Opinion

Jucche ideology leading to socialism

- Krishna Bahadur Mahara

After meeting with the Ambassador of Democratic People’s Republic (DPR) of Korea in Nepal, I accepted the invitation to go to Korea in September 2008. I was specially invited by the department of Information and Communication of DPR Korea to share bilateral experiences in information and communication.

The Korean political power was established through the accomplishment of a historic revolution and the continuous struggle against the remnants of the domestic feudalism inside and against imperialism outside.

In our visit, we met with the president and four vice presidents of the department of Information and Communication of DPR of Korea. One of the four vice presidents assisted us during our visit there. We formally talked with president and after we visited the Deputy General Director of International Department of the Labor Party of Korea. Our further visit was with the president of the Presidium of People’s Assembly.

The Korean people have their own history established after a protracted People’s war. We have our own clear understanding that Korea is strictly fighting against the intervention of imperialism. Therefore, we were curious to learn about Korea. It’s a natural thing to have friendly relationships between a country advancing ahead to build socialism and our party the CPN (Maoist). Although the situation of the two countries is quite different, we felt that we are similar in our agendas of independence, nationality, People’s Liberty and in building a prosperous nation with a strategic vision. The government of the People’s Republic of Korea and the Korean people has positive views towards Nepal and the Nepalese People.

Political Situation of DPR of Korea:

Some of our friends were telling us that the visit of Korea would not be so fruitful. They told us that Korea is a country isolated from the world. They have negative views towards Korea. However, as we reached Korea, we did not see this was the case. On the contrary, we found People’s Republican Korea prosperous and widely connected with world.

While viewing the political situation of any country, we should pay attention towards the leadership and the ideology that has been developed. Kim Ill Sung has developed the Juchhe ideology as a unique contribution to the international communist movement. The political system is under the command of the Korean Labor Party. Many institutions and organizations are freely operating there. Some of the institutions and organizations have neutral ideas. The Korean Labor Party has secured its position in the power. Under the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, there is a People’s Army and people’s powers. From the point of view of multiparty competition, the political system of Korea seems a closed system; however, there is no feeling of it being a closed system as we enter into the inner part of the political system. There is a committee system from top to grass roots level; citizens have authority of fundamental rights. There is a full democratic tradition to take part in discussion and debate openly. There is a systematic process to exercise democracy and synthesize the opinions of the people. In our visit and talks, we felt that a harmonious environment has been created between the state power, party, institutions and organizations for discussion and debate. The people have accepted the political power heartily. The political power has always accepted and given priority to the sentiment of the people and their necessity.

The state has provided free education and health. Everybody is employed. The government has given its priority on the fundamental rights of the people. It is fully responsible towards the people. The Korean people want to end the demarcation of North and South. They are in favor of the unification of Korea. The Korean people want the US army to leave the South. They desire the unification of Korea without external intervention.  

Political Power: authoritarian or democratic?

In our point of view, the government that is imposed on the people against the interests, ambitions and aspirations of the people is authoritarian. The government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is more democratic. If the political power is run following the aspirations of the people, it is not totalitarian. The political power cannot be totalitarian. The government is responsible to all the sectors of the Korean people. There is a close relationship between the government and the people. The charge of ‘totalitarian’ is the propaganda of imperialism to conceal their misdeeds in their “democratic” countries.  The Korean people strongly deny these kinds of imperialist propaganda.

I got opportunity to see some historical and cultural programs held there. We watched sports, cultural fairs and festivals. There was a huge volunteer participation of the people. We saw that the political power of Korea has not created any compulsion or obstruction against the will and aspiration of the people. They are free to think and advance ahead to develop their talent and skill. The government has given priority to their fundamental view point. The government respects and addresses public opinion and aspiration.

The government honors the qualification and capacity of the doctors, scientists, professor and scholars. We observed the Grand People’s Study Center. The young have good opportunities to develop their talent.

There is no demarcation of class division from common people to the level of the government. All have the opportunity for employment. The government has addressed the preliminary needs of the people appropriately and scientifically.

Economic condition:

The most important thing is that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has its ultimate goal to reach to socialism. The state power has developed its economic plans and programs following the track to the socialism. The first basic thing for it is that nobody is unemployed and everybody is contributing to secure a socialist goal. The second is that the work of building infrastructure is rapidly progressing. America and Europe are now in the whirlpool of economic crisis. They attack Korea only to conceal their faults and failure. The state power has made a 4-year plan to connect its national railway links with the remote villages of the country. The government has extended its internal communication throughout the country. Publication and publicity is on a broad scale. However, in Korea, people are very hopeful about their future and the full prosperity of the nation.

The economy of Korea is neither backward nor advanced. However, there has been a lot of economic development and it is continuously progressing. It is false that the Korean people are dying without food. The base of the economic progress is a cooperative system. These cooperatives are small, mid and large. People work in these cooperatives for their own livelihood and for contribution to the nation. Even private sectors are working there. There are big hotels. The government has applied a measurement for the investment of private sector.

I have seen that the socio-cultural transformation is progressing rapidly according to the need of Korea. From our 5 day visit to Korea, we have came to know that the government has adapted to the speed of the world along with science and technology. The people are in favor of progressive socio-cultural transformation. There is no inequality and discrimination.

Juchhe ideology and the aspiration of the People

Two things have deep influence over people: one the question of leadership and the other the question of ideology. People have unfathomable affection and honor to com. Kim Ill Sung. They address him “Father of the motherland”. The immortal contribution to the nation and its people by Kim Ill Sung is directly related with the liberty and independence of the Korean people. The Korean Labor party has adopted the Juchhe ideology as its guiding ideology.

The ideology has four aspects. First, Juchhe ideology gives emphasis to the unity among the workers, peasants and intellectuals. There is sickle, hammer and pen in the flag of Korean Labor Party. Second, they have held ideology strongly and concretized it into formula that ‘Man is the master of everything and can decide everything.’ It strongly grasps the conception and spirit of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism that ‘only the people are the creators of history’.

Third is the principle of Independence means ‘standing on ones own feet’. The fourth one is the strong sentimental unity between leaders and people. An ideology without mass sentiment is worthless. It cannot serve the nation and its people. Korean people say that Kim Ill Sung was progressive ideologically and he has a deep love to the people.   

Military policy

In course of our visit, we talked about the People’s Army. Korea calls its military strategy the “Sangun Policy”. The essence of the policy is to make the People’s Army strong for the protection of socialism. The People’s Army should always be strong for national independence and its people.

Korea has a long history of fighting against Japanese and American imperialism. If we review this history, the policy of the security of the nation is the obligation of Korea and the Korean people. Making a strong People’s Army is a necessity for the Korean people. This is necessary due to the war imposed by imperialism because there is a long history of inhuman massacres by imperialists. More than 10 million people lost their lives in such imperialist interventions. Each Korean family is a family of martyrs. We went to the War Museum there. After the seeing the War Museum, everyone is confident that the military policy of Korea is objectively correct.

International relationship:

In the course of our visit, we viewed the International friendship Exhibition. There were innumerable gifts and prizes given to Kim Ill Sung by the international friends and institutions and the people. If we take one minute for each item, 1 minute, it would take one and a half years to look at all the items present. Not only from international friends, but also Kim Ill Sung has met people from all over Korea. He has visited many places inside the country. Tourists in large numbers are visiting Korea. We found that tourists wandering over many areas in the country. The tourists are from Europe, America and other continents as well. There is always a crowd of tourist to see the international friendship exhibition. Korea has adopted a peaceful and friendly international diplomatic policy.

(As told to Red Star reporter)