74 years of the people's country- Marta Grelak - Explore DPRK Poland and KFA Member in Poland

For Koreans, September 74 years ago was undoubtedly one of the most joyful and epochal months in their 5000 years-long history. On the 2nd of September 1948, on the basis of the results of the north-south general election, the First Session of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was held in Pyongyang. It adopted the first Constitution of the DPRK. It was the outcome of the nationwide discussion over the draft constitution under the guidance of the great leader and hero of Korean nation, President Kim Il Sung. The discussion participated in by the Korean people who finally could become real masters of their country. What is more, according to the will of the people of Korea, the session elected Kim Il Sung Premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK. And on the 9th of that month, he declared to the whole world the founding of the DPRK.

For the Korean people, the significance of the event of 9th of September was colossal, to say the least. Several years earlier, they suffered under colonial slavery of brutal Japanese occupants, but now, for the first time in their history, they could have the Republic pursuing the policy to genuinely serve their interests, not the interests of foreign forces or the wealthy few.

The above mentioned fact was naturally the greatest blessing and happiness for the Korean people, but it was also a thorn in the side of the imperialist-oriented United States. The US, even after the formal end of its occupation of south Korea, not paying attention to Korean people's will to have a free and unified country, made sure that the south would continue to be a colony-like state under American control. However that's not all, it also did not want the DPRK to exist on the Korean Peninsula, because it saw the independent and truly sovereign, socialist Korea as a threat to its interests, an obstacle to dominating Asia and a dangerously inspiring counter-example to US-led order. Thus, not much later, in 1950, imperialist allied forces led by the US unleashed a war against the DPRK, new Korean state that was founded just two years earlier. 

US policymakers were probably convinced that conquering the young state was going to be an easy task, but they were badly mistaken. In 1953 the world saw an unprecedented miracle, a “confrontation between an A-bomb and a rifle” was won by those with rifles only.  

President Kim Il Sung led the struggle to victory again, thanks to his brilliant tactics and strategies the army and the people of the DPRK defeated the invaders that technically and numerically were far superior to them.

After the war, heartbreaking debris left by US bombings surprisingly fast gave place to newly rebuilt country. The economy was dynamically developing based on revolutionary, Juche-oriented economic politics advanced by President Kim Il Sung. Even US sources (which objectively can be suspected of belittling socialist Korea's achievements) admit that the DPRK’s economic growth was stunning, for example evaluating that in the decade following the war the country's industry grew at 25 percent per annum. The DPRK eliminated the horrific effects of war in less than three years. It realized the socialist transformation of the relations of production, established the socialist system, and developed into a industrial-agricultural socialist state. The country became a socialist industrial state in the next decade, creating a modern, self-sufficient industry. This historic task for socialist industrialization was carried out, in the spirit of self-reliance, in only 14 years. The Korean people gained the state with not only impressive economy, but also with equal rights for women, completely free health care and education, and even genuinely free housing.

In the middle of 1990s the DPRK was exposed to arduous ordeals, unprecedented in the history. In 1994 an excruciatingly painful for the nation tragedy happened, it was the unexpected demise of President Kim Il Sung, the liberator, great leader and kind-hearted father of the Korean people who, always having a bright, warm smile on his face, worked for Koreans' happiness and prosperity all his life. And after the collapse of the socialist bloc at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, the imperialist forces directed their anti-socialist offensive against the DPRK. They went to extremes in all kind of anti-DPRK manoeuvres, from organizing extreme economic blockade against the country to sending military reinforcements to the Korean peninsula to wage war rehearsals there while making open military threats toward socialist Korea. As if that weren't enough, devastating natural disasters hit the country for several consecutive years.

However, despite so grave situation, the DPRK firmly safeguarded its sovereignty and socialist system, and thus the happiness of its people, under outstanding leadership of Chairman Kim Jong Il. With his original Songun politics, based on the Juche idea, the Chairman defeated imperialists' plans to stifle the country. He consolidated the Korean 

People's Army in every aspect and strengthened self-defence capabilities of the DPRK, to protect the peace, independence of the country and safety and interests of the people.

Chairman Kim Jong Il, with his painstaking efforts to improve people's living standards, ensured the revitalization of the country’s economy according to the requirements of the new century. Under his guidance many factories and enterprises made great development, including light industry factories, and others of them were modernly, newly built across the DPRK; multiple hydroelectric power stations appeared in different parts of the country or gigantic land realignment projects were successfully realized to boost the agricultural production. Numerous brilliant sci-tech achievements were made and the Juche-based systems of producing fuel, as well as fertilizer, iron and vinalon based on domestic materials were established.

The admirable road of development and progress travelled by people’s Korea under the wise leadership of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il is continued today thanks to another outstanding leader of the Korean people, respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un. 

The last decade was for the DPRK full of brilliant achievements and victories. To cite an example, the self-defence capabilities of the DPRK have been elevated to the level of the most advanced countries, what guarantees that the Korean people will never ever again have to experience the tragedy of war. Also, for instance, plenty of stunning grand projects have been realized in the economy, science, culture and other fields. Numerous beautiful and modern, I would say world-startling, constructions have been built for the people – including streets, villages or city of Samjiyon, as well all kind of public facilities for various purposes, from healthcare to leisure, etc. Paradoxically, it was also the time when the hostile to the DPRK forces intensified their efforts to stifle it and hit the country with multiple new sets of unprecedentedly draconian economic sanctions. However, apparently, politics of independence and love for the people pursued by respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un turned out to be much more powerful than politics of high-handedness and domination by the imperialists.

Citizens of the DPRK are deeply proud of their country's past. And no wonder, as since its proclamation, it has covered the glorious path, staunchly defending the interests, rights and 

dignity of its people, shocking its enemies and inspiring progressive and good-willed people of the world. And based on the observation of the present reality, it is safe to say that, because the Korean people have the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un as their leader, their country's future will be bright and rosy.

 Marta Grelak - Explore DPRK Poland 

KFA Member in Poland