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”.