Korean peninsula. It shares its southern border with south Korea, with a population of about 52 million.
From 1950 to 1953 Korea was engulfed in a brutal and bitter war. US imperialism and its allies backed puppet forces in the southern part of the peninsula. The People’s China and the Soviet Union and fought on the side of the DPRK. There has yet to be a treaty officially ending the war; a Demilitarised Zone – the DMZ – demarcates a tense border between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (also known as the ROK or south Korea).
Hundreds of thousands of families are painfully divided by the border and remain unable to visit or even maintain contact. Reunification was long a goal of the DPRK, of many political groups in south Korea and millions of Koreans on both sides of the border and in the diaspora.
In the last five years, however, a significant political shift has occurred. This was reviewed by the Ninth Congress and summed up by Kim Jong Un as putting an end to the policy of seeking reconciliation and reunification. The Report of the Congress explained the switchover in its line towards south Korea in the following way:
“During the period under review, the WPK put a historic end to the abnormal relations with the ROK, which had existed on the Korean peninsula for nearly 80 years since the founding of the DPRK, and made a final crucial decision to define these relations as the most hostile state-to-state relationship and clarified the invariable principled stand of our Party and government”.
Noting violations of airspace and other hostile acts, the Report on the Ninth Congress continued its assessment of relations between the two countries on the peninsula: “From the very beginning, the successive ruling forces of the ROK did not want genuine reconciliation and unity with us, but have worked hard to spread their culture within our country by abusing the opportunities for reconciliation and cooperation in a sinister attempt to bring about its change and the final collapse of its social system…
“The ROK’s ultimate ambition is to turn the whole Korean peninsula into … one under the capitalist reactionary system of ‘liberal democracy.’ While outwardly advocating deceptive ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace,’ it is seeking to disarm the DPRK under the signboard of the ‘denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.’”
The Report discussed development projects that were carried out during the previous five-year period and are planned for the future as well. Socialist construction projects prioritize improvements in living conditions that “clearly show the advantages of the socialist system in our country, which attaches importance to the popular and people-oriented ones, and prove the truth and vitality of our Party’s people-first politics”.
There is an ongoing focus on increasing and improving housing and implementing a new child care policy to provide children with dairy products and nutritious food every day. There are plans to improve education and modernise conditions in rural areas “where centuries-old backwardness lingered”.
The national economic plan includes clarifying production goals and applying scientific methods to developing agricultural production, growing vegetables in greenhouses, fish farming, sea culture, mining and sustainable management of natural resources and land. The Report also suggests that there are plans for developing the information technology, artificial intelligence, space and tourism industries and external trade.
In addition to socialist construction and improving people’s lives, the WPK is concerned about party building, which is explained as the desire to “further develop our Party into the general staff of the revolution with a high leadership position and guiding ability”. Ideological understanding, “voluntarily observing discipline” and “building a good working manner” are goals.
The DPRK views its development and possession of nuclear weapons as an essential right. The Ninth Congress Report states that the Constitution of the DPRK takes the position that its nuclear arsenal is necessary to “ensure the country’s rights to existence and development, deter war and defend regional and global peace and stability by rapidly developing its nuclear weapons”. It must continue to be “a full-fledged nuclear state”.
The DPRK is also committed to turning its armed forces into the strongest army in the world, including politically and ideologically. Nuclear weapons are the “legitimate defence pertaining to our right to self-defence,” and the DPRK will continue to bolster its nuclear force “as long as nuclear weapons exist on earth, and the US imperialists and their followers remain unchanged in their moves against the DPRK.”
Kim Jong Un analysed the “great changes that took place in the international political and security structure, balance of forces and trend of the situation during the period under review,” according to the report. It is “completely different from the one five years ago, and international relations have been plunged into the vortex of chaos and upheaval”.
The Report continues describing the aggression “the infringement of state sovereignty, wanton violation of international law, the global security crisis … the political and economic chaos and disorder in different countries” that characterise today’s world.
The world situation as described in the report from the WPK Ninth Congress could be copied from today’s headlines and news analysis. And in this context, France24 reported on 12th March that the DPRK test fired rockets from several missile systems – coinciding with joint American-south Korean military exercises. With a touch of irony, Japan and the south Koreans claim concerns about regional security.
Workers World (USA)

A glimpse of the future

by John Maryon    

Amid the doom and gloom of capitalism's decline the rise of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea can inspire the working class. Dermot Hudson, of the Korean Friendship Association, spoke enthusiastically about his experiences in that socialist country at the latest meeting of the Ipswich New Worker Supporters Group. Members  of a number of left wing parties, religious groups and Palestine supporters joined the event intended to both increase awareness of the  New Worker and to build left unity.

The speaker described how the country is rapidly developing, with building work transforming Pyongyang, as despite harsh sanctions the economy continues to grow. The sanctions were imposed at the behest of the United States to punish Korea for defending itself. There can be no doubt that without its nuclear deterrent People's Korea would have suffered the same fate as Iraq, Syria and Yugoslavia or be exposed to the threats faced today by Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. 

The appalling propaganda from the Western media, including decades of lies, misinformation and snide remarks by the ‘British Brainwashing Corporation’ shows their fear and hatred of the DPRK.  Not because of some supposed military action but the fear that a successful non- capitalist state is creating a beautiful and prosperous new form of society. 

The meeting also discussed the capitalist crises in Britain and overseas. Of particular concern was the rise of the far right supported by  less well educated groups of former Labour supporters. It was agreed that the next meeting of the Ipswich New Worker Group would be devoted to this issue with the aim of developing an effective strategy for creating a more progressive society. Future topics will also include the international situation and Green issues. The newly established Ipswich New Worker Group continues to develop and gain in strength. It's ultimate goal to put the Red flag over Ipswich!

Kim Jong Il – an outstanding Korean leader!

by New Worker correspondent

NCP leader Andy Brooks joined other Korean solidarity campaigners in south London last weekend to look at the development of the DPR Korea’s nuclear deterrent and  the other outstanding achievements of Kim Jong Il when he was at the helm. Achievements spelt out in a paper sent by the DPRK embassy in London which said that “the US went successively to war with Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan and went on to place the DPRK on the list of ‘targets of pre-emptive nuclear strike’ and make it a policy to use nuclear weapons and deal a pre-emptive strike to the country, while intensifying military threats to it with huge armed forces. But no war broke out in the Korean peninsula because Chairman Kim Jong Il (1942-2011) frustrated the US' attempts at aggression by strengthening the country's defence capabilities in every way”.
The Korean Friendship Association (KFA) meeting at a community centre just a stone’s throw from Brixton station brought a number of seasoned campaigners together while a hundred more from this country and all over the world watched the proceedings on YouTube. 
Dermot Hudson, the KFA chair, opened on the theme of why the DPRK was right to have a nuclear deterrent which was taken up by other speakers which included Andy Brooks and Theo Russell from the NCP as well as Ly Kimlong of the KFA Cambodia, who is currently studying in the United Kingdom.
Dermot said that Kim Jong Il stands in history as a strong figure who faithfully upheld and creatively developed Juche-based socialism – the great idea first pioneered by President Kim Il Sung. Juche is not just an abstract theory; it is a people-centred philosophy that places political independence, economic self-reliance and self-defensive national security at the heart of state-building. Under Kim Jong Il's leadership, Juche was transformed into a powerful guiding force capable of defending socialism in one of the most hostile geopolitical environments in the world.
Closely linked to Juche is the historic role of the Korean People's Army (KPA). The KPA is not merely a military force; it is the pillar of the revolution, a defender of the Korean people and a symbol of national sovereignty. Through decades of confrontation, war threats and military encirclement, the KPA has stood firm ensuring that the DPRK remains unconquered and respected.
The KFA chair also denounced the American and south Korean puppet regime moves to "denuclearise " the DPRK pointing out that “recent developments and ongoing events have proved the DPRK's stance on nuclear weapons to be a 100 per cent and a 1,000 per cent correct”.

Down with the BBC lies!

by New Worker correspondent

London comrades joined other Korean friendship activists outside Broadcasting House on Saturday to protest at the consistent bias of the BBC against the DPR Korea. The picket was called by the Korean Friendship Association whose Chairman, Dermot Hudson said "the BBC consistently demonises and smears the DPRK by using clichés like "impoverished", "totalitarian " and " isolated " . Rather than being impoverished the DPRK has a rapidly growing economy, it is a people-oriented society and rather than being isolated has diplomatic relations with over a 100 countries.
 “In fact People's Korea is a country that abolished taxation in 1974 and yet has free education , free health care  and virtually free housing . People's Korea is a society free from knife crime .
“In People's Korea there is no BlackRock or other big monopoly corporations exploiting the people. No Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Richard  Branson or Jeffrey Epstein. They do not exist in People's Korea .No amount of blather about 'dictatorship ' can ever hide or erase this fact".
Recently the popular left wing German newspaper Junge Welt carried an article titled  British Bullshit Club – how the BBC stylises north Korea as a horror setting  by Martin Weiser , a German commentator on People’s Korea. Weiser in his article correctly pointed that BBC reporters who cover the DPRK are actually based in the south Korean capital, Seoul, and have no access to the DPRK.
The BBC dramatically claims they had got “hold  of an iPhone smuggled out of north Korea” when, in fact,  in fact you can just walk into a shop in the DPRK and buy one.
The BBC seemed shocked that if put in the word for “south Korea” into a DPRK phone  , it responds with the word “puppet”.  But that’s what it is South Korea is a puppet regime, 100 per cent and a 1,000 per cent. It is occupied by 30,000 US troops and its economy is dominated  by foreign multi-nationals .
As for the "wealth " and "freedom " in south Korea that the BBC chunter on about, this is an illusion , a mirage . In fact south Korea has extreme inequality and is full of slums and poverty . It has a 21 hour working day . As for the so-called "freedom" , south Korea has the National Security Law which jails people for supporting the DPRK and in the past communists have been executed . Do not forget that puppet ruler Yoon declared martial law in December 2024.
Back in November 2024 the KFA picketed the BBC and handed over a letter to the BBC Director-General and also sent a copy by email . To date the BBC have never replied . The maxim " The Innocent Wish To Speak , the Guilty wish to remain silent " comes to mind .

Stand by People’s Korea!

 

Dermot Hudson, Andy Brooks and Michael Chant

by New Worker correspondent

Solidarity campaigners returned to Brixton last weekend for a hybrid meeting which brought together leading members of the Friends of Korea committee in London and linked up with others around the country including a diplomat from the DPR Korea embassy. The latest in a series of occasional public meetings organised by the Co-ordinating Committee of Friends of Korea in Britain was chaired by NCP leader Andy Brooks and opened with contributions from Michael Chant of the RCPB (ML), Dermot Hudson of the Korean Friendship Association and Keith Bennett, the doyen of Korean solidarity work in the United Kingdom.
The DPRK and the Korean people have never wavered from defending their independence, their socialist system and their own path of development, as well as striving for peace in the face of imperialist intervention by US imperialism and its lackeys. The meeting discussed how, given the important geopolitical position of the country, People’s Korea has adopted a militant and resolute approach towards defending its socialist path and maintaining political power in the people’s hands. At the same time, the DPRK is making substantial progress in developing and consolidating its external relations.

Korean solidarity in Finland

by New Worker correspondent

Dermot Hudson, the chair of the Korean Friendship Association UK, joined other friends of the DPR Korea for a seminar in Helsinki last week. To mark its 40th anniversary the European Regional Society for the Study of the Juche Idea (ERSSJI) organised the seminar in the  Finnish capital under the title  of “Independence, Peace and Social Development” in the building of the Finland -Russia society. Finland itself was one of the first non-socialist European countries to establish diplomatic relations with People’s Korea in the early 1970s. And Finland has a long tradition of friendship and solidarity with the DPRK as well as of studying the Juche idea and Korean-style socialism.
Presiding over the seminar were Prof Matteo Carbonelli, the director-general of the ERSSJI and Juha Kieski , the secretary-general of the ERSSJI and head of the Finnish Juche Idea Study Group.
A delegation from the DPRK embassy in Sweden took part in the discussion along with a delegation from the International Institute of the Juche Idea based in Japan. KFA Chair Dermot Hudson who also heads the British Group For the Study of the Juche Idea was there along with members of Finnish Juche Idea and DPRK friendship organisations. Participating online were people from Austria, Bulgaria,Denmark , Germany , Russia , Slovakia and the UK.
Dermot Hudson said that “the Juche idea needs to be studied deeply and disseminated more widely in Europe because it is extremely relevant to the needs of the European people and can make a great contribution to independence , peace and social development which are all vitally necessary for the peoples of Europe.
“At the moment Europe lacks independence . Many European countries are members of the US-controlled Nato and have US bases and troops . Many European countries are culturally enslaved by US imperialism for example the TV and cinema is dominated by poor quality American films and the streets are full of Yankee fast food chains . Economically  ,Europe is controlled by supra-national organisations like the European Union , the IMF , the World Bank , the WTO and the World Economic Forum . Many European countries lack economic independence as their economies are dominated by US multi-nationals”.

Return to the land of Juche

by Dermot Hudson

Dermot Hudson at the seminar

Dermot Hudson, the Chair of the UK Korean Friendship Association, recently spent a week in the Democratic  People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to join in the celebrations marking  the foundation of the Workers Party of Korea (then the Communist Party of North Korea) on 10th October 1945.The Communist Party of North Korea later developed into the Workers’ Party of North Korea (WPNK) when it united with the New Democratic Party (NDP) in 1946. The Workers Party of Korea as it exists today was founded in June 1949 by merging the WPNK with the Workers’ Party of South Korea (WPSK) and  another smaller movement known as the People’s Party.


I travelled to People’s Korea on the 7th October and stayed until the  14th October. It was a week in paradise away from the stress of life under decaying capitalism and imperialism!  This was my 20th  visit to People’s Korea.The purpose of the visit was to participate in the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the great Workers Party of Korea (WPK), the supreme general staff of the Korean revolution and organiser and guide of all the victories of the Korean people. I was leading a delegation of the British Group For the Study of the Juche Idea.
It was not my first time visiting the DPRK to attend keynote anniversaries; I had previously visited the DPRK for the 70th  anniversary of the foundation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in September 2018 and for the 70th  anniversary of the foundation of the Workers Party of Korea in October 2015 . What I saw this time far exceeded the celebrations I witnessed in 2018 and 2015 in terms of scale and quality.
Our delegation travelled via Beijing, and arrived on the afternoon of the 7th  October. Waiting to check in for the Air Koryo flight we met delegations from  Brazil, Poland, Denmark, Finland. Switzerland, Bulgaria and many other countries. It is a myth that the DPRK is “isolated”. In fact not only did followers of the Juche Idea and friendship organisations make their way to Pyongyang but also high-level delegations from China, Russia,Vietnam and Laos including Party general secretaries.There were also high level delegations from the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Nicaragua.The Iranian delegation got a round of applause on the plane.
Even before we landed in Pyongyang we got a flavour of the rapid development of People’s Korea – namely Air Koryo’s (the national airline of the DPRK ) in-flight catering has been upgraded and improved.The stewardess handed out boxes which contained not only the famous Air Koryo burger but biscuits and other confectionery including chocolate bars. On the way from the airport we saw whole new streets that were not there in 2019 and 2024. A block of flats near to the Koryo Hotel that was under construction in April 2024 had been completed.
Our delegation had been invited by the Korean Association of Social Scientists but was guided by Kim Kyong Chol of the Korea Association for Cultural Exchange with Foreign Countries. Kim was a keen singer and an enthusiastic person.
During our visit we visited the following; the Korean Revolution Museum, the Museum of Party Foundation, the Pyongyang Central Zoo and Natural History Museum , the Central Cadres Training School of the Workers Party of Korea ,the Great Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum , Hwasong Street at night , the Taekwondo Hall, the Juche Idea Tower and Kim Il Sung University.We were honoured guests at the National Meeting and Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance on the 9th October , at the Military Parade on the 10th October and the Public Procession and Torchlight Gala on the theme of the  immortal banner of building a just and peaceful world.
It is difficult to detail all that happened and that we saw in the DPRK so I will just give a few important highlights .
Firstly , the International Seminar on the Juche Idea that was held in the People’s Palace of Culture from the 8th to the 9th October attracted participants from all over the world including the following countries; Austria , Brazil, Belarus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Switzerland and many others . 
I made a speech on behalf of the British Group For the Study of the Juche Idea in which I said (in part ) the following “the Juche idea teaches the peoples of the world to build countries that are politically independent , economically self-sufficient and self-reliant in defence. Peoples’ Korea itself is a living example of the application of independence , self-sufficiency and self-defence. Whilst conflicts rage in many parts of the world, the Korean peninsula enjoys peace thanks to the nuclear deterrent of the DPRK .Today People’s Korea is a society free from division, conflict and disorder. It is an oasis of calm in a troubled world”
We attended the national meeting for the 80th  founding anniversary of the WPK and the Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Long Live the Workers' Party of Korea in the May Day stadium on Rungna Island.The May Day stadium is actually the biggest stadium in the world with a seating capacity of over 150,000. It is not rotting and rusting as falsely asserted by the reptile bourgeois media but in good condition.
First we heard the speech of respected leader Kim Jong Un, the general secretary of the Workers Party of Korea. He rounded off his speech with the following words “availing myself of this opportunity, I will always cherish love for the people and not neglect my obligation of requital. I affirm my commitment to working harder to live up to their trust.
“I will surely turn this country into a more affluent and beautiful land and into the best socialist paradise in the world, with belief in the people supporting our Party and by always becoming one in mind and body with them”.
At the end of the meeting there was a rousing rendition of the Internationale by a military band and a choir. After the national meeting the mass game “Long live the Workers Party of Korea “ was held .This was a dazzling array of colour, gymnastics and songs.The famous DPRK singer Kim Ok Ju sang many of the songs. In my opinion it surpassed other DPRK mass games such as “Arirang and “Glorious Country” .
The set piece of any DPRK celebration is the military parade. I had never attended a night-time DPRK military parade before. Previously I had only attended parades during the day time.
This parade was not held under easy or ideal conditions but in the rain and wind. Other countries would not have been able to do this but People’s Korea, Korea of Juche was able to do this.The parade included the Korean People’s Army fighters who had fought for the liberation of Kursk  and also new ICBM ballistic missiles. A friend from Italy said to me as the new ICBM rumbled past “that is for Washington”. At the end of the parade comrade Kim Jong Un came and waved at the crowd.To my astonishment I found myself within five metres of him. I could not believe it .
No less impressive was the Public Procession and Torchlight Gala on the 11th October in Kim Il Sung square.The sky was lit up by lasers and later fireworks.The procession was led by a float which depicted the history of the Workers Party of Korea starting with the Down With Imperialism Union. I was delighted to see modern DPRK farm tractors in the procession.
We were among the first foreigners to visit the Central Cadres Training School of the Workers Party of Korea which is situated on the outskirts of Pyongyang. It is the size of a university. Displayed at the school are the portraits of Marx and Lenin.There is also a red flag displayed in every lecture room on the instructions of Kim Jong Un who said that they must uphold the Red Flag of communism. Seeing the portraits of Marx and Lenin made me deeply realise the falsity of the ultra-leftist slanderers who assert that the DPRK had abandoned Marxism-Leninism and  the communist ideal. Revisionists and ultra-leftists both criticise the DPRK from different ends of the spectrum but at the end of the day it is just finding excuses not to support the most demonised and most advanced and revolutionary socialist country, it is also doing the dirty work of the CIA for them.
We saw that Pyongyang was a blaze of light and colour at night.The imperialists are lying when they say that there is no electricity in the DPR Korea. Rather than “everyone starving”, we saw no homeless or beggars on the streets  and the guide for another delegation said that people get free housing and food only costs 0.3 dollars per month. Just compare that to the UK, No comment!
Now the construction of the 4th stage of Hwasong Street is under way, I saw  it with my own eyes.This rapid development is being carried out under conditions of intense sanctions by the imperialists as well as natural disasters and the DPRK’s border being closed for four years due to the global health crisis.This development is being achieved without outside help, ‘aid’ or foreign capital. It is a miracle of self-reliance and shows what a socialist country can do when it relies on its own resources and believes in itself .
I will conclude here. I would like to thank the following for their kind assistance; Kim Kyong Chol and other guides from both the Korean Association for Cultural Exchange with Foreign Countries and the Korean Association of Social Scientists, the staff of the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang and the DPRK Embassy in London.