人民的國家

人民的國家
People’s Country

On the Banks of Taedong River

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is both in name and reality a country of the people.

In this country all lines and policies are adopted mirroring thoughts and demands of the people and implemented in their interests.

The will and wish of the people integrated in a system is just the ideas, lines and policies this was a constant view of President Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), founding father of socialist Korea.

Kim Il Sung, even before founding the DPRK (September 9, 1948), mapped out policies representing the will and desire of the people, and carried them out. He had the agrarian reform (march 1946) enforced to meet the centuries-old desire of the peasants for their own land, and the Law on Sex Equality (July 1946) proclaimed to satisfy the desire of women to lead a life worthy of human being, free from all sorts of humiliation and social status deprived of all rights. The Labour Law stipulating eight-hour workday, prohibition of child labour and others and the Law on Nationalization of Major Industries were promulgated in June and August 1946, respectively, as reflecting the demands of the working people.

All these people-oriented and democratic reforms provided a basis for founding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which stated in its political programme that its government is a genuine people’s government which represents and champions the interests of workers, peasants and all the other working people.

For over 60 years since then socialist Korea has constantly carried on its programme. The Korean war (1950-1953) caused by the aggression of the United States had destroyed everything in the country. At that time Kim Il Sung put forward the basic line of socialist economic construction of giving priority to the development of heavy industry and simultaneously developing light industry and agriculture, so as to carry out postwar rehabilitation successfully, lay the foundations of an independent national economy and stabilize and improve the people’s living. He ceaselessly visited rural areas, talking with peasants and acquainting himself with their vital needs for rapid rehabilitation and development of agricultural production and improvement of their deteriorated livelihood. Then he advanced the policy of agricultural cooperativization to carry out socialist transformation of the economic form of the rural economy prior to its technological reconstruction.

Large-scale land realignment and gravitational waterway construction projects were undertaken in the country, renovating the appearance of the countryside. They were all undertaken on the initiative of Kim Jong Il, who read the minds of farmers who had wished to do farming with machines on large, standardized fields free from worries of water. Now he is wisely leading the building of a great, prosperous and powerful socialist nation to effect the people’s wish to live with nothing to envy in a prosperous country.

In the DPRK the masses of the people are fully provided with freedom and rights.

It guarantees its people by law all the conditions for their exercising of their rights and freedom, and encourages the broad sections of the masses to take active part in state administration and the exercise of state power as genuine masters of the country and government. Among deputies to the present 12th Supreme People’s Assembly (parliament), workers, farmers and service personnel account for 37.9%, an eloquent proof of the high level of participation by the people in state politics and their administration of it. It is self-evident that the state power in the hands of the masses of the working people administers people-oriented politics that defends and realizes their interests.

Elections to the power organs are held in a festive atmosphere in this country. All the voters registered, except those who are outside the country, participate to vote in favour of the candidates, a thing inconceivable in Western countries. It is a typical example of a state power that has struck its roots deep into the life of the people and enjoys their absolute trust and support.

The DPRK fully guarantees its people happy material and cultural life.

It regards it as the supreme principle of its activity to safeguard the people’s interests and as its fundamental aim to steadily improve the standard and quality of their living. Its government, taking responsibility for the people’s living, substantially provides them with every opportunity to obtain food, clothing and housing. It has abolished all kinds of taxes nearly 40 years ago, so its people feel strange to the word “tax”. It also provides people with dwelling houses free of charge, and enforces universal free medical service and 11-year compulsory education for the benefit of the people. It takes responsible care of the elderly without anyone to support them, physically disabled people and children. It ensures that war veterans and disabled soldiers and other people of merit enjoy social respect.

The DPRK is now giving spurs to developing light industry and agriculture in oder to bring about radical changes in the improvement of the people’s standard of living and the building of a thriving nation. The February 8 Vinalon Complex situated in Hamhung, an industrial city in the eastern part of the country, recently underwent technological renovation to mass-produce vinalon cotton out of domestic raw materials. New production lines were perfected with gasification of coal abundant in the country, thus promising a boost in agricultural production. In every part of the country light-industry and foodstuff factories are being updated to turn out various kinds of consumer goods and foodstuffs in larger quantities. Cultural establishments, such as a restaurant specializing sturgeon, turtle and other famous foods under Okryu Restaurant specializing in national foods, Taedongmun Cinema, Pyongyang Grand Theatre and State Theatre in downtown Pyongyang, were newly built or renovated for the betterment of the people’s life. The Mansudae Street was built in a unique style on the bank of the picturesque Pothong River, and the construction of 100,000 flats is now under way in Pyongyang.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a country of the people, will get prosperous forever enjoying the absolute trust and support of its people.

Source: Consulate General of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in Hong Kong