Gennadi Astakhov,

President,

Alliance for Study of the Juche Idea (Tynda, Amur),

Winner of International Literary Prize “Pyongyang-2023”

On July 12, 2023 there was another event significant in developing the DPRK strategic force. A new-type ICBM Hwasongpho-18 was test-fired.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, President of the DPRK State Affairs guided the test-fire.

This missile was developed as a pivot and leading device of the DPRK strategic force according to the strategic intention and important decision of the WPK Central Military Commission to strengthen self-defence capabilities of the Republic and for the purpose to firmly control very dangerous military moves of hostile forces.

Mankind is now in the very complicated period. The US and its vassal states intensify military provocations unprecedentedly. Military balance in the Korean peninsula and the region has reached a phase of nuclear crisis.

The US cooked up the “Washington Declaration” this April. It is a nuclear war program that agreed to use nuclear weapons against the DPRK at a meeting of the US-south Korea “Nuclear Consultative Group” meeting which will be a parent body of the “tripartite nuclear alliance” of the US, Japan and south Korea.

The US resorts to extremely provocative aerial espionage acts under the pretext of increasing “visibility” of its strategic assets. It attempts to bring in nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula again by introducing a US nuclear submarine, which carries strategic nukes, into south Korea for the first time in 40 years.

The prevailing situation requires the DPRK to put spurs to the bolstering of self-defensive capabilities in order to deter reckless political and military provocations by hostile forces and defend the country impregnably.

The test-fire of a new-type ICBM is a necessary process whose aim is to further develop the strategic nuclear force of the Republic. It is the DPRK’s strong practical warning to make its enemies clearly realize once again the dangerous and reckless character of their military option.

The test-fire was aimed at re-confirming the technical creditability and operational reliability of the new-type ICBM weapon system. The test-fire was conducted in a way of having no negative effect on the security of the neighboring countries.

The missile traveled up to a maximum altitude of 6 648.4km and flew a distance of 1 001.2km for 4 491s before accurately landing on the preset area in the open waters off the East Sea of Korea.

All the new records confirmed through the test-fire proved the capability, reliability and military utility of the new-type strategic weapon system and undoubtedly verified the dependability of the strategic nuclear force of the Republic.

The DPRK army will equip itself with the Hwasongpho-18 weapon system according to the long-term plan for building the state nuclear force, thus reliably defending security of the state.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un expressed big satisfaction over the result of the test-fire. He extended warm congratulations and thanks to all scientists and technicians in the sector of national defence scientific research who achieved a great success in the test of a new strategic weapon system. The test-fire was successful on the threshold of the significant 70th anniversary of victory in the Fatherland Liberation War (1950-1953) where the great DPRK people shattered the myth of the “mightiness” of the US imperialists. It is a symbolic event that promised the times and the future the history of eternal victory. Kim Jong Un set forth tasks which the sector of the national defence science should carry out to promote dynamically the bolstering of the strategic nuclear force of the Republic.

The DPRK permanent representative Kim Song declared on July 13 that the test-fire was an exercise of the DPRK’s right to self-defence that accords to the UN Charter at the UNSC meeting.

Meanwhile, deputy director Kim Yo Jong of the WPK Central Committee issued a talk on July 14. The talk mentioned that to suppress and frustrate the US most hostile and threatening nuclear confrontation policy against the DPRK is a right to self-defence to save the Korean peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region from disaster of a terrible nuclear war and no one has right to find fault with the DPRK’s launching of a new-type ICBM.

Deputy director Kim Yo Jong said that the DPRK’s endeavor to check dogmatism of the US with strength is more effective than a negotiation to secure peace and stability in the Korean peninsula. The Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim’s saying that “the DPRK’s launching of ICBM on July 12 which the US observed a few days ago with uneasiness is merely a beginning of military offensives that the DPRK has already taken.”

Deputy director Kim also said that the US should stop such a foolish act as provocations against the DPRK because the act would threaten security of the US. Kim stated that “we are ready to resolutely cope with every act that destroys peace and stability of the Korean peninsula, threatens safety of the people and infringes upon their sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state.”

MOFA of the Russian Federation regards that the US and its allies get the DPRK to launch missiles.

It is a quality of state leaders who have a strong conviction in themselves and their people to have a stout talk with the enemy with a big pride. The DPRK leaders achieved victory in the anti-Japanese revolutionary war and the Fatherland Liberation War (1950-1953) and then built strong armed forces as required by the times. Greatness of exploits performed by the DPRK leader Kim Jong Un in building the armed forces is that he inherits the cause of preceding leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il who strengthened national defence capabilities confidently and developed them comprehensively on the basis of the Juche idea.

Greatness of the DPRK is based on such wise politics of its leaders and completion of combat capability of the brave armed forces of the country.

Exploits of President Kim Il Sung

Only when they have a strong revolutionary army, can they defeat the armed imperialists, achieve victory in the revolution and carve out destiny of their country and nation independently—this is the essence of the idea of attaching importance to arms, the military affairs clarified by Kim Il Sung (1912-1994). He founded the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army (KPRA), the predecessor of the Korean People’s Army (KPA), on April 25, 1932. The KPRA led by Kim Il Sung fought against the Japanese invaders in such severe situations that they had neither the state rear nor the support of regular army, and thus liberated Korea on August 15, 1945.

After liberation Kim Il Sung put forward a line of developing the KPRA into a regular army and led wisely for its implementation. As a result, founding of the regular KPA was declared on February 8, 1948.

The outstanding leadership of Kim Il Sung enabled the young KPA to honorably safeguard freedom and independence of the country from aggression of the imperialist allied forces headed by the US who boasted of its world “mightiness”, in the Fatherland Liberation War (1950-1953).

Exploits of Chairman Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission who embodied all qualities of Kim Il Sung was an outstanding brilliant commander of Songun and a possessor of extraordinary military intelligence and prominent strategic wits. He was possessed of surprising faculty of penetration and outstanding foresightedness. He always found out the hidden essence among the already found phenomena. He foresaw the distant future and its aftereffects even in small changes of military situation which were not found out by any one and took appropriate measures for them. The KPA led by him was developed into an invincibly strong army equipped with powerful means of attack and modern means of defence that no large army of enemies dares challenge.

His strategic wit, characterized by stubborn, resolute and uncommon characters, was a basic guarantee for the invincible strength demonstrated by the DPRK in the military showdown with the US that boasts itself of being a “superpower”. Wisely analyzing the prevailing situation and inspecting continuously the KPA units, he taught the soldiers the outstanding operation plans capable of smashing the enemy at a stroke and the strategic and tactical combat techniques.

After the Korean war the DPRK people and the People’s army won one victory after another in every severe confrontation with the US such as the US armed spy ship Pueblo incident, the US large reconnaissance plane “EC-121” incident (the 1960s), the Panmunjom incident (the 1970s) and the nuclear showdown (the 1990s and the early 2000s). These are results of the distinguished leadership of the great brilliant commander of Songun who made a correct analysis of prevailing situations and environments with prominent foresightedness and took responding measures to deal with them, and attacked weak points of the enemies with extraordinary wisdom and unimaginably distinguished techniques, thus bringing them into submission.

Exploits of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un

Another great brilliant commander takes up the top post of the KPA, and he is Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un. Thanks to his energetic leadership, might of the KPA has reached the highest phase. He develops in depth the military strategic ideas of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il with outstanding military judgment, thus taking initiative in the sharp confrontation with the US and achieving victory after victory. Inspecting the KPA units continuously, he initiates extraordinary military operation plans, which surprises even those whose majors are the services, arms and specialists, and restrains oppression by the US and other hostile forces, thus solidifying the DPRK’s position as a nuclear state.

Today the world political circle acknowledges Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un as a leader stronger than others in pluck and faith. As he declared, it is his firm will to go along the road of independence and socialism to the end no matter how the world may change. He never fears any formidable enemy but resolutely frustrates the enemy’s toughness with tougher stance. Even in such a touch-and-go situation that the enemies conducted a large-scale military drill, he inspected military posts in the forefront. He saw that a meeting of airpersons of the KPA was held on a grand scale with the territorial air of the country open. All of these show that he has strong faith and pluck.

Kim Jong Un embodies all features of the preceding leaders’ art of commanding the army. He grasps thoughts, feelings and minds of the soldier masses and constantly guarantees the victory of the single-mindedly strong army with high intention and noble traits. This is the main characteristic in his art of command. Under his leadership, all KPA soldiers have grown into invincible fighters fully prepared ideologically and morally, militarily and technically.

Led by great brilliant commanders through generations, the KPA will be ever-victorious!

In recent years the US has mobilized huge amount of troops and up-to-date military equipment, enough to launch a full-scale war, to stage large-scale joint military exercises of different names, bringing dark clouds of a nuclear war to the Korean peninsula. Nevertheless, sovereignty and socialism of the DPRK, peace and security in the region were defended with credit. The international community realizes through this fact more keenly the substantial might of the KPA that is ever-victorious in the anti-imperialist struggle.

The KPA has made big contributions to comprehensively strengthening of the country’s political and ideological position while demonstrating its might as the pillar and main force of the revolution. As is known, the main reason why socialism collapsed in some countries at the end of the last century was that those countries were weak not in their military and economic potentials but in their political and ideological position.

The DPRK’s political and ideological position was comprehensively cemented by unity and cohesion of the people and the People’s Army officers and soldiers based on one ideology.

The traditional army-people unity in the DPRK develops into a new stage generation after generation. The people and the army officers and soldiers do not simply help and lead each other. They are united in ideology, morality and fighting spirit.

Today I would like to put a special stress on the army-people unity in the DPRK. The unity and cohesion of the people and the KPA officers and men in idea and fighting spirit strengthened remarkably the political and ideological position of the DPRK society. The steel-strong political and ideological position enables socialist Korea to indomitably achieve victory even under severe hardships of history.

The KPA creates ceaseless wonders and brilliant merits also in building socialism as the main force of the revolution.

The KPA soldiers hold the slogan Let us take upon ourselves both national defence and socialist construction! With this slogan they developed numerous mines and coal mines, erected power plants and built factories, enterprises, schools, hospitals and theatres. They have always paved the road for major fronts of the postwar rehabilitation and reconstruction, the socialist construction and the building of a powerful country and laid eternal foundations for prosperity of the country.

Thanks to their militant labour, cultural and emotional life bases for the people including Munsu Water Park and Mirim Horse Riding Club of world standard and new medical service complexes including Okryu Children’s Hospital were erected only in one year of 2013. Unha Scientists Street for scientists and technicians, dwelling houses for educationists at Kim Il Sung University and numerous structures for happiness of the people are results of labor feats performed by all soldiers and those are permeated with their sweat.

Masikryong Ski Resort of world standard was also built by the soldiers. Such a big construction project would usually take more than 10 years to be completed but the soldier builders completed it with credit in a short span of time by creating the unprecedented “Masikryong speed”.

Looking round the newly built Masikryong Ski Resort, Kim Jong Un highly praised their feats by saying that the KPA has done a really good job.

The victorious history of the KPA and the country will continue. One page of the brilliant history records that the DPRK has turned into a full-fledged space power.

The news that the DPRK successfully launched an earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong 4 on February 7, 2016 concentrated interests of the world press and shook the international community.

Why? The history that man launched artificial satellites is more than 65 years. Not few countries on the globe have their own artificial satellites. Then, why does the DPRK’s satellite launch cause such a big sensation?

It is firstly because the fact that the DPRK could successfully launch an artificial satellite under the worst condition is unbelievable, indeed. The DPRK is not a big country. In addition, it suffers from the international sanctions and the blockades imposed by the US and its vassal forces. So it is a wonder for this country to exist in such a condition.

There are no countries but the DPRK which is suffering from such severe sanctions and blockades by the US that boasts itself of being an “international police” and its vassal forces and by the countries who survive by reading face of the US. The DPRK’s satellite launching is obviously an independent and legitimate right of a sovereign state. Peaceful utilization of space is a desire and common reality of all countries in the world. But the US and its vassal forces run amuck to deprive only the DPRK of this right. Whenever the DPRK launched satellites, they fabricated “sanction resolutions” at the UNSC meetings and moved to stifle the DPRK’s economy and its people’s survival. The DPRK launched another satellite in such a circumstance. It showed clearly once again its strong might and pluck to all scoundrels who check its progress and to all hostile forces who do not want its development and happy life of its people but are afraid of them.

It is secondly because the DPRK’s space development is considerably high in speed.

Launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong 1 was successful in August 1998.

Launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong 2 was successful in April 2009.

Launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong 3-2 was successful in December 2012.

Launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong 4 was successful in February 2016.

This is a visual chart that shows the multiple-stage development of the DPRK that aspires to build a space power.

I remember that the world was startled at the successful launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong 1 in the 1990s. The enemies of socialism in the world then raised a comprehensive and concentrated hue and cry against the DPRK for the purpose to exterminate socialism completely on the globe with it as an opportunity that socialism was collapsed in the Soviet Union and some countries in the East Europe. Owing to this, the DPRK could not but go through the most severe hardship.

20 years have passed since then, and during the period the DPRK has made a big leap and developed from a country, young in space development into a powerful one. It made a rapid progress by launching an earth observation satellite after two occasions of satellite test-launching. It developed rapidly from an inclined orbit satellite to a polar orbit one.

It is thirdly because the DPRK is a genuine space power.

There are not few countries that launched satellites and have their own ones in the world. But there are only a few countries that have their own launch pads and place their satellites on the planned orbit near the earth with their own carrier rockets. Furthermore, even those who manufacture and launch satellites rely mostly on others for accessories, technologies and experts.

However, the DPRK has done 100% with its own efforts, technology and resources. In other words, every part of the DPRK’s satellite is made of everything home-made including a small screw. The scientists and technicians who took part in manufacturing, launching and managing the satellite are Korean experts.

The DPRK has already mapped out a bright space development plan and propelled its realization at a rapid speed.

The DPRK is a dignified space power, indeed!

For a state leader, nothing is more important than to defend sovereignty and dignity of his country and nation, destiny and security of his people. Kim Jong Un regards it as his firm political creed to go along the road of independence and socialism even in the great world political tempest and the imperialist military oppression and blackmail. Herein lies the far-reaching strategy, the ultimate victory of the Korean revolution.

Kim Jong Un maintains this line without an inch of deflection. He firmly safeguards peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and the world while frustrating challenges and nuclear threats of the US and hostile forces. He comprehensively strengthens the might of a politico-ideological power and a military power so that no aggressors dare attack and keeps creditably the biggest promise he made with the people.

Kim Jong Un still makes tireless efforts to keep his noble promise that he will make the DPRK people the happiest in the world and to realize civilization of socialism. The entire DPRK people absolutely trust in him and faithfully support his leadership with single mind.

The DPRK has also become a nuclear power thanks to Kim Jong Un’s leadership. The DPRK has made 6 nuclear tests.

First nuclear test:

In October 2006 the DPRK declared success in the first nuclear test. The world press published this eye-opening event with capital letters. This event made the US unstable much as it was in the sharp nuclear showdown with the DPRK.

Those on the opposite side of the ocean clamoured loudly that this event was somewhat “threat”, “violation of the agreement” and so on. But the DPRK was seethed with enthusiastic zeal in celebration of the success achieved in the nuclear test.

The DPRK’s success in the nuclear test was one of the top 10 news issued by the world press in 2006.

Second nuclear test:

In warm spring of 2009 the DPRK concentrated focus of the international community again. A satellite named Kwangmyongsong 2 was launched on April 5, 2009.

The US and its stooges brought the issue to the UN Security Council and made a “president statement” adopted to denounce someone.

The DPRK demanded the UN Security Council to apologize for having infringed on a sovereign state’s right to peaceful utilization of space. It strictly warned that it would take all additional self-defensive measures including a nuclear test if it did not do so.

Declaration of the DPRK was not an empty talk. On May 25 the DPRK conducted the second nuclear test. At that time the Chinese newspaper Huanqiushibao carried an article under the title “Is the DPRK’s Nuclear Issue Forgotten?” The article wrote, “It means that the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programme has reached a new development stage.”

Third nuclear test:

The third nuclear test was conducted on February 12, 2013 due to the US provocation. When the DPRK launched its first application satellite Kwangmyongsong 3-2 on December 12, 2012, the brazen-faced US made its servants operate another “strong sanction” system.

The DPRK declared an all-out confrontation against it.

The DPRK conducted the third nuclear test in February next year.

When interpreting the “all-out confrontation” which the DPRK declared at that time, the nuclear test can be said to be a start of the final offensive against the US.

One month later, that is, in March 2013, the WPK put forward a new strategic line to simultaneously develop the economic construction and the up-building of nuclear force. Through the line, the WPK expressed its will to continuously expand and strengthen the self-defensive nuclear force both in quality and quantity.

Fourth nuclear test:

It was done on January 6, 2016. It was the first test of a hydrogen bomb. The test sent a meaningful message to the international community.

It means that the DPRK has fairly entered the first rank of nuclear powers because it has an H-bomb which is possessed by only 5 countries including the US and Russia among 9 recognized nuclear countries.

It also means that the US begins to be driven totally into bigger fear and instability.

The DPRK has already officially announced the target of its attack. It doesn’t hide that its final target is the US mainland. What will happen if even one of the DPRK’s thermonuclear warheads drops in the US mainland?

Fifth nuclear test:

This time the DPRK finally examined the efficiency and might of standardized nuclear warheads through their test-explosion so that strategic ballistic missiles could be loaded with them.

This means that the DPRK has been possessed of nuclear war deterrent. The DPRK has already been successful in the ground test of high-power jet engine of ICBM, the test of ballistic missile’s reentry into the atmosphere, the test-launch of SLBM, etc. Hwasongpho artillery units of the KPA strategic force successfully conducted ICBM launch drills several times.

Only its demonstration through practice is left. The DPRK will take ceaseless measures to strengthen its nuclear force quantitatively and qualitatively as it regards it as its mission to defend its dignity and right to existence from increasing nuclear threats of the US.

Sixth nuclear test:

Seismological observatories in many countries measured strong underground shocks in the DPRK territory on September 3, 2017. Powerfulness of the earthquake was 6.1-6.4 on the Richter scale and scientists opened to the public that centre of the earthquake was on the surface of the earth.

The DPRK government declared that the test of a thermonuclear warhead was successful.

Kim Jong Un who encourages the people to register new achievements in different fields including national defence, production and life has the strong spirit that shakes heaven and earth.

In March 2012 the situation in the Korean peninsula reached to a brink of war owing to the joint military exercise of the US and south Korea.

At that time, Kim Jong Un was inspecting Panmunjom near the military demarcation line where both friend and foe confronted. He said that, if a war broke out in the future, he would make the enemies kneel down and sign not the armistice agreement but a surrender document. When his words were broadcast, the south Korean media said that “it is a demonstration of his pluck shaking the world”, “Everyone was astonished at the news that is as same as a bolt from the blue sky.” and “It seemed that the White House and the Green House were exploded into pieces in the air.” In December 2012 when the DPRK planned to launch the satellite Kwangmyongsong 3-2, the US and its vassal forces insisted that it was a “missile launch” and threatened the Republic with “sanctions” and “interception”.

Kim Jong Un guided the whole process of its launching on the spot.

The US finally showed its nuclear teeth to the DPRK by fabricating a new UN “sanction resolution”. In response to this, the DPRK conducted the third nuclear test in February 2013. Kim Jong Un held an emergency operation meeting for assignments of the KPA strategic force in March 2013 and finally examined and signed the fire strike plan. Military bases in Guam, Hawaii and even in the US mainland were within the range of its fire strike. Like this, Kim Jong Un declared his decision to put an end to the DPRK-US showdown that lasted for centuries.

The world was much surprised because there has been no such a country that has courage to open to the public even the plan to attack the mainland of the US that boasted itself of being the “only superpower” who has invaded other countries and been engrossed in violence and arbitrariness for centuries. The world has never seen such a brilliant commander who has pluck and will to wipe the root cause of the evil out of the globe even by waging a nuclear war against the “only superpower” if necessary.

Kim Jong Un guides the training of the KPA servicemen with matchless courage, saying that they should annihilate all enemies so that no one can stamp a surrender document if a new war breaks out. On one official occasion he declared that the DPRK is able to cope with any types of wars, battles or fights, which are desired and chosen by the US, and the DPRK is fully prepared for all wars irrespective of whether they are conventional or nuclear ones.

While guiding the manufacturing of nuclear weapons in March 2016, Kim Jong Un said that the right to preemptive nuclear attack is not a monopoly of the US and that, if the US imperialists infringe upon the DPRK’s sovereignty and right to existence with nuclear weapons, it will never hesitate but preemptively attack them with nuclear weapons.

The south Korean and Western media commented “Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un takes unique measures in many cases, his choices are beyond imagination and his strategies are more powerful, offensive and brilliant than expected” and “Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un is never moved by any outside pressure but ceaselessly takes resolute measures against the US, thus enjoying admiration of the world”.

Kim Jong Un of the DPRK is the youngest state leader in the present world.

His spirit concentrates concerns of the international community.