IN DEFENCE OF JUCHE BASED SOCIALISM

IN DEFENCE OF JUCHE BASED SOCIALISM
by Dermot Hudson

Some people objectively assist US imperialism in its campaign of lies and psychological warfare. Sometimes this is given a trendy liberal or left gloss .However many of such people actually support globalisation and think that the DPRK should open up.

Comrade Kim Jong Il is his work "The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is a Juche Orientated State with Invincible Might says of 'opening up'

"The imperialist reactionaries are now slandering our Republic, the motherland of Juche, claiming that it is “closed” and “isolated,” and are making futile attempts to lead us to “reform” and “openness.”

Our country has never closed its doors, and it maintains good relations with many countries, home to billions of people, around the world, based on mutual respect. As for reform, we reformed the outdated social system in a revolutionary fashion decades ago, and have been constantly creating the new and renovating what is old and backward. In actual fact, the imperialists and reactionaries are hostile towards our country and are blockading it and trying to isolate it.

The “reform” and “openness” they are advocating represent a move to destroy and put down our style of socialism. Such moves will only worsen their relations with us and are doomed to failure"

Some Western experts want the DPRK to become a dependency of US and world imperialism,part of a 'globalised' world ,this is what opening up would mean. The DPRK's solid independence is probably one of its greatest achievements.The DPRK does not have foreign troops stationed on its territory,It is not a member of the IMF or World Bank or APEC.The DPRK declined to join the old socialist bloc CMEA grouping and did not join the Warsaw Pact.The DPRK defied not only the US and NATO but also Russia and China in carrying the 2 nuclear tests and also missile tests.The DPRK's no nonsense independent spirited approach is worthy of support and admiration Juche based socialism in the DPRK has achieved great miracles in all fields.The DPRK built socialism not in easy conditions but on the debris of war and in a divided country and under constant threat and pressure from US imperialism and its allies.The DPRK was quick to heal the war damage and then industrialise rapidly.During the late 1950s industrial output growth hit 40% some years.The workers of the Kangson steel plant (now the Chollima Steel Complex took the lead by doubling production in one go.During the period 1957-1970 the DPRK's economy grew by 19.1%.
Between 1946 and 1984 industrial output value increased by 431 times and national income increased by 65 times.
Now under the 100 day campaign the growth in
industrial output value has topped 30%.Making the DPRK the fastest growing
economy in the world.

Western journalists and writers like to concentrate on the food shortage issue in the DPRK.This came about because of a series of consecutive natural disasters in the 1990s -hailstorm,several years of flood and then drought.These were compounded by an energy shortage and sanctions.In fact the DPRK had been exporting rice and maize until 1993.Despite limited arable land the DPRK had become basically food self sufficient by 1960.The DPRK was one of the top 10 exporters of rice in the late 1970s and the UN FAO
stated that the DPRK had the world record for per hectare yields of rice.Now DPRK agriculture resuming its onward march and was visited by an abundant bumper harvest in 2008.

The DPRK has full employment,people are guaranteed the right to work by the Consitution and this is underpinned by socialist planning and the independent national economy.Taxation was abolished back in 1974 and the agricultural tax in kind was abolished in the period 1964-1966.Housing is supplied virtually free of charge.The Pyongyang Metro is one of the cheapest in the world with a flat rate fare of about 2p(compare this to £4 minimum fare on the London underground.
Education at all levels is free started from kindergarten right up to university level.DPRK university students are not burdened with heavy debts,their accomdation and clothing is supplied free of charge.Education has good quality facilites.This can be witnessed at the Changwang Kindergarten and universities such as the Kim Chaek University and Kim Il Sung university.A new state of the art e library has been opened at the Kim Chaek
University built entirely with DPRK funds and resources.Children at the Changgwang kindergarten recieve 5 meals a day.Each child gets 120g of rice per day a far cry from
the alleged starvation that the imperialists press claims takes place !
Health care is also free including prescriptions and dentistry.The DPRK public health system is a self reliant people centred socialist healthcare system.The
DPRK public health service does not rely on low wage labour from outside the country,unlike the NHS !.There is no hidden fees or costs either in DPRK hospitals (such as parking charges,fees for single rooms,tv charges etc-all of which exist in the UK). It includes the section doctor system whereby doctors actually give check ups to patients in their homes and make rounds of localities.

Socialism in the DPRK is not a copy of the Soviet Union or China nor it is dependent on anyone.It is a Korean style socialist system centred on the popular masses. In the DPRK people are free from the evils of capitalist society such as exploitation,oppression,drugs,violence etc. In the DPRK thanks to the Juche idea independence and creativity are blooming.It is the system chosen by the Korean people themselves.It will prosper even more under the banner of Juche and self reliance and the Songun revolutionary leadership of the great leader comrade Kim Jong Il.

(This special article will be published by the UK KFA/ UK Korea Friendship Association and JISGE / Juche Idea Study Group England)