1 DPRK: Seven Decades of Creation and Changes FOREIGN LANGUAGES PUBLISHING HOUSE DPR KOREA JUCHE 107(2018) 2 Introduction The 70 years of the DPRK is a history of great struggle and victory, and great creation and changes, in which the Korean people defended the independence and dignity of the country and built up a powerful socialist country surmounting the storm of the revolution under the leadership of their great leaders and their great Party. The DPRK has advanced along the road of victory and glory overcoming unprecedented hardships and trials in acute confrontation with the imperialist forces seeking aggression throughout the historic course from the period of laying the foundation for nation building to the present when the building of a socialist power is under way. In the course of the arduous struggle to build a new Korea, a new society, the Koreans blazed the trail for accomplishing the cause of independence against imperialism, the socialist cause, performed miracles of history and immortal feats and gained precious experiences. Therefore, the 70-year history of the DPRK shines brilliantly and socialist Korea is exalting its prestige and might as the citadel of independence and fortress of socialism. 1 Contents Founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ....................................................................... 5 Laying the foundation of independent and sovereign state ........................................................................... 6 Building of the people’s government ................................ 6 Building of regular armed forces ............................... 11 Enforcement of democratic reforms ............................14 Founding of the people’s state, Kim Il Sung elected to the top post of DPRK ........................................... 19 Defending national freedom and independence ........ 23 Immediate counteroffensive ...................................... 24 New counteroffensive after ordeals ........................... 27 Great victory in Fatherland Liberation War ................ 31 Building socialism, independent, self-supporting and self-reliant in defence ......................................... 35 Reconstruction starts on debris .................................. 36 Brilliant victory of socialist revolution, establishment of people-centred socialist system ....... 39 April theses—programme of socialist revolution ........ 39 Cooperativization of agriculture ............................... 42 Socialist transformation of private trade and industry ... 46 Decisive turn in establishing Juche ............................ 49 Grand Chollima advance .......................................... 53 2 Establishment of socialist economic management system ..................................................................... 57 ‘Rifl e in one hand and hammer or sickle in the other!’..60 Theses on socialist rural question .............................. 62 Turning into socialist industrial state ......................... 65 Consolidation and development of people-centred socialism, defence of socialist cause ......................... 69 Promulgation of socialist constitution, application of socialist democracy in state activities ........................ 70 Intensifi cation of three revolutions ............................ 73 Uninterrupted leap forward in economic construction..76 Dynamic speed campaign ....................................... 76 At the speed of the 1980s! ...................................... 80 In the face of persistent sanctions and blockade ........... 83 Effl orescence of socialist culture ............................... 87 Smashing anti-socialist sophistry .............................. 89 For a new independent world .................................... 92 Defending socialism by dint of Songun, effecting a turn in socialist power building ............................. 97 Holding Kim Il Sung as eternal Sun of Juche ............ 98 Kim Jong Il elected to the top post of DPRK ...........100 Administering Songun politics in all-round way........ 103 Strengthening politico-ideological position of socialism ................................................................105 Laying solid foundations for building economic giant.107 3 Overcoming diffi culties ........................................ 107 Effecting new revolutionary upsurge ....................... 109 Turning into military power .................................... 113 For the independent reunifi cation of Korea ...............115 Three Charters for National Reunifi cation .................115 June 15 North-South Joint Declaration and October 4 Declaration ..........................................................120 Strengthening overseas Koreans’ movement ............ 122 Expansion of external relations ...............................126 For all-round construction of socialist power ......... 129 Holding Kim Jong Il as eternal leader .....................130 Kim Jong Un elected to the top posts of Party, state and army ........................................................ 132 Golden age of military buildup ............................... 134 Decisive turn in improvement of the people’s livelihood and building of economic giant ............... 137 Building of sci-tech and civilized power ................. 139 New era of national reconciliation and unity, peace and prosperity, and independent reunifi cation .......... 142 Landmark events in achieving global peace, stability and prosperity ........................................... 145 Historic visits open up a new chapter for DPRK-China friendship ....................................... 145 Epoch-making meeting makes history for DPRK-US relations ............................................. 147 4 Founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Laying the foundation of independent and sovereign state ............................................... 6 Founding of the people’s state, 70 Kim Il Sung elected to the top post of DPRK..19 DPRK: Seven Decades of Creation and Changes Laying the foundation of independent and sovereign state Building of the people’s government The Korean people emerged victorious in the anti-Japanese armed struggle, which was organized and staged under the wise leadership of Kim Il Sung, the Sun of the nation and legendary hero, and accomplished the historic cause of national liberation in August Juche 34(1945). The liberation of Korea was a great historic event that brought about a radical turn in shaping the destiny of the country and people and opened up a broad avenue to the building of an independent and sovereign state. The overall situation soon after liberation was developing favourably for the Korean revolution. But internal and external situations were very complicated and mountains of diffi culties stood in the way of an independent and sovereign state building. Korea was divided into two due to outside forces, and imperialist and reactionary forces within and without made every vicious attempt to check the struggle of the people for building a new Korea. Kim Il Sung enlisted the patriotic enthusiasm of the liberated people and all patriotic forces to foil the manoeuvres of the imperialists and reactionaries and lay a solid foundation for an independent and sovereign state building. After liberation the people’s government inheriting the anti-Japanese tradition was established in north Korea. The Korean revolutionaries had the rich experience of 6 DPRK: Seven Decades of Creation and Changes having built the people’s government during the anti- Japanese revolutionary struggle. Kim Il Sung had unfolded a plan to found a democratic people’s republic in liberated Korea. But it was impossible to establish a unifi ed government embracing the whole of the country due to the occupation of south Korea by foreign forces and their moves to split the nation. Under the circumstances, it was needed to set up a central power organ in north Korea fi rst and carry out a democratic revolution so as to dynamically advance the Korean revolution and consolidate the foundation for the building of a democratic, independent and sovereign state. Therefore, efforts were made to form a provisional people’s committee as a central organ of state power in north Korea. Meetings of the people at all levels were convened and the people’s committees were organized by way of electing their members. By late November 1945, the people’s committees were formed in all areas of north Korea from provinces to cities, counties, sub-counties and ri to come into operation. By dint of the local people’s committees alone, it was impossible to ensure connection between economic sectors and political, economic and cultural connection between all provinces. Accordingly, on November 19 1945, the ten administrative bureaus of north Korea were organized as a transitional administrative organ for providing unifi ed guidance over the activities of local power organs and realizing economic connection between all provinces. The organizational setup, mode of activities and experience 7 DPRK: Seven Decades of Creation and Changes of the sectoral administrative bureaus served as a framework and asset for establishing a central power organ. Based on such preparations, a consultative conference was convened on February 8 1946, attended by the representatives of democratic political parties, public organizations, administrative bureaus and the people’s committees in north Korea. At the meeting, the Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea was formed with the