Building support for the DPRK

By New Worker correspondent

Theo Russell, Dermot Hudson and Alejandro

FRIENDS of the Korean revolution met last weekend to strengthen the worldwide movement in solidarity with Democratic Korea and build the Korean Friendship Association.

The biggest ever KFA international meeting took place in the Belgian city of La Louvière with delegations from all over Europe, Asia and the United States as well UK KFA official delegate Dermot Hudson and communications secretary Theo Russell.

Also present were Hyon Hak Bong, DPRK Ambassador to Britain and two delegates from the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, Director Ryu Kyong Il, and Kang Hyon Gyu, liaison officer in Pyongyang.

The meeting was opened by KFA president Alejandro Cao de Benos, who said that the period 15^th November to 17^th December has been declared a special period of mourning marking three years since the passing of dear leader comrade Kim Jong Il.

Describing General Kim Jong Il as “a modern revolutionary hero”, Alejandro recalled that his last instruction was to recommend dear respected Marshal Kim Jong Un as his successor, and said: “Anyone who tries to undermine the way of life of our great motherland will follow the same fate as the traitor Jang Song Thaek.”

Alejandro declared: “The most repressive system and violation of human rights is the capitalist system, which is a tool for the oppression of one class by another.”

He also spoke of the imminent launch of a new “hyper-coal engine” developed by engineers from Democratic Korea and Europe, using converted coal as a cheap and cleaner fuel for vehicles and in electricity production.

KFA International Commissar Trever Artiz Hill noted: “More and more defectors from Democratic Korea are returning home and asking for forgiveness when they see that housing, health and education are human rights and not an expensive luxury. The real concern of the DPRK’s enemies is a socialist system, which is an alternative to their system, and this really frightens them.”

Ryu Kyong Il said: “For 14 years the KFA has helped the Korean people with their socialist construction, and now the Korean people are creating new miracles and innovations at the new Korean speed under the leadership of dear respected Marshal Kim Jong Un.”

In a powerful speech ambassador Hyon said: “The DPRK’s enemies have cooked up the human rights issue because they failed over the nuclear issue. Because the DPRK is guided by the Juché Idea, which stipulates that man is the master, there are no such thing as human rights violations in the DPRK.”

He said that in meetings with European Union officials they asked about the DPRK’s response to a planned UN Human Rights Committee resolution on the DPRK, and warned: “There will be a strong reaction from the DPRK.

“The final victory will belong to the Korean people. In conclusion, I hope that the KFA will redouble its solidarity and increase its actions in support of the DPRK.”

Among the many speeches from delegates Lukas Mrozek, head of the Polish KFA, said Poland was one of the first countries to recognise the young DPRK, and recalled that great leader President Kim Il Sung had visited his country twice and that Poland had welcomed children from Democratic Korea during the Korean war.

Mikel Vivanko of the Spanish KFA spoke of the tremendously positive experience of the opening of a DPRK embassy in Madrid and said KFA comrades and their Korean counterparts had celebrated the Day of the Sun together.

Messages were also received from Bangladesh, Brazil, Norway and Switzerland.

In his closing remarks Alejandro Cao de Benos said that there is currently an upsurge in interest in the KFA in Latin America, especially in Chile, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Argentina and Venezuela, and that a special meeting is planned for the 15^th anniversary of the foundation of the KFA in 2015.

The meeting adopted a letter to the dear respected leader Marshal Kim Jong Un and presented a gift to be delivered him, and awards were made to KFA official delegates and activists.

The British delegation held meetings with Alejandro Cao De Benos and it was agreed the KFA in Britain would press ahead with the setting up regional branches and appointing Zone Delegates.

It was a great meeting marked by dynamism and vibrancy which the British KFA will strive to translate into real successes in building support for socialist Korea.