(1888PressRelease)
April 14, 2007 - Therefore, he was highly praised by the Korean people and the revolutionary people of the world as the “great man of the century”, the “hero of the nation”, the “father of the people” and the “veteran statesman of the world”.
Greeting the 95th birthday of the President, the Korean people are recalling how they could become the independent people free from the status of the ruined people, and have the sacred title of a Korean citizen. And they are paying tribute to him who they believe will be eternal along with socialist Korea.
Choice—Juche-type Socialism
Which way would Korea take? He was not tied to an established theory and an existing formula. In the early period of his revolutionary activities he sought for a new way free from flunkeyism, dogmatism and factional strife, and found a Juche-oriented way which embodied the philosophical principle that man is the master of everything and decides everything. It was the way by which to build a socialist society free from exploitation and oppression, and where the people would be the master, all enjoying an equal right.
From then on, he led the Korean revolution with the Juche idea as a guideline.
Through the 20-year-long anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle, he defeated the Japanese imperialists and liberated Korea, and turned into a democratic independent state the country which had been eclipsed in the world map.
The Korean people still had a long way to go to socialism. They had to eradicate the aftermath of the Japanese imperialists’ 40-year-long colonial rule, and the century-old backwardness and poverty inherited from the preceding generation. In no time, the President implemented the cause of building the Party, state and army, and carried out the land reform and other democratic reforms to lay a foundation for the free development of the nation.
But difficulties always confronted him. The United States, allied with the south Korean puppet army, the Japanese militaristic forces and troops of 15 of its satellite states, tried to stamp out the Republic in its cradle. In response to his radio address titled “Everything for victory in the war!”, the Korean people defeated the aggressors, thus driving the US imperialists to the starting point of decline.
Then the heavy task of healing the war wounds weighed on him again. Heart-stricken, he visited every nook and corner of the country reduced to nothing. Courageously, he aroused the people to the post-war reconstruction, with the conviction that the post-war reconstruction would be out of question as long as there were the land, the Party, state and people. So the Korean people miraculously built factories, power stations and cities on the ruins though the US imperialists prattled that the country would never be rebuilt even in 100 years.
Now socialism became a near future to the Korean people. After carrying out the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal democratic revolution, the President put forth the idea of transferring to the socialist revolution and the line of reorganizing the economic forms along socialist lines prior to technical transformation. According to the line, the relations of production were transformed along socialist lines in a short time of 4-5 years, putting an end to the root of exploitation and oppression, followed by the establishment of a socialist system in Korea.
This, however, never meant the completion of the revolution. After the establishment of the socialist system, he proposed the idea of continuous revolution, that is, to promote the three revolutions of ideology, technique and culture, and led the work to expedite the three revolutions. The ideological and moral qualities of the people were improved, industrialization was completed in a period of 14 years, and the socialist national culture developed. Through the rapid advance towards progress and civilization, the country became a socialist bulwark of independence, self-reliance and self-defense.
All this cannot be thought of apart from President Kim Il Sung. He realized in such a brilliant way the resolve he made to bring glory to his motherland as he set out on the road of revolution.
“The People Are My God”—People-centered Socialism
A solid foundation was required for the prosperity of the “big house”, that is, socialism built in a short period of time. In other words, a scientific theory was needed because it would clarify the essence of socialism, the law of its development, and the general line, goal and means of socialist construction.
Based on the Juche idea, the President unfolded the theory of socialism. It explained the essence of socialism and the law of its development, centered on man and illuminated that the ideological and material fortresses should be occupied to successfully build socialism.
Based on the theory, he put the idea of people-centered socialism into practice.
He made the people become the master of political, economic and cultural life.
After national liberation, he set up the people’s government without delay, and developed it into the socialist one and led it to fulfill its mission and duty as the representative of the masses’ independent rights, the organizer of their creative ability and activity, the master responsible for their livelihood, and the defender of their interests. He saw to it that the socialist economy was managed by the people, and that they became able to lead an equal life free from any worry about food, clothing and housing by building up the socialist independent national economy despite the blockades by the imperialists. He also made them become the creators and enjoyers of spiritual and cultural wealth. Thus came true the people’s cherished desire to enjoy an independent and creative life to their hearts’ content.
The President’s motto was “The People Are My God” by which he regarded the people as his God and solved every problem relying on them. It could be said; he remarked, that the life of a revolutionary would start by going into the people and that the failure of a revolutionary would begin by doubting their strength and refusing to be among them. Out of his devoted mind whereby he would make flowers bloom even on a stone and pick even a star from the sky for the sake of them, he always served the people all his life. The more money was spent for the people’s well-being, and the greater “loss” was made for the sake of the coming generation, the greater satisfaction he felt. He was most pleased to meet the officials who worked hard for the good of the people, upholding the slogan “Serve the People!”. Connecting everything with love for the people, he let the word “people” be contained in the names of the country, the army, government organs and monumental edifices and in honorary titles. So the word “people” has been planted in proper nouns which are widely used in the country.
The people call their people-centered socialism the “cradle” without reserve as it takes care of their life, and sing it as a “grand roof of socialism”.
Deeply impressed by his motto “The People Are My God” that gave birth to the people-centered socialism in which the leader, the Party and the masses are single-heartedly united, the people are missing the President who was always with them.
Though the years go by, the idea of “The People Are My God” is eternal. The leader Kim Jong Il, adhering to the idea of the President in the whole course of his Songun leadership, is successfully putting the President’s desire into practice. As the happiness enjoyed by the people is associated with his love for them and every change made in the Songun era with his idea, the President’s august name Kim Il Sung has come to be mentioned along with socialist Korea for ever.
