Return from the land of Juche

 

By New Worker correspondent

Comrades and friends heard Korean solidarity activists talk about their recent delegation to Democratic Korea at the Lucas Arms in central London last weekend. Dermot Hudson and James Taylor were part of a three-strong Korean Friendship Association (KFA) delegation that went to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to take part in solidarity meetings last month.

 Both men spoke highly about what they saw in Democratic Korea – the immense progress that could only have been achieved through socialism and the determination of the masses who have closed ranks behind the Workers’ Party of Korea to defend the DPRK’s independence and Korean-style socialism against the threats of US imperialism and its lackeys.

A lively question and answer session was followed by a general discussion on life in the DPRK and the Juche philosophy of great leader Kim Il Sung, who led the Korean people to victory over Japanese colonialism and US imperialism in the 20^th century.

Victory Day in Korea

By New Worker correspondent

New Communist Party

Dermot Hudson and Andy Brooks

leader Andy Brooks joined other supporters of the Korean revolution at the historic Lucas Arms last weekend, to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Korean people’s victory over US imperialism in the Korean War. The meeting, called by the Korean Friendship Association (KFA), was held in the Kings Cross pub that has been a working class venue for many years. It was here that the Committee to Defeat Revisionism for Communist Unity was founded to challenge the leadership of the old Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) in 1963.

 This event marked the armistice between US imperialism and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that was signed on 27th July 1953. That was the day when the Korean people, led by great leader Kim Il Sung, defeated and humiliated the US imperialists and their puppet forces.

KFA Chair Dermot Hudson said we were here to celebrate a great victory, the victory of the Korean people in the Fatherland Liberation War. These days victories are rare but the DPRK–US Summit was a victory for the DPRK and only happened because the DPRK became a nuclear power.

Andy Brooks said that US President Donald Trump’s decision to hold face-to-face talks with Chairman Kim Jong Un reflected the new realism of the circles that had put Trump into power. But the NCP leader added that reactionary forces deep within the US state were working to undermine what had been achieved at the summit and that future progress depended on the US leader honouring what he had pledged in Singapore.

Kim Song Gi, a diplomat at the London embassy of the DPRK, sent a rousing message of solidarity to the meeting in which he said that the Korean people had “shattered the myth of the might of US imperialism” in the liberation war.

Other comrades made presentations and messages included a video call from the Staffordshire KFA, which was followed by refreshments. During the discussion that followed comrades looked at the success of the KFA’s recent Korean revolutionary posters exhibition in Croydon, and discussed plans for more ambitious events in London and across the country in the future.

A life devoted to Korea

by New Worker correspondent

Theo Russell, Dermot Hudson and Shaun Pickford

Comrades and friends marked the 76th anniversary of the birth of Korean leader Kim Jong Il at a meeting last weekend called by the Korean Friendship Association (KFA) and the British Juche Society.

Kim Jong Il developed the Juche idea, applying it to all spheres of economic construction and for the promotion of north–south dialogue for the independent peaceful reunification of Korea. His modesty, faithful service, tireless work, total loyalty to Kim Il Sung and the Korean revolution, and undoubted ability meant that when the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) considered the question of the succession – and this was decided long before Kim Il Sung’s death – Kim Jong Il was the unchallenged candidate to be the successor to great leader Kim Il Sung.

When Kim Il Sung passed away, Kim Jong Il told the Korean people and the world that they could “expect no change from me” and under his leadership the WPK won further victories. Natural disasters were overcome. Imperialist diplomatic isolation was broken and the intrigues of US imperialism exposed.

Kim Jong Il, the great leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) who devoted his entire life to serving the Korean people, died at his post in December 2011.

Last Saturday supporters of the Korean revolution returned to the historic Lucas Arms to celebrate the Day of the Shining Star as it is known in Democratic Korea, and to hear solidarity speeches from KFA and New Communist Party (NCP) solidarity activists. The Kings Cross pub has been a working class venue for many years and was the place where the Committee to Defeat Revisionism for Communist Unity was founded to challenge the leadership of the old Communist Party of Great Britain in 1963.

Chaired by Dermot Hudson of the KFA, the meeting began with openings from Shaun Pickford of the KFA and Theo Russell from the Central Committee of the NCP. This was followed by a general discussion that revolved around the initiative of DPRK leader Kim Jong Un over the winter Olympics in south Korea and the latest American attempts to derail all attempts to defuse the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Everyone praised the DPRK's socialist system and the proposals for reunification and calls to defend Democratic Korea against US imperialist aggression.