Ri Jong Hwa

Researcher of KASS

Mr. director-general and Mr. secretary-general of the International Institute of the Juche Idea who organize meaningfully and hold with sincerity an international seminar under the theme “Independence, Sovereignty and Social Development”,

Heads and delegates of the Juche idea study organization delegations from many countries of the world,

Availing myself of this meaningful opportunity, I’d like to speak about independence that enabled to build our Republic into the most powerful and brilliant country.

Today our people greet with joy and enthusiasm the 75th founding anniversary of the DPRK that is their glory and destiny.

This time when we are looking back on the 75-year history of the Republic reminds us first of independence, meaning that it ensures the birth, the present and the prosperous future of our strong and brilliant Republic.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said.

“Independence is the political philosophy of our Republic, and it constitutes the core of the Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist ideas on State building.”

Independence is a concept that has comprehensive meanings.

As a concept that constitutes the core of the Juche idea, it sometimes means a social man’s intrinsic attribute to live and develop as a master of the world and his own destiny, and sometimes means a political idea that contains the principle and ways for independence of man, the popular masses.

Independence, as a political idea, means that a party and a state map out lines and policies for revolution and construction in consonance with interests of its people and realities of its country, thus carrying them out by relying on the strength of its people.

Independent line of our Party and state is the one in which the political idea of independence is applied.

Thanks to the independent line of our Party and state, our Republic had turned into the most powerful and brilliant country.

Independence has been a starting point of mapping out all lines and policies of our Party and state.

The democratic social reforms, the socialist revolutionary line to change forms of the economy along socialist lines prior to technical change after the war, the basic line of socialist economic construction to give preference to the development of heavy industry and develop light industry and agriculture simultaneously, the general line of socialist construction whose main contents are the three revolutions—ideological, technical and cultural—and all other lines and politics put forward by our Party and state were to realize independent demand and interests of our people and run through with the love and sense of responsibility for them. Implementing the independent line of the Party and state is immediately a process in which the people become independent and powerful beings and their aspiration and demand are realized, and therefore, they absolutely supported the lines and policies of the Party and state and devotedly implemented them.

President Kim Il Sung was a great person. He taught the truth that revolution can be neither exported nor imported and there can be no immutable formula in making revolution. He advanced unique and creative lines and policies in the century when flunkeyism, dogmatism and dominationism were predominant.

Chairman Kim Jong Il continued vigorously the history of the President’s independent politics.

The Chairman said with earnest that it was possible to realize sovereignty and freedom of a nation and achieve its happiness and prosperity only when it maintains independence, and showed abilities of his outstanding independent politics.

At the end of the 1970s, the Chairman put forward a strategic slogan Let us live our own way! It displayed remarkably his thoroughgoing spirit of independence.

The Chairman set forth clear-cut lines to defend the Republic and its people, achieve everlasting prosperity of the nation and realize peace and stability of the world and cause of human independence at the crossroads of whether they would be slaves of a ruined nation or independent people at the end of the 1990s when the country was faced with manifold trials and difficulties, and translated the lines into reality.

Ideas and theories put forward by the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, the great successor to the revolution of Juche, are also run through thoroughly with independence.

The idea, put forward by the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un in 2012, a historical watershed marking the start of a new century of Juche era, that it is an permanent strategy of our revolution to advance along the road of independence, the line of simultaneously developing the economic construction and the up-building of nuclear forces, the line of directing all efforts to the socialist economic construction, the idea of remarkably increasing strength of motive force, the present important policies for the economy and anti-epidemics, etc. are typical examples.

Independence served also as a fundamental principle of our Party and state activities.

Road to independence is not a smooth one that can be chosen and covered by everyone. It can be covered only by the state and people who are prepared to sacrifice themselves and stand many hardship and trials.

In history of our revolution, independence was not merely a matter related to line but a fatal matter of whether they are dead or alive under manifold pressure by hostile forces. The road to independence was a very difficult and arduous struggle against flunkeyism, dogmatism, dominationism, great-power chauvinism and imperialism.

However, our Party and state did not move off the road to independence in order to defend the people’s destiny and well-being.

The President and the Chairman adhered firmly to the line of independence while dealing actively and ingeniously with the rapidly-changing situation during the whole period of leading the revolution and led to victory the revolution and construction by relying on the people even under unprecedented ordeals.

Decision of the great leaders, who held high the banner of independence in the last century when flunkeyism, dogmatism and dominationism prevailed, was great, indeed. In addition, revolutionary practice of the great leaders, who did not abandon the independent stand but consistently carried out our revolutionary cause with gut, was a miracle to be recorded remarkably in history of modern politics.

As it had these great masters of the independent politics, our Republic did not read any others’ face but could have expressed its view on the international arena and registered only victories since its founding.

Independence is the fundamental principle which the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un maintains invariably in the state building.

It is the creed of Kim Jong Un that no concession and compromise can be allowed in dealing with a matter related to fundamental interests of our state and people whatever wind may blow and whatever challenges and difficulties may lie ahead.

Thanks to his independent politics, our Republic is recognized as a state that creates sensational events in succession. The world people are astonished at pluck and spirit of our Republic that not only took one after another the measures of loving the people, dared by no other countries, and implemented them but dignifiedly insisted its opinion and decision at the talks with “the only superpower” in the world for the last 10 years. It is a great historic act that can be performed only by our country, a fortress of independence.

Now the world public opinion unanimously comments that the problem of the Korean peninsula is decided by the strategic resolution and will of the DPRK no matter what stand and attitude its neighbouring countries may take. It is the strategic position and might achieved by our state by dint of the independent politics.

As independence, that is the ardent love for the people and the idea of making selfless, devoted efforts for their good, is applied, our Republic has been strengthened into a dignified and prosperous socialist country of Juche, a country of the single-hearted unity. Now it gains fame as a fortress of independence, enjoying high international prestige and influence.

Truth proved in practice costs a fortune. Today our people keep in minds the faith that independence guarantees prosperity and victory and the philosophy that an independent powerful country is not collapsed by trials but advances full of vibrant vigor and energy.

Where there is a highly fluttering flag of independence, there is dignity of a nation and powerfulness and eternal prosperity of a state—this is the truth that the country of Juche, the power of independence who is led by the great person with strong independent stand, teaches once again to the people who have entered the third decade of the 21st century.