2009 Joint New Year Editorial: Pyongyang marches for “socialist fairyland”

The BBC yesterday published the above photo of a demonstration in Pyongyang in support of the DPRK’s traditional joint New Year editorial. Here’s the some of the text from the KCNA website.

Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) — Rodong Sinmun, Josoninmingun and Chongnyonjonwi Thursday issued a joint editorial titled “Glorify this year as a year of a new revolutionary upsurge sounding the general advance.”

The following are excerpts from it:

Hope-filled New Year Juche 98 (2009) that will mark a turning point in the Korean revolution and the building of a great, prosperous and powerful nation has dawned.

The DPRK that has emerged victorious under the banner of Songun has entered an era of a new leap.

Last year Juche 97 (2008) was a year of historic turn which had written a chapter of brilliant victory in the proud 60-year annals of the DPRK.

The Workers’ Party of Korea put forward a far-reaching target to open the gate to a thriving nation in 2012 that marks the centenary of birth of President Kim Il Sung by representing the requirements of the developing revolution and the aspirations of the people and aroused the whole Party, the entire army and all the people to a new general offensive.

Last year the spirit of innovation was fully displayed throughout the country and remarkable achievements that would be etched in the history of the country were made on all fronts of socialist construction.

The sophisticated and seasoned leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Il is the main source of all victories and miraculous achievements in Songun Korea. Last year, too, he stood in the van of our army and people, wisely leading their efforts to build a powerful nation, by giving full scope to his inexhaustible energy. His idea and theory that illumined radiantly the path to victory of socialism and the DPRK’s prosperity were the great inspiring banner that gave the fullest play to the spiritual strength of our army and people. His ceaseless forced march of on-the-spot guidance to the army units and many parts of the country from the outset towards the end of last year was a long journey of patriotic devotion unprecedented in history. The invincibility of the socialist cause of Juche was demonstrated more convincingly in the current of the vibrant times and brilliant victories were brought about on all fronts including the politico-ideological front and the anti-imperialist military front. This is a demonstration of the extraordinary leadership of Kim Jong Il, a great strategist and peerless statesman.

Last year the dignity and national power of the DPRK that made a great history under the banner of the Juche idea and Songun was fully manifested.

We fully demonstrated through the efforts to adorn the 60th anniversary of the DPRK as a grand festival of victors the invariable faith and will to add brilliance for all eternity to the nation-building exploits of Kim Il Sung who had built a strong socialist country, and bring the revolutionary cause of Juche to completion under the Songun-based leadership of Kim Jong Il.

All the people turned out in hearty response to the Party’s militant call and made a dynamic offensive to bring about eye-opening changes in all the sectors.

Technological updating was carried out in the Chollima Steel Complex and many other factories and enterprises in the flames of self-reliance and such major projects as the Ryesonggang Youth Power Station No. 1, Wonsan Youth Power Station and Nyongwon Power Station were completed to build up the technological foundation and production potential of the national economy. Taehongdan and the Migok Cooperative Farm where the Party’s intention is becoming a splendid reality clearly show the bright prospects of our socialist countryside.

Pyongyang, the capital of the revolution, was spruced up and the socialist fairyland was unfolded everywhere to change the looks of the country tremendously.

Under the Party’s guidance works of national treasure value were produced in the field of literature and the arts and spectacular achievements giving pleasure to the army and people were made in science, education and sports sectors.

The New Year Juche 98 (2009) is a year of a new revolutionary surge, in which all the people should launch a general offensive in response to the Party’s call to make a historic leap on all fronts in the building of a prosperous nation.

There’s much more of the editorial on the KCNA website, but it’s worth highlighting the passage which refers to Lee Myung-bak’s ending of the sunshine policy:

The country’s reunification is the unanimous aspiration of the fellow countrymen and the supreme and urgent task for the nation.

The national reunification movement which had been advancing vigorously along with the June 15 reunification era faced a grave challenge due to the advent of the conservative authorities in south Korea last year. All the Korean people are indignant and protest at the reckless moves of the south Korean ruling forces that flatly deny the June 15 Joint Declaration and the October 4 Declaration, grand programmes for independent reunification, restore the era of fascist dictatorship and are hell-bent on inter-Korean confrontation.

The anachronistic confrontation policy of the south Korean authorities is on the verge of total failure and the anti-reunification forces are being driven into a tight corner. The aspiration and demand of the fellow countrymen cannot be the plaything of quack politicians who have turned back on the nation and nothing can check the advance of the times towards independent reunification.

The drift of affairs last year shows that national reunification can be accelerated only through the determined struggle against the moves of the partitionist forces inside and outside the country.

We should reenergize the national reunification movement this year under the slogan “Advance dynamically along the road of independent reunification under the banner of the June 15 Joint Declaration and the October 4 Declaration!”

It’s worth mentioning also that 2009 is marked as Year of China-DPRK friendship. The KCNA website has the mutual New Year greetings between Hu Jintao and Kim Jong-il marking the occasion.

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