Report to the Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea on the work of the Central Committee

Report to the Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea on the work of the Central Committee
Source	Korean Books

Dear comrades,

The decades since the Sixth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea have been a period of the most severe struggle and a glorious era of victory when a great turn has been brought about in the long history of our Party.

During the period under review, in circumstances of unprecedented harshness, the Workers’ Party of Korea put forward Juche-oriented lines and policies at every stage of the revolution. It advanced the revolution and construction dynamically by relying on our great people, and thus achieved brilliant victories in implementing the cause of socialism and ushered in a new era of national prosperity. In following an arduous and thorny path of revolution that has never been trodden by any other party or people in history, our Party has been firmly convinced of the validity and invincibility of its ideology and cause, and our people have hardened their will and resolve to advance for ever along the road of Juche indicated by the Party.

Today, our Party members and all other people are celebrating the Seventh Party Congress, with indelible memories of the proud exploits they have performed on the strength of their indomitable spirit and through a heroic struggle, and with great pride in being victors. The Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea will be a historic watershed in further strengthening our Party, stepping up the building of a powerful socialist country and hastening the final victory of the Juche revolution, all of which will be achieved by holding aloft the banner of modelling the whole society on Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism.

The great victory of the Juche idea and Songun politics

Comrades,

During the period under review the Workers’ Party of Korea, holding fast to the banner of the great Juche idea and the Songun-based revolutionary line, mobilized Party members and all other people to carry out the cause of the Juche revolution.

The Juche idea served as the ever-victorious banner guiding our revolution along the road of Juche in the face of worldwide political upheavals and manifold hardships, and Songun politics served as the priceless sword of victory enabling our Party and people to perform miracles of history in overcoming the severe difficulties.

Thanks to the great Juche idea and Songun politics of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the devoted struggle of our service personnel and other people who are unfailingly loyal to the Party, proud victories have been achieved in socialist construction and lasting foundations for accomplishing the cause of the Juche revolution have been laid.

The struggle for the victorious advance of the socialist cause

Comrades,

Socialism is a sacred cause for realizing the demand and desire of the masses of the people for independence; it is a revolutionary cause that advances amid a fierce struggle against imperialism and all other counterrevolutionary forces.

During the period under review the Workers’ Party of Korea, in the face of ordeals and hardships that were more trying than anything it had ever encountered before, waged a struggle to advance the socialist cause.

The Sixth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea was a historic milestone in building up the political, military and economic strength of our revolution and victoriously advancing the socialist cause by transforming all aspects of social life in conformity with the requirements of the Juche idea, holding aloft the banner of modelling the whole society on the Juche idea.

Our Party, by pushing ahead with the efforts to model the whole Party and the entire army on the Juche idea and make all members of society revolutionary, working-class and intellectual in line with the programme, put forward by the Sixth Party Congress, of modelling the whole society on this idea, strengthened the motive force of the socialist cause. It held fast to the strategic line of putting the national economy on a Juche-oriented, modern and scientific footing and mobilized the people in the effort to implement it. In this way great progress was made in attaining the ten long-term objectives for socialist economic construction. The brilliant victories and successes achieved by our Party in the struggle to implement the decisions of the Sixth Party Congress amid the fierce flames of the movement for creating the speed of the 1980s, created a solid foundation on which full play could be given to the advantages of socialism and the complete victory of socialism could be hastened.

The struggle of our Party and people to achieve the complete victory of socialism under the banner of modelling the whole society on the Juche idea was confronted with a grave challenge when the anti-socialist and counterrevolutionary whirlwind blew across the world at the end of the last century.

In the international arena socialism collapsed in one country after another owing to the manoeuvres of the imperialists and renegades of socialism. Taking underhand advantage of this tragic turn of events, the imperialists concentrated their anti-socialist offensive against our country, the bulwark of socialism. They resorted to vicious schemes in trying to stifle our socialism in all fields of politics, military affairs, the economy, ideology and culture.

To cope with this grave situation the Workers’ Party of Korea organized and conducted a daring struggle to defend and advance the socialist cause with a resolute determination to smash the imperialists’ counterrevolutionary offensive by means of a revolutionary offensive.

Through the revolutionary ideological offensive our Party succeeded in safeguarding the socialist ideology and ideals from the imperialists’ onslaught and abuse and in firmly consolidating our politico-ideological position. In the face of the adverse wind that brought the collapse of socialism and the anti-socialist ideological trend, it demonstrated scientifically and theoretically that socialism represents the people’s ideal of independence and justice, and that its triumph is inevitable. It thereby instilled confidence in socialism into the people and dealt a telling blow to the imperialists and reactionaries who had been clamouring about the “end” of socialism.

We intensified politico-ideological education among Party members and other working people to ensure that all of them kept the firm faith that they can emerge victorious when they defend socialism and will be as good as dead if they abandon it, and that they took an active part in the struggle to make the socialism of our own style more brilliant.

In consideration of the change in the international environment and by drawing on the lessons of history gained in building socialism our Party, while comprehensively consolidating the politico-ideological position, sustained the original features of socialism in all fields of socialist construction and social life and gave full play to the advantages of the socialism of our own style.

Our Party dynamically carried on the socialist cause, holding aloft as ever the banner of the Juche idea, the banner of socialism, with firm faith in the validity of the socialist cause of Juche and in its victory, and based on absolute trust in our people who steadfastly followed it.

At a time when our socialist cause was advancing triumphantly along the road of Juche and bright prospects for national reunification were opening up in the rapidly changing situation, our Party and people were plunged into national mourning by the sudden loss of Comrade Kim Il Sung, the leader whom they believed in as in heaven and had followed. The demise of Comrade Kim Il Sung was the greatest sorrow and loss to our Party and people and the bitterest trial for our revolution.

After the period of national mourning, the imperialists and their vassal forces went to extremes in trying to strangle us by means of political and military pressure, war moves and an economic blockade. In addition, the country suffered a series of severe natural disasters, all of which subjected our people to indescribable difficulties and ordeals in economic construction and their everyday lives. The security of our country and the destiny of socialism were in jeopardy and our people were compelled to undertake the Arduous March and forced march, trials which were unheard of in history.

At this juncture, when there was worldwide concern over the future of our country and the imperialist reactionaries were absurdly trumpeting our possible “policy switch” and “system collapse,” Comrade Kim Jong Il resolutely declared his iron determination invariably to defend and carry forward to completion the cause of the Juche revolution pioneered by Comrade Kim Il Sung, however thorny the road of the revolution might be, and he wisely led the revolution and construction entirely as Comrade Kim Il Sung had intended and done.

Under his wise leadership the Workers’ Party of Korea firmly maintained the Songun-based revolutionary line, the ever-victorious path of the Korean revolution, and enforced Songun politics in a comprehensive way by carrying forward the cause of Comrade Kim Il Sung.

Songun politics is the main socialist political mode of Comrade Kim Jong Il’s style. It gives precedence to military affairs above all else on the principle of attaching importance to arms, the principle of prioritizing military affairs, strengthens the motive force of the revolution with the Korean People’s Army as the core and main force, and advances the socialist cause victoriously by relying on it. It embodies the fundamentals of the Songun revolution that the dignity of the country and nation and the victory of the revolution hinge on the arms of the revolution, and incorporates both the spirit of self-reliance and self-development by which one makes revolution by one’s own efforts by building up one’s strength and our Party’s thoroughgoing stand of anti-imperialist independence, as well as its revolutionary principles.

Songun is a glorious tradition of the Korean revolution, and Songun politics is based on the history and experience of our revolution which was started and advanced by force of arms under the banner of Juche. The mode of Songun politics is deeply rooted in the great Juche idea, and thanks to it and the politico-ideological and military strength built up in the course of the struggle to model the whole society on the Juche idea, the might of Songun could be brought into full play and the Songun era, a new era of the Juche revolution, ushered in.

Comrade Kim Jong Il, by continuing the march of Songun without interruption and with absolute trust in our service personnel and other people who were faithful to the Party’s cause, led the socialist cause of Juche along the road of victory. While comprehensively building up the People’s Army, the main force of the Songun revolution, our Party established a system of state administration in which national defence is given priority and reorganized and readjusted all fields in line with the principles and requirements of Songun.

Our Party, on the principle of prioritizing and giving precedence to military affairs, channelled primary efforts into developing the defence industry.

In the rigorous period when the enemy went to extremes in trying to isolate and stifle the DPRK and the whole nation had to tighten their belts, Comrade Kim Jong Il displayed the iron will to increase the country’s defence capabilities at any cost and further strengthened and developed our defence industry into an industry that is powerful and self-reliant. The Juche-oriented defence industry created by Songun politics constituted a guarantee for foiling the imperialists’ aggressive moves and safeguarding the security of the country and the bulwark of socialism.

The Workers’ Party of Korea firmly maintained the stand of anti-imperialist independence and socialist principles in the whole process of implementing Songun politics. This stand and these principles are fundamental for a revolutionary party in implementing the socialist cause, and a touchstone distinguishing revolution from counterrevolution and socialism from opportunism. For our Party and people, maintaining this stand and these principles had never been such an acute, vital question as it was in the period of the Arduous March, when the question was whether they would lead a dignified life as an independent people or become the slaves of imperialism once again. As the situation got more serious, our Party raised the banner of Songun even higher and maintained its stand and principles more firmly on the strength of arms. In this way it led our revolution confidently along the road of victory.

Our Party resolutely overpowered the imperialists and crushed their outrageous pressure and challenges by responding with the tougher countermeasure of wielding a sword when the enemy were drawing a knife and levelling a cannon when they were pointing a gun. With the spirit of the arms of Songun it raised a shield to the indecent wind of bourgeois liberalism and “reform” and “opening-up” blowing in from around us, allowing us to advance straight ahead along the road of socialism, as we chose.

Following the end of the Cold War, several countries abandoned their principles and opted for compromise and submission, overawed by the US military pressure and high-handedness. But the Workers’ Party of Korea maintained the stand of anti-imperialist independence and socialist principles without the slightest vacillation. Its fighting experience shows that still now, during the showdown of strength with imperialism, the principles of anti-imperialist independence and socialism can be defended and maintained by powerful arms alone, not by rhetoric.

The Workers’ Party of Korea victoriously led the struggle to defend the destiny of the country and people and safeguard and advance socialism on the strength of invincible arms.

Our Party smashed the mounting military pressure and aggressive manoeuvres of the imperialists and their vassal forces at every step by relying on its powerful military might.

The imperialist reactionaries, in an attempt to hinder us and stifle the socialism of our own style, resorted to international sanctions and a blockade and went wild in their pursuit of aggression by designating our country a target of a preemptive nuclear strike. But they failed utterly to browbeat our Republic, which has built an iron fortress on the strength of Songun.

Our Party resolutely resisted the enemy’s naked military blackmail and aggressive manoeuvres designed to violate our country’s sovereignty and our people’s destiny and to stifle our system, and inspired all its members, the entire army and all the people to join the just struggle for defending the country and socialism.

Thanks to the heroic struggle of the officers and men of the People’s Army and other people who rose up as one in single-hearted unity behind the Party, we won victory after victory in the protracted and fierce anti-imperialist, anti-US confrontation and completed the Arduous March and forced march with credit, thereby defending our national security and sovereignty and socialism with honour.

Our Party, by thwarting the imperialists’ ceaseless moves to start a war and saving the people from the holocaust of war, fulfilled its mission and duty as the protector of the destiny of the country and people. At present various parts of the world are still being devastated by war and people in a number of countries are still wandering in search of a means of survival. But the gunfire of war has not been heard in our country for several decades, and our people, though they are not well-off, are leading a peaceful and stable life, free from war. This is thanks entirely to Songun politics, and herein lies the greatest achievement of our Party.

Even in the severe struggle to defend socialism our Party, looking forward to a future of national prosperity with firm confidence in victory, set the ambitious goal of building a powerful socialist country and steadily strove to advance the socialist cause to a new stage.

The building of a powerful socialist country was the intention of Comrade Kim Il Sung and is the ideal and desire of our people. Our Party put forward a new line of economic construction in which the defence industry would be developed on a priority basis while boosting light industry and agriculture simultaneously, which was in keeping with the requirements of the Songun era, and mobilized our service personnel and all other people for a general onward march to build a powerful socialist country. The Kanggye spirit embodying the revolutionary soldier spirit was created, the torch of Songgang was kindled, and miracles and exploits were performed ceaselessly on all fronts of socialist construction. All this was done under the Songun-based leadership of our Party that had identified the People’s Army as the main force of the Songun revolution and the architect of the people’s joy and encouraged the whole society to learn from the revolutionary soldier spirit displayed by the army.

By bringing about a great turn in building a powerful socialist country through its Songun-based revolutionary leadership, our Party corroborated the truth that we can build our country into a world power in any adversity by relying on the force of arms, and it opened up a new, higher stage in the independent development of the nation and the fulfilment of the socialist cause.

It is a miracle of history, and also a great victory for the Juche idea and Songun politics, that our army and people, under the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea, could safeguard socialism and victoriously advance the socialist cause, standing alone against the US-led allied imperialist forces.

Comrades,

At a time when a historic turn was being effected in implementing the cause of the Juche revolution, and when the socialism of our own style was making a dynamic advance along the road of victory opened up by Songun politics, our Party and people were suddenly bereft of Comrade Kim Jong Il and went into national mourning once again.

Even as they wept tears of blood over the loss of Comrade Kim Jong Il, all our Party members, service personnel and other people, his soldiers and devoted followers, turned their sorrow into strength and courage and rallied firmly behind the Party Central Committee, turning out with determination in the struggle to translate into reality the intentions and wishes he had pursued in his lifetime.

The Workers’ Party of Korea, true to his ideas and intentions, organized and led the struggle to create a new turning point in fulfilling the socialist cause.

At the historic Fourth Party Conference our Party made clear its revolutionary faith and will to hold the great Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in the highest esteem as the eternal leaders of our Party and revolution and to maintain the great Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism as its eternal guiding ideology. It also mobilized its members and other people in a campaign to implement the instructions they had given in their lifetime. In line with the requirements for a crucial, historic turning point in carrying forward the cause of the Juche revolution, we further strengthened the Party organizationally and ideologically as befits the guiding force of the revolution, waged an intensive Party-wide struggle to root out abuses of power, bureaucratism and corruption, and established iron discipline and order within it. In this way we increased the Party’s fighting efficiency and might in a comprehensive way.

The Workers’ Party of Korea, as required by the prevailing situation and developing revolution, set out the strategic line of simultaneously promoting economic construction and the upbuilding of the nuclear forces, and made strenuous efforts to this end. Our Party’s new line is not a temporary countermeasure adopted to cope with the rapidly-changing situation, but a strategic line to which we should hold fast permanently in view of the supreme interests of our revolution. It is also an absolutely correct and revolutionary line aimed at building a prosperous socialist power as soon as possible by stepping up economic construction while making the country’s defences impregnable, with the nuclear forces as the backbone. Thanks to the vigorous struggle waged by our army and people to implement the Party’s strategic line, a strong guarantee has been furnished for putting a final end to the anti-imperialist, anti-US showdown and hastening the final victory of our cause.

The Workers’ Party of Korea, as the great leaders had planned and wished, launched a general all-people onward march to build the country into a thriving people’s paradise, thus ushering in a new era of national prosperity.

We made sure that Party organizations and government organs held fast to the principle of giving the highest and absolute priority to the people’s interests and comfort and strove with devotion to bring all the benefits of socialism to our people, the finest people in the world.

Our army and people, fully supporting the Party’s leadership, staged a daring campaign to carry through the leaders’ lifetime instructions and defend Party policy. By thus creating a new Korean speed in socialist construction, they have ushered in a Mallima era when, by racing against time, they reduce ten years to one.

The startling reality in our country at present has fully convinced Party members and all other people that they can build a powerful socialist country by their own efforts without fail, as the great leaders wished, and that the day of final victory for the cause of the Juche revolution is not far off.

The socialist cause of Juche is a science, and invariably adhering to and thoroughly embodying the revolutionary line and mode of independence maintained by the great leaders is precisely the way to achieve the victory of our revolution and eternal prosperity of the nation–this is the basic conclusion to be drawn from the struggle of our Party and people for advancing the socialist cause during the period under review.

The heroic struggle of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Korean people in carrying forward the socialist cause to victory, holding aloft the banner of Juche and the banner of Songun in unprecedented adversity, will go down for ever in the sacred history of our Party and the history of the masses’ struggle for independence.