A Joint New Year Editorial of the leading DPRK newspapers, recently forwarded by the DPRK embassy.
Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) — Rodong Sinmun, Joson Inmingun and Chongnyon Jonwi today released the joint New Year editorial “Glorify This Year of the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the DPRK as a Year of Historical Turn Which Will Go Down in the History of the Country” on the occasion of the New Year, Juche 97 (2008).
Today we are greeting the New Year Juche 97 (2008) with a great ambition and optimism in the hope-filled future of socialist Korea.
The New Year Juche 97 (2008) is a year of gigantic struggle, a year of jubilation in the national history, when a great change will be brought about in the history of our country and our revolution.
Kim Jong Il said:
“We must make our country, our motherland, ever more prosperous true to President Kim Il Sung’s intention and cause.”
This year we are commemorating the 60th anniversary of the DPRK, our glorious motherland.
We should constantly increase the military strength of our Republic by holding fast to the Party’s Songun-based revolutionary line.Strong defence capabilities are symbolic of the independent dignity of Songun Korea and a basic guarantee for its prosperity. Our Party is consistent in its revolutionary stand to hold the idea of giving prominence to the military affairs as the basic strategy in building a great, prosperous and powerful nation.
The Korean People’s Army is the backbone of self-defensive capabilities, and the might of the socialist military power is precisely that of the KPA.
Last year witnessed a turning point in achieving national reunification.
The historic inter-Korean summit meeting was held in October and the Declaration for Development of North-South Relations and Peace and Prosperity adopted at the meeting amid great interest and expectation of all the compatriots. This was a significant event in advancing the cause of national reunification onto a new stage under the banner of the June 15 Joint Declaration. With our nation’s enthusiasm for reunification mounting higher than ever before, the inter-Korean high-level negotiations took place and the road to many-sided cooperation was opened.
The source of war should be removed and lasting peace be ensured. Peace is most precious for the Korean nation that has been living in the constant danger of war for more than half a century. All the Koreans should launch a vigorous anti-war, peace campaign to foil the war moves of the hawks at home and abroad. An end should be put to the U.S. policy hostile towards the DPRK and the Armistice Agreement be replaced with a peace pact. The aggressive joint military exercises and arms buildup should be discontinued and the U.S. military bases be abolished in south Korea. The idea of confrontation regarding the fellow countrymen as the archenemy should be discarded, the military tension be eased, and the elements of dispute be removed.
At present, defending global peace and security and advancing along the road of independence are the irreversible trend of the times. The reality shows the strong-arm policy and arbitrariness of imperialism do not work anywhere.
Korean-style socialism that has tided over the storm and stress of history under the WPK’s Songun leadership is vibrant with great vigour winning victory after victory, and the day is coming towards us when the building of a great, prosperous powerful country will emerge victorious. In the 60-year annals of the DPRK never has there been such a time as today when its dignity and power have reached the highest stage and the soldiers and people are full of confidence in the future and are burning with the enthusiasm for bringing about an upswing.
As there are the experienced and seasoned leadership of the WPK, the strong political and military might and the fervent patriotic zeal of all the soldiers and people, a great, prosperous and powerful socialist country of Juche will surely be built on this land and shine to the world.
Let us all work harder for the prosperity of the country and the completion of the revolutionary cause of Juche rallied closely around the headquarters of the revolution headed by Kim Jong Il.