100 Questions and Answers on Korean-style Socialism
Now the world people highly praise the Korean-style socialism as a citadel of socialism that is vigorously advancing despite all sorts of challenges and unprecedented blockade of the imperialists.
It is of great significance to correctly understand the scientific accuracy, justness and vitality of Juche-oriented Korean socialism built by President Kim Il Sung, a peerless great man and father of socialist Korea, and is now being consolidated by leader Kim Jong Il, a peerless great man in the 21st century and brilliant commander of Songun.
Marking the centenary of birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, the sun of Juche, the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front sets column “100 questions and answers on Korean-style socialism” in its homepage and introduces it.
Essence of Korean-style socialism
1. What is the quintessence of Korean-style socialism?
Leader Kim Jong Il said that Korean-style socialism is socialism that the popular masses are masters of everything and everything serves them and develops by dint of unity of the popular masses.
Firstly, the Korean-style socialism is socialism that the popular masses are masters of everything and everything serves them.
The progressive nature of a society is decided by the fact that who is master of the society.
The popular masses are the subject of the social movement and creator of history. Therefore, they should be master of the society.
In the exploiting society a handful of ruling classes, who play nothing for the development of the society but obstruct it, pose as masters. That is why all the exploiting societies existed in history are the anti-popular societies where the popular masses, the subject of history, failed to be masters.
In Korean-style socialism, the popular masses are masters of everything. In other words, the popular masses themselves are masters of the society, enforce the politics for the people and everything serves them. The popular masses exercise their right as masters in all fields including politics, the economy and culture, remold and develop the nature and society suitable to the interests of them and everything serves them; this is the essence of the Korean-style socialism.
Secondly, the Korean-style socialism is socialism that develops by the creativity of the popular masses who are closely united as one.
The development history of humankind is the history when the united strength of the popular masses, the subject of history has been steadily enhanced.
The Korean-style socialism is the society in which the original nature of collectivism of man is truly embodied and the people realize comradely cooperation and unity. The popular masses became a socio-political integrity on the highest stage in the history of the development of a social collective in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
And the Korean-style socialism is one that the creativity of the popular masses is enhanced highly and accordingly the society is developing rapidly.
In the exploiting society the popular masses are creator of history, however, their creativity are abused by a handful exploiting classes, and therefore the creativity of the popular masses are not fully displayed.
2. Why the Korean-style socialism is called the most advanced society suitable to an independent nature of a man?
Leader Kim Jong Il said that it is a way of man for existence to act by forming a social collective and independent demand of man can be satisfied to the full only through collectivism. Therefore, the society based on collectivism, socialist and communist societies are the most advanced one that fully confirm with independent nature of man.
The Korean-style socialism embodies collectivism on the highest level.
The society based on collectivism is the most advanced one that confirms with the intrinsic demand of man.
Above anything else, collectivism is an intrinsic need of man and it is a way of man’s life to act by forming a social collective.
Man can remold the nature and society and realize its independent demand by depending on collective cooperation of social members. Man puts forward collectivism as an intrinsic demand because he regards it as his peculiar way of existence to carve out his destiny in social collective.
Collectivism makes man excellently realize the independent demand of man.
Man should materialize both the collective and individual needs for independence equally in order to shape destiny in the social collective.
The independent demand of a collective is a common demand of social members for the existence and development. The independent demand of the individual is a demand of man as an equal member of the social collective and a due demand he could be ensured as he contributes to the collective. To embody collectivism is the way to satisfactorily realize the independent demand of the collective and individual by correctly combining them with each other.
The individual demand apart from collectivism would turn to individualistic greed that ignores collective and subordinate everything to individual demand and it would lead to the infringement of other members’ independent demand and obstruction of unity and cooperation of the collective. It proves that man’s need for independence based on individualism cannot be realized.
Only collectivism makes it possible to strengthen unity and cooperation between men, enhance the creative zeal of the all members of the collective and realize the independent demand of the collective.
The socialist society is thoroughly ensuring the independent demand of an individual, while giving precedence to the independent demand of the collective.
3. Past views on socialism and its limitation
Utopian socialism
The doctrine of Utopian socialism is, in a word, the idea of building an equal society based on social property, abolishing exploitation, oppression and social inequalities as well as private ownership based on them.
The first authors of Utopian socialism are Thomas More of Britain and Campanella Tommaso of Italy in the 16th century and it developed into an ideological tendency of the society by Morelly and Mably of France later and Fourier and Owen in the 19th century. Their doctrine expressed the opposition to social evil of capitalism and sympathy to a classless society.
The doctrine has the progressive nature in the point that it is an idea reflecting the demand and interests of the working people.
The limitation of Utopian socialism is, above anything else, failed to clarify what is the main interests of the working people including the working class is. They viewed that the equal life free from feudal and capitalist exploitation and oppression is the demand of proletarians and regarded that a society embodying the demand is an ideal one. In addition, they failed to consider the exploited classes as a revolutionary force able to build a new society.
The other limitation is that they defined an ideal society is materialized by means of enlightenment and improvement not by revolutionary way.
They deemed that unreasonable points of a capitalist society would be reformed by appealing to the “good will” of the exploiting classes.
History proves that placing hope on “good will” and “class cooperation” of the exploiting classes inevitably leads to the ruin of revolution.
Socialism based on the materialistic conception of history
The precedent theoreticians of working-class asserted that the socialist society is a society where the socialist production method is established and what is fundamental in establishing the socialist production method is to abolish the private ownership and socialize means of production.
The private ownership of means of production is the main fetter of discrepancy between the production power and production relations and, at the same time, the root of all kinds of social evil produced by capitalism, and the source of all misfortunes and pains of the working-class and other working people.
The precedent socialist theory came out when the working-class appeared in history to conduct the struggle against capital. It inspired the working-class who turned out in the struggle against domination and oppression of capital, dealt a serious blow to all sorts of bourgeois reactionary theories and pseudo-socialist theories and imbued the popular masses with scientific socialist theory.
The limitations of the precedent socialist theory, first of all, is that it failed to regard it as the fundamental ideal and purpose of socialism to thoroughly realize independence of the working masses.
It failed to view the popular masses, subject of history, as a revolutionary force to realize socialism.
And it failed to put forward it as a fundamental way of realizing socialism to consolidate the subject of revolution and enhance its role.
The main factor of collapse of socialism in the former Soviet Union and east European countries which took Marxism-Leninism as their guiding ideology is that they applied the precedent theory dogmatically, not seeing its limitations.
Historical inevitability of socialism
4. Why does socialism become inevitable stage of historical development?
It is the law of historical development that humankind aspires after socialism.
The course of inevitable stage of historical development of socialism is that independence of the popular masses cannot be realized in a society based on individualism.
Leader Kim Jong Il stressed that history proved that the popular masses’ independence cannot be materialized in a society based on individualism.
The independence of popular masses failed to be realized in a society of hostile classes, because the society is based on individualism. The society based on individualism inevitably disunites the society with hostile classes, brings about class confrontation and inequality and accompanies exploitation and oppression of the narrow ruling class over the popular masses.
It is a historical review of historical development of humankind that a society based on individualism should be transformed into a society based on collectivism, socialism, in order to realize independence of the popular masses.
It is demand of the present era in which struggle of the popular masses for independence entered a fresh stage of development.
The present era is the era of independence where the popular masses are masters of their own destiny. Now the world people are vigorously advancing against a yoke of capital and for the building of a new society and a new life as masters of their destiny.
As all things under the sun develop according to their own law of development, the desire and demand of humankind for socialism is irresistible.
5. Why is capitalism an exploitative and oppressive society violating the popular masses independence?
Leader Kim Jong Il said that capitalism is the last exploiting society that tramples down intention and demand of the popular masses for independence and a despotic one that combines with class domination and national oppression in the social history of humanity.
The capitalist society is the last exploiting society trampling down independence of popular masses.
The slave, feudalist and capitalist systems existed in history are the exploiting societies that had violated independence of the popular masses, however, they differ with their relationship and methods of exploitation and ways of violating the independence and of the popular masses.
In particular, the capitalist society, unlike slave and feudalist societies, is the last exploiting society that binds the popular masses with yoke of capital and more craftily and barbarously tramples down their independence. In a word, it is the last exploiting one that parasitism, corruption and reactionary nature are reached to the extreme.
The capitalist society is a tyrannical oppressive one combining class domination and national oppression.
Of course, aggression, plunder and oppression against other nations had been existed in class society before the advent of capitalism. However, aggression and oppression against other nations are general in the period of capitalist society. In particular, a colony is a lifeline of imperialism as capitalism had been transformed into imperialism.
History of the development of capitalism proves that it is a reactionary and tyrannical exploiting system suppressing and exploiting their countrymen and invading and oppressing the other nations.
Capitalism and imperialism are the most reactionary and anti-popular society that hinders social development and suppresses independent desire and demand of the popular masses. Therefore, the ruin of capitalism and imperialism is an immutable law of the development of history.
Foundation of Korean-style socialism
6. What does it mean that Korean-style socialism is based on the Juche-oriented ideology, theory and method?
Leader Kim Jong Il stressed that the present reality clearly proves that the socialist cause will emerge victorious only when it is based on ideology, theory and method of Juche fathered by President Kim Il Sung.
Korean-style socialism is built and developed on the basis of ideology, theory and method of Juche.
First, it is based on the Juche idea, man-centered philosophy.
The Juche idea raised fundamental problem of man’s position and role in the world and gave a scientific answer to the problem who is master of the world.
The philosophical principle clarified by the Juche idea is that man is the master of everything and decides everything.
The Juche idea elucidated the intrinsic law of socio-historical movement by clarifying the socio-historical principle based on the philosophical principle of Juche, a fundamental principle of carving out the destiny of man. The socio-historical principle of Juche is that the popular masses are the subject of history, the history of human society is the history of the struggle of the popular masses to defend and realize independence. The socio-historical movement is a creative movement of the popular masses to remold and transform the nature and society and it is the independent ideological consciousness of the popular masses that plays the decisive role in the revolutionary struggle.
The philosophical principle of Juche idea and the socio-historical principle embodying it serve as a solid ideological foundation in successfully building the people-centered socialism that realized the intrinsic demand of man.
Now the DPRK is excellently building people-centered socialism with the Juche idea, a true guiding ideology in accomplishing the socialist cause, as an ideological base and is further developing to a thriving nation.
Second, Korean socialism is built and developed based on the revolutionary theory elucidated by the Juche idea.
In a word, the revolutionary theory of Juche developed a revolutionary theory with the working people at the center. It also is a revolutionary strategy and tactics based on the role of the working people.
The revolutionary principle developed by the Juche idea is a perfect revolutionary theory that includes the theories on national liberation, class emancipation and human emancipation. It also is a completed revolutionary theory that integrates the theories on remodeling society, nature and man. With the revolutionary theory of Juche, the theory of anti-imperialist and anti-feudal democratic revolution and the theory of socialist revolution were systematized originally and fully completed.
The revolutionary theory of Juche fully clarifies all problems including the appearance of the socialist society, the basic characteristic features of the winning socialist society, the legal course and characteristics of socialism, strategic goal and general line of the socialist construction, the fundamental principles to be maintained in the revolution and construction and the ways of struggle.
Korean-style socialism that is advancing directly along the road of victory with the revolutionary principle of the Juche idea as guiding principles is a unique socialism.
Third, the Korean-style socialism is built and being developed on the basis of the Juche-oriented method of leadership.
The Juche-based method of leadership is, in a nutshell, the people-centered one that propels the popular masses to maintain the stand of master in the revolution and construction and play the role as master. It is the revolutionary method of leadership that solves all problems by always sharing sweets and bitters with the people, placing their interests above anything else and relying on the efforts and wisdom of the masses.
It comprehensively crystallized the essence, principle and leadership system of method for leading the masses, the revolutionary work method and popular work style based on the revolutionary outlook on the masses.
Korean-style socialism is the people-centered socialism quite different from socialism in other countries in terms of ideology, theory and method.
7. What is the cause that Korean socialism is based on the anti-Japanese revolutionary traditions?
Leader Kim Jong Il said that the revolutionary traditions are the historical roots of socialism and ideological and spiritual assets maintaining the lifeline of revolution.
The revolutionary traditions are the roots of the revolution and lifeline that provides a link between different generations of the revolution.
Korean-style socialism is the one that has been developed by inheriting and basing on the precious revolutionary tradition achieved by President Kim Il Sung, the sun of Juche, during the anti-Japanese armed struggle.
The socialist cause for realizing the popular masses’ independence is the long-term cause to be carried out generation after generation. It can emerge victorious through the course of defending the revolutionary traditions and inheriting it.
History and the present reality clearly show that the revolution is derailed from its track, the revolutionary line is broken and the revolutionary gains achieved by the revolutionary martyrs cannot be defended if the revolutionary traditions are not maintained.
The anti-Japanese revolutionary traditions had been created and enriched in the arduous and complicated revolutionary struggle under the banner of the Juche idea. It demonstrated its vitality by wining victory after victory in the whole course of the Korean revolution. It had been developed in conformity with the demand of modeling the whole society on the Juche idea in the whole course of building of a new country after the country’s liberation from the Japanese military occupation, the Korean War (1950-1953), the socialist revolution and socialist construction.
With valuable assets of the revolution based on the revolutionary traditions, Korean socialism firmly adheres to the revolutionary characteristics of the socialist cause and develops itself braving through obstructive moves of the imperialists and opportunists.
Intrinsic characteristic of Korean-style socialism
8. What are differences between Korean-style socialism and socialism of other countries?
First, it differs from the guiding ideology.
Socialism that had been existed in the European countries mechanically applied former Soviet Union’s experience of building socialism with Marxism-Leninism as the guiding ideology. They introduced the form of Soviet power to their establishment of the powers in view of proletarian dictatorship and class revolution.
The Korean-style socialism is socialism guided by the Juche idea, a new guiding ideology in the independence age.
Second, the process of socialist construction is different from the other countries.
The socialist countries in east Europe built Soviet-style socialism with the help of the Soviet Union not in their own way according to the intention of the people. They failed to see the historical limitations of the socialist theory clarified by Marxism-Leninism and did not put correct way to accomplish socialism as they followed it dogmatically.
The Korean-style socialism is one that is chosen by the Korean people themselves and built by their own efforts in keeping with the specific condition of the country. It puts forward clear goal and orientation for the realization of the popular masses’ independence, advancing along the road of victory with bright future.
Socialism in other countries attached importance to material production rather than to realize fully the people’s desire for independence.
Korean-style socialism attaches importance to the people’s desire for independence and successfully realizes it in all aspects.
And it differs from solidity of socialism.
Socialism in the other countries was a socialism that failed to rally the people around the Party, neglecting the consolidation of the revolutionary forces.
Korean-style socialism has propelled the cause of socialism based on the single-hearted unity of the leader, Party and people, putting great importance to the consolidation of the revolutionary forces as a decisive problem of destiny of socialism.
9. What is the characteristic of Korean-style socialism in class relations?
First, Korean-style socialism fully advocates intention and demand of the working people.
Leader Kim Jong Il said that the people-centered Korean socialism fully embodies the desire and demand of the working people.
Second, Korean-style socialism thoroughly advocates the demand of the people from all walks of life.
Kim Jong Il noted that Korean socialism that embodies intrinsic demand of the working class is not only the society for the working class but also the society that meets the demand of different classes and strata of the society.
Korean socialism fully satisfies the desire of peasants, let the intellectuals display their talents to the full for the revolution, and leads all the people who turn out in the struggle to realize the popular masses’ independence.
10. What is characteristic of Korean-style socialism in relations between the collective and individuals?
Leader Kim Jong Il said that the method of combination of the interests of individuals and those of the collective is an important factor defining the progressive nature of a society.
Korean-style socialism is, in a word, the socialism that places the interests of the collective above one’s own and satisfies the interests of individuals in the interests of the collective.
In capitalist society the interests of collective and individuals stand face to face and the interests of individuals is placed above the collective. It inevitably produces social inequality and antagonism between the people.
In Korean socialism where the Juche idea is embodied, the interests of individuals is respected on the basis of thoroughly advocating the collective’s interests, all the people enjoy social benefits to the maximum and unity and cooperation are prevalent.
11. What is characteristic of Korean-style socialism in foreign relations?
First, Korean socialism greatly values independence of the country and nation and thoroughly advocates them.
Revolution and construction are carried on by each country and nation as unit and both interests of the collective and people are also realized by the country and nation as unit.
National independence leads to the realization of popular masses’ independence.
Regarding independence as a lifeline of the country and nation, Korean-style socialism establishes Juche character in the revolution and construction and defends independence in the external relations.
Second, Korean socialism defends independent desire of the world people and strengthens international friendship and cooperation.
It is fundamental principle of Korean socialism to achieve global independence against domination, subordination and inequality between the countries and nations.
Fundamental advantage of Korean-style socialism
12. Korean-style socialism is advantageous socialism in which man’s desire for independence is fully embodied, why?
Leader Kim Jong Il noted that the Korean socialism is fully embodies intrinsic demand of man, an independent social being.
It is an independent demand of a man to live and develop independently as the master of the world and his destiny free from fetters or restrictions. Independence is the life and soul of man.
Korean socialism is the advantageous socialism fully embodying the intrinsic demand of man to live and develop independently free from anybody.
How Korean-style socialism embodies the independent demand of man?
Firstly, it leads the people to live in accordance with their intention and interests.
It is well manifested in that it makes the popular masses the masters of the power, factories and farms, leads the people to join the political parties including the Workers’ Party of Korea, the vanguard of the most revolutionary working class, and leads them to make economic life in accordance with their interests free from all sorts of exploitation.
Secondly, it makes the popular masses live and develop independently free from fetters of nature, ideology and culture.
With a vigorous ideological technical and cultural revolution, the popular masses enjoy cultural and emotional life with independent ideological consciousness and, work with delight free from backbreaking jobs in the DPRK.
13. Korean-style socialism is the advantageous socialism embodying creative demand of man. Why?
Leader Kim Jong Il said that the Korean socialism fully reflects the intrinsic demand of man as a creative and social being.
As man is a social being with independence and creativity as its nature, he wants to live and develop independently. In a society where man’s creative demand is fully embodied, both production and people’s material and cultural life are improved ceaselessly, and in this course, man’s level of science and technology and his talent will be further developed.
Man creates a fresh material and cultural assets and remolds a new society and new life through transforming nature and society. Thus, social progress is achieved by the enhancement of the popular masses’ creative ability and role.
The DPRK successfully solved the problem of enhancing man’s creative ability and role, thus, the people vigorously promote the revolution and construction with a sense of master of the revolution and high creative ability.
It puts weight on inspiring the idea of man, giving precedence to political work and encouraging the people’s political enthusiasm and creative activity to make the people to work devotedly for the society and the collective with high sense of masters of the state and society. The popular masses’ creative activity is ensured by the state and the state cultivates the popular masses to human being developed with creative activity in every way.
14. Korean-style socialism is the advantageous socialism that gives full play to man’s consciousness. Why?
Leader Kim Jong Il said that the Korean socialism gives full play to the consciousness of man, that is, a conscious social being.
Consciousness is an attribute of social man, which determines all his endeavors to understand and reshape the world and himself. Because he has consciousness man understands the world and the laws of its motion and development, reshapes and advances nature and society suitable to his demand.
In the society where the popular masses’ consciousness is fully displayed, the people correctly understand the justness of the socialist cause and do their all to implement it and devote their all to reshape the nature and society.
Korean socialism gives full play to man’s consciousness.
Firstly, since Korean socialism has no foundation producing outdated ideology, neither feudal idea nor capitalist ideas beget.
Secondly, there is the most revolutionary idea, the Juche idea in the DPRK and ideological education for socialism including the education on the Juche idea are vigorously conducted in the DPRK.
Therefore, consciousness is highly displayed among the people.
15. Korean-style socialism is the advantageous where popular masses’ collective demand is fully realized. Why?
Leader Kim Jong Il said that the Korean socialism fully reflects the collective demand of man as a social being.
It is because man regards it to live harmoniously in a collective as happiness rather than to live solely apart from the collective. And one can lead a worthwhile life enjoying his political life only when he finds himself among the collective. The collective can demonstrate its might when it is united and easily remold the nature and society.
Korean-style socialism helps all the people struggle and live helping each other and leads a happy life by putting importance to the interests of the popular masses.
That is why in the DPRK the entire society forms a harmonious whole. The Korean people work with devotion for the society and the collectives helping each other under the slogan “One for all and all for one!” and successfully build a thriving socialist nation, closely rallying around the Party and the leader.
16. What does it mean the period of transition from capitalism to socialism?
President Kim Il Sung said that the cause of building socialism, which begins with the establishment of a socialist government, emerges victorious and is consummated in the period of transition from capitalism to socialism.
The period of transition from capitalism to socialism means a historic period during which the working class wins a complete victory of socialism in all spheres of social life by defeating capitalism after building a socialist government.
This is a period of fierce class struggle between socialism and capitalism and of historic changes when the socialist society is completed through the transformation of people, society and nature in accordance with the aspirations and demand of the popular masses.
It is the law of historical development that every nation takes the road of socialism through the period of transition.
It is related with the characteristics of transition from capitalism to socialism.
The transition of a society to another in the exploiting class society ends with switch to another exploiting regime from another. However, the transition from capitalism to socialism starts with the founding of a socialist power by the working class.
The socialist economic sector and outdated one remain for a definite period after the working class takes the power and material and technical basis is hard to laid at one time. The resistance of hostile classes and old ideas continue to exert corrosive influence.
Only when the working class energetically carries on the revolution and construction can they win complete victory over capitalism.
Every nation has relative circumstances, but they can build and accomplish the cause of socialism through the transition.
It is imperative to define correctly the period of transition from capitalism to socialism.
The period of transition is from the building of a socialist government by the working class to the final victory of socialism. In other words, the transition period is ended when all the exploiting classes are wiped out and the socialist system is established, the resistance of the hostile class and old idea are cleared away, the material and technical foundation of socialism is firmly guaranteed, the differences between town and country and the class distinction between the working class and the peasantry are abolished so that socialism wins final victory.
17. What is feature of the completely victorious socialist society?
President Kim Il Sung stated that a completely victorious socialist society is a completed socialist society in which all the society is assimilated to the working class and the entire people, as equal masters of the state and society, lead an independent and creative life. The completely victorious socialist society is a classless society and a developed society where all members of the society enjoy complete social and political equality and decent material and cultural lives.
The completely victorious socialist society is a classless society.
It is a classless society where all the members are assimilated to the working class and the social relations are reorganized into those of the working class.
What is the most important matter is to finally solve the rural question to eliminate distinctions between the working class and peasantry. Only when the class distinction between the working class and peasantry and the differences between town and country are liquidated by finally settling the rural problem, can a classless society be realized and the ultimate victory of socialism be achieved.
The completely victorious socialist society is a developed one where all the members of the society enjoy socio-political equality and decent material and cultural lives.
In the society, all the members form equal socio-political relations and participate in the socio-political life with equal rights and duty. They unite and cooperate with each other comradely on the basis of the collective relations. In addition, all the working people lead abundant and cultured life thanks to solid material and technical foundation of socialism. Therefore, all the members of the society sincerely support and defend socialism.
The completely victorious socialist society is the society free from the insidious schemes of hostile classes and the corrosive influence of old ideas once and for all.
18. What is lawful course of socialist construction from the viewpoint of the class relationship?
President Kim Il Sung stated that insofar as it affects class relations, the course of building socialism is a process in which the working class, having seized power, transforms society after its own pattern in all spheres of the economy and culture, ideology and morality; that is, a process of working-classization.
From the viewpoint of the class relationship, the course of building socialism is a process in which the working class transforms society after its own pattern in all spheres of the economy and culture, ideology and morality, that is, a process of working classization.
In the political domain a state social system should be consolidated on the principle of holding fast to the class character of the working class and in the economic field the means of production and economic management should be developed in keeping with collective nature of the working class.
In the ideo-cultural field, the ideology, culture and ethnical practices of the working class should be prevalent in the whole society.
The transformation of all the fields of social life after the pattern of the working class results in the working-classization of the people’s political, economical ideological, cultural and moral lives of the people.
19. What is the lawful course of socialist construction from the viewpoint of the remolding of man?
President Kim Il Sung said that from the point of view of man’s transformation, the process of building socialism and communism can be described as the process of making all the members of society revolutionary and assimilating them to the working class and to the intelligentsia.
Firstly, the cause of socialist construction is the cause of revolutionizing and working-classizing the whole society.
Transforming all members of the society on a revolutionary pattern means making people ardent revolutionaries equipped with a revolutionary world outlook, liquidating all the survivals of old ideologies.
What is important is that absolute loyalty to the leader and the Party.
The assimilation to the working class means remodeling the people of different strata into the working class in their social and political status and ideological and moral qualities. It is necessary for peasants and intelligent to keep the revolutionary spirit, organization and discipline of the working class. It is fundamental to turn cooperative ownership to public ownership class and eliminate the distinction between the working class and the peasantry.
Secondly, it is the process of assimilating all members of the society to the intelligentsia.
Intellectualization of all members of the society means making people able socialist constructors with high sense of creativity and comprehensively developed revolutionary human being.
The intellectualization of the whole society can be realized only when the general cultural and intellectual level of society are markedly increased and on this basis all members of society acquire the culture and knowledge to the level of a university graduate.
Making all the members of society revolutionary and assimilating them to the working class and to the intelligentsia should be continued not only in the period of transition from capitalism to socialism but also in the whole course of socialist construction.
20. What is the lawful course of socialist construction from the view of the social relations?
Leader Kim Jong Il noted that the process of building and accomplishing the socialist society is that of increasing the communist character of socialist society and tiding over its transitional nature.
The socialist society is a transitional one in which survivals of old society remains in every field of social life. The transitional nature of socialist society is characterized by class distinctions between the working class and peasantry, distinction between physical and mental labor, heavy and light labor, and maintenance of old ideological survivals including individualism, egoism and small proprietor’s mentality, and distinctions of material and cultural life between members of the society. The cause is produced from the backwardness of ideology, technology and culture.
The process of socialist construction is a lawful process in which the transitional nature of the socialist society is surmounted and the popular masses’ independence are fully realized.
The ideological, technical and cultural revolutions should be promoted in order to overcome the transitional nature of the socialist society.
All policies should be introduced in consideration of both essential and transitional nature of the socialist society and be executed to realize the popular masses’ independence as circumstances permit.
The law of inheritance and completion of the socialist cause
21. Why the socialist cause serves as the cause of a leader?
Leader Kim Jong Il advanced a theory that the revolutionary cause of the working class is the cause of the leader, which is pioneered and won by the leader and completed under his leadership.
The revolutionary cause of the working class and the socialist cause are the new higher stage of revolution whose final goal is to build a society where independence for the working class is fully realized for the first time in the history of struggle for human emancipation. Therefore, a correct guiding ideology, tactics and the revolutionary driving force are needed in order to successfully accomplish the revolutionary cause. This is possible only by a leader of the working class.
The leader is the supreme personifier of the demand and interests of the popular masses and leader of revolution who leads the independent and socialist cause of the popular masses to victory.
The leader, above anything else, embodies to the highest level the independent demand and desire of the popular masses including the working class and initiates the revolutionary ideology illumining the way of its realization. He awakens the popular masses, masters of revolution and construction, to organize a powerful revolutionary force. He puts forth correct goal, strategy and tactics on the basis of fully and correctly analyzing the demand of the times, the law of development of revolution and the prevailing situation with his rare far-sightedness and scientific penetration to lead the popular masses to victory with his outstanding leadership art.
22. What is the inheritance of the revolutionary cause of a leader?
The problem of the succession of the revolutionary cause of the leader is not the mere one of transferring the leadership of the party and revolution when the generation of revolution is changed but the problem of carrying forward to completion through generations the cause of revolution and socialism. It is the problem of continuing revolution succeeding the original ideal, principle and method through generations from the time of the start of the revolutionary cause to the time of realizing its final victory.
The heir to the leader’s cause is a vital demand in accomplishing the socialist cause and independent cause for the popular masses. Because the revolutionary cause of the working class is a protracted work to be continued generation after generation. And the fate of revolution depends on solving the problem of inheriting the leader’s cause and the renegades and ambitious elements of revolution come to the fore when the generation of revolution is changed.
The important content of inheriting the leader’s cause is to firmly adhere to and succeed the leader’s revolutionary idea and steadfastly maintain and develop the revolutionary traditions achieved by the leader. The party’s cohesion and unity realized by the leader should also be defended and strengthened.
The process of succeeding and accomplishing the leader’s revolutionary cause is carried forward by the successor to the leader. Therefore, the problem of succeeding the leadership in the revolution is the problem of a successor who inherits the leadership of the leader. The successful solution to the successor to the leader is the main factor in succeeding the revolutionary cause.
The successor to the leader is the leader of revolution who has absolute authority as he is boundlessly loyal to the leader and his cause and embodies the leader’s revolutionary ideology, leadership art and noble virtue and has performed great contribution to the revolution. He is designated by the will and desire of the party and people.
The successor to the leader inherits the role of the leader. He takes the role of the supreme leader of the popular masses and plays an important role as a center of unity between the party and people.
The successor to the leader performs the role of the leader. He enriches the revolutionary ideology of the leader and lights the correct path for accomplishment of the revolutionary cause. He builds up the political force for carrying forward the revolutionary cause and leads the struggle to accomplish the leader’s revolutionary cause to victory.
Socialist Korea officially designated leader Kim Jong Il as a successor to President Kim Il Sung in the first half of the 1970s and established the monolithic leadership system of the successor, thus successfully solving the problem of inheriting the revolutionary cause of the leader.
23. What does it mean to establish the monolithic leadership system of a successor to the leader?
The monolithic leadership system of a successor to the leader is the revolutionary system and order that the whole party, army and the people unconditionally accept the revolutionary lines and policies and move as one on the instructions of the successor to the leader.
The thorough establishment of the monolithic leadership system of a successor to the leader is an essential guarantee for successfully solving the issue of successor inheriting the leading role of the leader and accomplishing the Juche cause. It serves as a fundamental condition to successfully establish the monolithic leadership of the successor to the leader over the whole party and society.
It serves as a decisive guarantee for carrying out the leader’s ideology and lines in the whole party and society under the monolithic guidance of the successor to the leader.
What is important in establishing the monolithic leadership system of the leader is to accept the revolutionary lines and policy of the successor to the leader and establish the revolutionary system and order to implement them.
The revolutionary discipline of acting as one under the leadership of the successor to the leader should be established in the party, army and people.
The militant function and role of the party organizations should be enhanced.
24. Why the party leadership is a lifeline of the socialist cause?
Leader Kim Jong Il said that Party leadership is a lifeline of the socialist cause.
The leader’s guidance for the socialist cause is realized through the party of the working class.
The party of the working class is the vanguard organized by the progressive elements of the working people, the General Staff of the revolution leading the struggle to realize the popular masses’ independence and the only guiding force of the socialist society.
The party’s leadership serves as a decisive guarantee for and lifeline for the victory of socialist cause.
The party’s leadership serves as a decisive guarantee for consolidating the driving force of the socialist cause and its role, and a fundamental basis for advancing the socialist cause depending on the correct strategy and tactics.
The party’s guidance serves as vital demand to maintain the revolutionary principle and embody it in the whole course of the socialist cause.
Now the guidance of Workers’ Party of Korea serves as decisive guarantee and life line for the victory of the socialist cause.
