白雪哲學
Philosophy of White Snow
Kim Jong Il’s career is often likened to white snow, which is synonymous in the East with purity and refinement.
Like snow that falls down covering the land in the cold season and that melts with the advent of spring making the land fertile, the Korean leader devoted his whole life to achieving the prosperity of his country and the well-being of his people. Selfless devotion to the bright future of the nation—this was his noble view of life.
He did not care for his health, but worked day and night in order to further exalt brilliance of his people-centred socialist country, to firmly defend the security of his country and people against the anti-socialist offensive of the imperialist allied forces, and to build a powerful socialist country. Travelling 669, 600 km, 17 times as long as the distance round the Earth, rain or snow, he gave field guidance, overcoming all the difficulties that the leader of a country, a human being, may face in his lifetime.
Born in a log cabin in the secret camp on Mt. Paektu in severe winter and going through the bitters and sweets of life, he took his last breath on a people-bound train on a snowy day of December.
The philosophy of snow of the great saint, which is based on self-sacrifice, moves the international community.
A Great Man Remembered
February 16 is the birthday of Chairman Kim Jong Il of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Commemorating his birthday, peoples of the world recall him with deep respect and emotion.
He was a veteran statesman who achieved great exploits for the socialist cause. In the late 20th century, when socialism collapsed in several countries, he made public many works such as The Historic Lesson in Building Socialism and the General Line of Our Party, Abuses of Socialism Are Intolerable and Socialism Is a Science, proving in a scientific way the truthfulness of socialism and the inevitability of its triumph.
He firmly defended the Korean style of socialism by dint of unique Songun politics.
By strengthening his country’s military capabilities for self-defence in every way, he smashed the enemies’ manoeuvres to frustrate the country militarily and provided a springboard for building a powerful socialist country.
In those days, VOA reported as follows: Chairman Kim Jong Il is a unique political leader unheard-of so far in the world; he must be recognized as a socialist statesman and military leader possessed of absolute faith in and loyalty to socialism and of tenacity.
Wakabayashi, a Japanese political figure, said; “Chairman Kim Jong Il is surely an outstanding statesman, who is principled, stout and who adroitly combines strength and elasticity, and a marvellous strategist, who defeats his enemy without fighting.”
Kim Jong Il made a great contribution to the accomplishment of the cause of global independence.
Visiting China several times, he further promoted the common cause of developing traditional friendship between the peoples of the two countries and of defending socialism and global peace.
His visit to Russia in August 2001 and adoption of the DPRK-Russia Moscow Declaration was a historic event that dealt a serious blow to the manoeuvres of the imperialists to make the whole world unipolar one based on the superiority of strength. By achieving international unity with all countries, which were opposed to war and aspired after peace, by transcending differences in ideas, political views, nationalities and religious beliefs, he gave great impetus to the accomplishment of the cause of global independence.
All who met him were attracted to his unique political qualifications and magnanimity.
Goran Persson, president of the European Council and prime minister of Sweden, who headed a top-level delegation of the EU to the DPRK, said: Chairman Kim Jong Il is the most excellent leader of all the heads of state I have ever met.
Madeleine Albright, the then US Secretary of State, on her return from a visit to Pyongyang with an entourage of over 200 persons in late October 2000, submitted a report to President Clinton, which reads in part: Kim Jong Il is completely different from what we have so far thought of him; his theories are systematic and logical; he not only has mastered the complicated international issues of the present days but also is accurate in analysis and judgement and is magnanimous, broad-minded and clear-cut in dealing with issues; it is entertaining to have talks with Kim Jong Il for he listens to his dialogue partner to the last in a prudent manner and with great attention and shows himself to be magnanimous; it is accordingly inevitable to be drawn deep into his theories and assertions during negotiations; all in all, I could not but admit that Kim Jong Il is a leader of great versatility who is clear in the theories of and self-confident in the wide-ranging fields of politics, the economy, culture, military affairs, and diplomacy and is broad-minded and scrupulous.
Without a Day’s Rest
Kim Jong Il worked without a day’s rest.
A way of thinking different to the general logic that a man should relieve his fatigue so as to go on working put a brake on his taking rest. In other words, he thought that if he took a rest, the development of his country would be delayed as much. His daily schedule started at dawn and finished at the dawn of the next day, and the realm of his activities comprised all the places where the people live including factories and farms, and educational and scientific research institutes. So he was always short of time.
His birthday was no exception. On one of his birthdays, he had national-level celebrations canceled for the convenience of the Pyongyang citizens, and he himself worked all day long in a region far off from the capital city.
He regarded achieving the people’s well-being as his highest duty.
After his death, the Korean people felt a guilty conscience for failing to provide him with even a moment of rest. Seeing them, the world’s people got a fresh understanding of the leader of the DPRK, who worked for the people’s well-being without a moment of rest throughout his political career.
Letters
It is widely known how many letters Lenin wrote in his lifetime. But it is not well-known how many letters Kim Jong Il received in his lifetime.
One month he received thousands of letters. All the Korean people, irrespective of age, occupation and social standing, wrote to him; they unbosomed their dreams, wishes and worries, which they dared not say to others.
It was usually at dawn when he read the letters; after the fatiguing work in daytime, he would experience the feeling of a leader followed by his people and their simple mind when they all fell into a deep sleep; he then wrote short replies that reflected his mind.
Those who received his replies regard them as the most precious treasure for them.
Blouson and Parka
A famous man once said that nothing is more dangerous than a meaningless fashion.
Despite the ever-changing dress fashion in the world, Kim Jong Il did not confine himself to the diplomatic convention due to a head of state; he wore simple and plain clothes–blouson and parka.
The world focused its attention on his unusual taste for clothes for a long time. Only after he died could people get an answer.
He put on the blouson with a determination to devote himself to the people’s well-being in a combat uniform in the place of Kim Il Sung who was continuing his field guidance even in his advanced age. After the demise of Kim Il Sung he put on the parka with a do-or-die spirit for over 10 years filled with trials.
He once said: Blouson complies with my temperament; whoever says what, I love my liking, my hobby and my taste.
It can be said that the clothes well suit his political career in which he had to get through the arduous days.
The blouson and parka are still handed down along with his beaming image, telling of his tireless efforts and immortal exploits.
A Famous Flower Singing the Praises of a Great Man
In this world there are many flowers that make people feel joyful and lively with their beauty and fragrance. But few of them can rival Kimjongilia which is associated with a great man’s name and blooms in the hearts of the people for its appearance and meaning.
Mototeru Kamo, a famous Japanese horticulturist, had had a life-long dream of breeding a new species of flower which can represent the era, and he finally succeeded after over 20 years’ struggle. He knew Kim Jong Il of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, who had developed the Juche idea and opened a new history of creation and construction, was a great man steering the times. He named his new flower species after him, and presented it to Kim Jong Il as a gift in February 1988.
In February 1989, a year later, a festival of political songs was held in Germany. Kimjongilia appeared on a flat-screen display in the festival arena. Its beautiful appearance raised a storm of cheers and applause.
In May 1991, the 12th International Horticultural Show was held in former Czechoslovakia, and presented there were over 820 species of flowers from 130 flower-producing companies, groups and institutes from over ten countries, all of which were famous as world-class flower-producing countries. In the global competition, where the most famous and beautiful flowers of each country and the newly-bred ones were displayed, Kimjongilia was awarded the special prize and gold medal and took the first place. Even the jury exclaimed that the flower was the best of all. Tens of thousands of people visited the Kimjongilia exhibition house every day, and they said the birth of this flower was a joy and pride of humankind, and that it should be awarded a “king” prize, not a special prize and a gold medal.
Thus, Kimjongilia gripped the hearts of the people in its debut in international competition.
In March 1995, an international horticultural show was held in Sweden. Over 160 organizations, companies and associations from 17 countries including the DPRK, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland participated in the show and Kimjongilia again caused a sensation for its extraordinarily large flower, deep-red petals, a thick stem holding up the flower and heart-shaped green leaves.
A journalist of Sweden said: I have seen many flower shows as a journalist but I have never been excited like today; I will grow Kimjongilia with sincerity and introduce it on papers with the name, Kim Jong Il.
European flower experts, who had exhibited the flowers in the show, asked for cooperation in cultivating the flower, and horticultural businessmen proposed joint cultivation and ways of growing the seedlings on a large scale.
Some insisted on establishing a permanent institution for the propagation of Kimjongilia.
Finally, on March 30, 1995, the Nordic Kimjongilia Association was formed, and later Kimjongilia fanciers society was established in Japan.
Kimjongilia greenhouses were opened in Madagascar in June 1994, in Yanji, China, in February 1995, and in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, in November 1997.
On the authorization of the International Society for Horticultural Science, the American Begonia Society registered Kimjongilia as new species No. 991 in August 2004.
During 2019 Beijing World Horticultural Expo in China which started in April, many people visited the DPRK Pavilion in the World Horticultural District.
A related person from Shandong, China, said: This is the first time for me to see Kimjongilia and it is very beautiful; it is amazing, and I would like to know how to grow it.
People who visited the DPRK Pavilion said unanimously that the flower reminded them of Chairman Kim Jong Il’s vigour and enthusiasm, generosity and personality.
Kim Jong Il and His Legacy for Mankind
Chairman Kim Jong Il (1942-2011) of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, eternal leader of the Korean people, was an outstanding statesman and a great master of ideology and theory.
He enriched the Juche idea, which brightens the road of opening up the human destiny, as the eternal guiding ideology of Korea and the cause of independence of the world. This ideological and theoretical asset is the most precious legacy he bequeathed to the people of Korea and the world.
The Juche idea authored by Kim Il Sung and developed by Kim Jong Il is a thought which, on the basis of a scientific elucidation that man is the master of the world and plays the decisive role in transforming the world, shows the way for the masses of the people, the motive force of history, to shape their own destiny by their own efforts.
As soon as his work On the Juche Idea (March 31, 1982) in which the Juche idea is integrated and systematized was published, it evoked a great response; the work was reported by about 10 million copies of publications in over 90 countries and was published in a pamphlet form in over 140 countries in less than a year after its release.
A French professor said: Lenin praised The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels is the song of songs singing communism; if Lenin’s method of description is borrowed, Kim Jong Il’s On the Juche Idea will be the song of songs singing the true human cause, the song of songs singing the dignity and value of human being and the true ideals and endless prosperity of mankind.
Many figures of capitalist countries, who had regarded the bourgeois philosophy as their ideals, were enthralled by the encyclopedic work, and became followers of the Juche idea.
Pierre Boudot, who was a director of the International Institute of the Juche Idea, wrote to his colleagues as follows:
“This is my sincere request, it is not too late to abandon the deep-rooted European arrogance and prejudice against Asia, and learn the Juche idea of Korea if you want to explore the truth with the conscience of a scholar and an intellectual.”
In fact, the international community is looking on Korea with admiration, a country which finds solutions to all problems by relying on its own strength as required by the Juche idea and in conformity with its specific situation and regards independence as its lifeblood.
The Juche idea, as a great leading ideology of the era of independence, is encouraging the progressive peoples of the world along the road of independence.
A key aspect of his ideological and theoretical achievements is that he gave a comprehensive answer to all the theoretical and practical problems arising in implementing the cause of independence of the masses, the socialist cause, when the progressive peoples were wandering about in the face of temporary difficulties.
In the end of the 20th century, owing to the manoeuvres of the imperialists and renegades of socialism, the socialist cause experienced temporary frustration and crisis; claiming about the “end” of socialism, they clamoured that the ideals of socialism were wrong and making the socialist revolution was wrong as well. This caused ideological unrest and confusion among some people, and some countries which had been aspiring after socialism vacillated.
At this time Kim Jong Il instilled in the progressive peoples of the world confidence in victory of the socialist cause through his energetic ideological and theoretical activities. His works including The Historical Lesson in Building Socialism and the General Line of Our Party, Abuses of Socialism Are Intolerable and Socialism Is a Science became a beacon light for the people and a sledgehammer that crushed all forms of injustice and sophistry. This provided an unshakable foundation for the socialist idea, and cleansed the tarnished image of socialism.
The leader of a political party of Russia said:
“During the harsh days when socialism was frustrated and anti-socialist manoeuvres of the imperialists and reactionaries became extreme, who dared to write even an article on safeguarding and rebuilding socialism? Only Comrade Kim Jong Il advanced many ideas and theories for the development of the socialist movement of the world and applied them in practice. Herein lie the greatest achievements of Comrade Kim Jong Il as the saviour and defender of socialism.”
Saying that his ideology ensures victory of the socialist cause and the cause of independence of mankind, many political parties and peoples are striving to study and embody his ideas and theories.
Today, the struggle of the people who aspire after independence is being intensified in all parts of the world.
The legacy left by Chairman Kim Jong Il will shine for ever along with the victorious advance of the cause of global independence.
Source: Consulate General of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Hong Kong