Contributions of the Great Leader

It is indeed very difficult to describe the unique qualities of someone whom one has personally met in a brief article or note. The same is occurring for us when we try to pen these lines about the glorious characteristics of the illustrious personality and deeds of the Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG.

Coming as he is from a great patriotic and revolutionary family, the Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG has rendered such contributions which will be written in golden figures in the world history.

The achievements  accomplished by the Korean people  under  the dynamic leadership of the beloved President KIM IL SUNG,  the founder of the great Juche idea had provided inspiration not only to the   people of Korea  along but also to the people of the world struggling for the promotion  and consolidation of national independence and peace . The ideological and theoretical activities and the immortal exploits of the respected beloved leader will remain enshrined in golden letters in the world history of revolution. It is the unusual  accomplishment of the far-sighted leadership of the Great Leader who led the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle  and the Fatherland Liberation war to victory and built up a powerful  independent national economy in Korea and the constant high speed of economic development .

The contributions rendered by the Great  Leader President KIM IL SUNG had produced splendid results in almost all the fields of society . The happy and  prosperous Korean people are still enjoying  under the rays of the ' Theses on the socialist rural question in our country ' published by the Great Leader.

It is under the active and wise guidance of President KIM IL SUNG that Korea is very fastly being converted into a Land of learning where the eleven years free compulsory education has been enforced and the entire people study following the Theses on Socialist Education and the whole country is experiencing the brilliant efflorescence and development of the Juche oriented literature and art dedicated in the service of the people.

The popular character and noble virtues of the respected and beloved leader who is always among the people devoting life for the people are boundless and his services in the cause of defending sovereignty, independence and neutrality of the third world countries, the newly emerging nations and in  the strengthening of unity and solidarity of the non-aligned movement have become a great lesson for the world people struggling for the cause of their respective national independence, freedom and internal territorial integrity.

The unique virtues and qualities of the Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG are such that a well know critic of Japan who unable to understand the world trend had wondered about many countries was deeply touched at the Juche idea created by President KIM IL SUNG and visited Korea. After returning home he wrote an article 'President KIM IL SUNG moves Asia and the world.’

Today, The Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG is not with us but the world people respect President KIM IL SUNG as the Great Leader because he fathered the immortal Juche idea and thus illustrated the path ahead of mankind and accelerated the world revolution powerfully.

The Unique virtues and qualities of the Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG are such that a well known critic of Japan who unable to understand the world trend had wondered about many countries was deeply touched at the Juche idea created by President KIM IL SUNG and visited Korea. After returning home he wrote an article ‘ President KIM IL SUNG Moves Asia and the World’. Today the world people respect President KIM IL SUNG as the Great Leader because he fathered the immortal Juche idea and thus illustrated the path ahead of mankind and accelerated the world revolution powerfully.

The respected and beloved leader of the entire Korean people President KIM IL SUNG has set epochal example in the revolution and construction performing precious exploits to be recorded for ever in the history of the working classes revolutionary struggle and of the liberation of mankind. The anti-Japanese armed struggle was a hard revolutionary warfare to be waged with neither the state rear nor support of the regular army. But he had the struggle rooted in the people and supported by them and directed it with superb strategy and tactics and rooted the Japanese imperialist marauders, liberating his country.

The Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG took upon himself the destiny of the country and aspiration of the people, stood in the van of the struggle against the invaders, he set out the Juche oriented strategy and tactics and implemented them, defeating the enemy and winning a great victory in the Fatherland Liberation war. He propounded the original theory of social revolution that economic forms can be transformed along socialist line prior to the technical transformation when the people demand it and the revolutionary forces are prepared and he put it into practice successfully in a short period of 4-5 years. As a socialist transformation of economic forms, the social and economic basis of exploitation and oppression that had prevailed for centuries in Korea was eliminated and there was established the socialist system providing everyone with a happy life.

The Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG is in the forefront in the building of socialism and communism. Under his able guidance the economy of Korea which the enemy claimed would not rise in a hundred years was restored in less than three years above the pre-war level. The historic task of socialist industrialization was carried out in a little over ten years and an independent national economy capable of developing by itself despite global economic turmoil was established, as well. He also illuminated the road to the complete and final victory of socialism setting  himself its example to the world.

The Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG was in the forefront in the building of socialism and communism. During his time, the economy of Korea which the enemy claimed would not rise in a hundred years was restored in less than three years above the pre-war level. The historic task of socialist industrialization was carried out in a little over ten years and an independent national economy capable of developing by itself despite global economic turmoil was established.  He also illuminates the road to the complete and final victory of socialism setting him its example to the world.

a)  Contribution to Development

In the field of industrial development too, DPRK people achieved wonders. Regarding many a state and nation there is a habit of speaking about ‘Wonder’, but there is an evident right, indeed of speaking about the wonder of Korea, in regard of the DPRK.

What then is the secret behind this wonder? When we are looking at the development in Korea, we can reach no other conclusion than that decisive role has been played by the line of independence, self-reliance and active participation of the masses which has signified establishing the Juche Idea, founded and developed by the esteemed leader President KIM IL SUNG as the wise leadership of the Great Leader, the Juche Idea has become the method for action for all Koreans and become a material force.

The significant and marvelous contributions rendered by the Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG in promoting the cause of socio-economic development of his country and people have now become an encouraging record in history. The present is a period in which not only the overwhelming majority of the awakened popular masses have risen up on a nationwide scale but also the revolutionary struggles are being waged victoriously on a world wide scale. The number of the socialist countries have grown in number and scope and are carrying on the building of socialism and communism.

Revolution and construction are a work for the masses of the people and there is also a work to be carried out by them. Particularly, the present time when the overwhelming majority of the people have emerged as the master of history sets it as the fundamental problem of revolution to observe and solve everything from the standpoint of the popular masses.

The present belongs also to a new age in which the revolutionary struggles are developing independently and an  international centre is no longer necessary. In the light of such changed international situation there arises the need of a new theory on the international communist movement and the pressing need for the development of the theory, strategy and tactics of the world revolution.

With the change of the time, its need also changes and this necessitates a revolutionary idea conforming to it. The time demands the solution of new problems which due to the limitation of their days, the former leaders of the working class were even unable to predict at all. It also demands the creative development of even the fully solved problems in accordance with the need of the changed time.

We are conscious of the history of the Korean people of the fact  that the Korean nation has for long suffered suppression and exploitation in the hands of imperialists and that when it had fought itself free from the domination by one imperialist power, another, even more dangerous tried to subdue it by aggression. As we know, from which points of departure a state of an almost complete desolation and under which constant threat from outside all this has been attained we cannot but ever and ever admire the admire the results of the efforts of the Korean people.

The basis line in the socialist construction has been to give priority to the growth of heavy industry while simultaneously developing light industry and agriculture. From the point of economic independence the heavy industry is the decisive sector and only by developing it is possible to develop the other fields of the economy as well. However, in Korea there has been tough as important to develop simultaneously agriculture and light industry, which is the only way to attain the living conditions of the people. The example of Korea has taught that for achieving a rapid and all sided growth one has to develop all sectors of the economy as that they can promote mutual aid and the independence and well-being of the people.

Very likely one of the most important features and achievements of the DPRK also for other people is the developing of new methods of leadership both in the party and in the economic life. The monolithic party system shows the basis orientation for educating the people in all walks of life and developing the country as a whole. To the leadership in construction the Chongsan-ri spirit and method founded personally by the Great Leader KIM IL SUNG leaves its mark. The method comprises two important aspects, on the one side the fact that higher organs help the lower and personally on the other side that the main emphasis is always on the political work, work among people to inspire them with enthusiasm. The founding of this method of leadership is without doubt one of the great contributions of the Korean revolution. To complete the method of leadership the Team work system has been established, which means the transformation of the lower level of economic administration to correspond with the socialist system. This is a guiding system whereby all decisions are made by the party committee, the collective leadership organ.

b)  On  Abolishing  the  Tax  System

A Law Adopted by the Fifth Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at Its Third Session March 21, 1974. It is the noble revolutionary duty of communists and a fundamental principle which the working-class party and state must adhere to in the revolution and construction to free the people from every kind of exploitation and oppression for all time and provide them with material well-being and a cultured life.

The revolutionary struggle and construction work are undertakings for the people so that they can free themselves from all fetters and enjoy an independent and creative life as masters of nature and society.

After liberation, WPK which is guided solely by the great Juche idea, freed our people from exploitation and oppression for all time by leading the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution and socialist revolution to victory.

Thanks to the correct policy and wise leadership of  WPK and the Government of DPRK the three revolutions, ideological, technical and cultural, to free the working people from all natural and social fetters for ever, are developing in depth in our country, and the historic task of eliminating the vestiges of the former society is being carried out successfully.

To abolish the tax system is a revolution to free the working people from these vestiges and a great change to meet the centuries-old desire of the people.

The system of taxation which came into being with the emergence of the state, has been used in a class society for thousands of years as a means of preserving the ruling machine of the governing classes and plundering the working people. In the old days it was an instrument for exploiting DPRK  people. In particular, the colonial tax system imposed upon them by the Japanese imperialists was the most brutal and murderous system, unprecedented in history. DPRK people cursed it and resented it.

DPRK people were opposed to heavy taxation for ages in the exploiter society. They fought ceaselessly, particularly against the predatory tax system under Japanese imperialist colonial rule. But their struggle did not succeed, in the final analysis, because it was not linked with the political struggle to seize power. It was not until our revolution was guided by the Juche idea that this fight became a part of the revolutionary struggle against imperialism and the exploiting system and went on towards the radical solution of the tax problem.

During the glorious anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle the Korean communists fought in support of the revolutionary and people-oriented tax policy laid down in the Ten-Point Programme of the Association for the Restoration of the Fatherland, and they set a brilliant example in implementing the tax policy in the anti-Japanese guerrilla base, the liberated area.

The WPK and people's government abolished the predatory tax system of the Japanese imperialists and established a people-oriented, democratic tax system by implementing the Juche-oriented tax policy which was formulated in the days of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle and detailed in the Twenty-Point Platform after liberation.

The new, people-oriented taxation played a big role in laying the foundation of the independent national economy by rehabilitating and developing the destroyed economy, and also in accelerating the socialist reorganization of the relations of production in urban and rural communities and promoting the well-being of the people. The Government of  DPRK made effective use of the state tax revenue as a supplementary source of funds for economic construction and cultural development, while at the same time systematically lightening the tax burden on the people as the foundation of the independent national economy was consolidated. As the socialist reorganization of the relations of production was completed and as the foundation of socialist industrialization was consolidated in our country, the question of abolishing the tax system became the order of the day. As the conditions and possibilities for the abolition of taxation matured, the Government of DPRK first took measures to abolish the agricultural tax in kind during the period between 1964 and 1966.

This was a historic step to free our farmers from the tax burden completely in accordance with the Theses on the Socialist Rural Question in DPRK. It was also a radical step to strengthen the worker-peasant alliance and consolidate the economic foundations of cooperative farms and increase the farmers' real income quickly. With the abolition of the agricultural tax in kind, only income tax and local self-government tax remained in DPRK and these taxes accounted for a negligible portion of the state revenue.

Since the socialist system in DPRK has been further consolidated and developed and since the strength of the independent national economy has increased incomparably, it is time to abolish all taxes. In view of the urgent need for socio-economic progress, the Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea discussed the matter and decided to abolish the tax system, a vestige of the old society. In this way the people's dream to live in a tax-free society has come true, and ours has become the first tax-free country in the world.  In a socialist society it accords with the law of social progress to abolish the tax system, a legacy of the old society.

Under the socialist system, the socialist state and cooperative economies constitute the economic foundations of the state, and the unity and cooperation of the working people is basic to social relations. The social and economic relations in a socialist society are the basis on which to reduce the tax burden on the people systematically and  finally, abolish it. The tax system in a socialist society is no more than an auxiliary source of funds to meet the needs of the state and society for a certain period, and as such it is utilized as a supplementary means to adjust differences in the people's standards of living. The abolition of taxation in our country is based on the advantages of our socialist system and accords completely with the law of development of this system.

The major advantage of our socialist system which fully incorporates the great idea of Juche in itself, lies in the fact that the state is completely responsible for the material and cultural lives of the workers, farmers and other working people. Under the Korea’s socialist system all the working people not only receive distributions according to the quality and quantity of work done but also enormous benefits from the state: they are provided with all basic living conditions ranging from food, clothing, housing, the education of their children, medical treatment and working conditions to recreation facilities.

The state benefits given to the working people are a bud of communist distribution which is developing in our country steadily. They ensure equal improvement in the working people's living standards and provide them with happy lives free from care. Under the  socialist system where the state can finance the revolution and construction on the strength of the income from the socialist economic sector and can afford to spend a large sum of money to look after the people in a responsible manner, it has become unnecessary to collect taxes from the people as an auxiliary means of meeting the needs of the state and society for funds.

Under their socialist system where the exploiting classes were liquidated a long time ago, and where all the working people are equally well-off without any great difference in their standards of living, it is unnecessary to keep the tax system any longer, the system which serves as a means to adjust the income of the people on an equitable basis. The socialist working people of DPRK who armed themselves with the great idea of Juche and who have become masters of the revolution and construction under their socialist system are taking part conscientiously in all state affairs, regarding them as their personal concern.

To the working Korean people who are acquitting themselves well in their solemn duty to the socialist fatherland, as the masters of the state and society, displaying a high degree of revolutionary awareness and voluntary enthusiasm, it has become unnecessary to retain taxation, a legacy of the old society, as their civil duty to the state. Their powerful socialist, independent, national economy is a solid material guarantee for abolishing the tax system.

Under the wise leadership of the Party, the people have built a powerful socialist, independent, national economy in a short period of their history by carrying out the policy of building an independent national economy successfully under the revolutionary banner of self-reliance. Today the Juche-oriented industry has become a comprehensive, independent and modern industry which has been equipped with up-to-date techniques, and depends on solid raw-material production centres of its own. The irrigation and electrification of our agriculture have been completed, and our rural economy has become an advanced socialist agriculture which is run with the help of machines and chemicals.

The DPRK’s  independent national economy is standing on its own feet, developing steadily and rapidly, unaffected by worldwide economic fluctuations and crisis and their socialist state finance which is based on this economy is becoming more solid. The powerful, independent national economy and solid financial basis in our country enabled us to take important measures to reduce prices of industrial goods sharply and even to abolish taxes for the well-being of the people, while carrying on the enormous projects for the building of socialism, continuing to make great efforts for social and cultural measures and strengthening national defense to make it more impregnable.

The abolition of the tax system in our country is the brilliant victory of the great Juche idea as well as a demonstration of the incomparable advantages of their socialist system which is the embodiment of the Juche idea and the great capability of their socialist independent national economy. Thanks to the immortal Juche idea and its brilliant victory, the Korean people are being provided with a richer, independent and creative life in the socialist land of happiness, where there is no exploitation, oppression or taxation.

The epochal, people-oriented measure taken by WPK and the Government of  DPRK to abolish taxes for all time will further encourage the working class and the rest of the masses to the great struggle for the enormous socialist construction, the struggle to implement the magnificent programme of the Six-Year Plan ahead of schedule and to reach a higher eminence of socialism and will inspire them to heroic feats.

The abolition of the tax system will give greater hope and confidence to the South Korean people who are fighting resolutely for democratic freedom, for the right to survive and for the country's independent and peaceful reunification, in spite of unprecedented fascist repression.  In accordance with the provisions of Article 33, the Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK decides:

1. The tax system, a vestige of the old society, shall be abolished completely

2. The Administration Council of the DPRK shall take measures to implement this law.

3. The law shall be effective from April 1, 1974.

Unique and Dynamic Personality of the Great Leader

It is indeed not an easy task to assess and evaluate  the multifaceted talents and capacity of the most  unique and dynamic leader of the entire Korean people President  KIM IL SUNG to deal effectively with matters concerned with almost all parts of state affairs as well as the unusual contributions in making the Democratic People's  Republic of Korea play considerable role in the world history. It was he who through  his far-sightedness, wisdom  and courage had protected ahead the nation's survival and progress from various  challenges and threats from within  and without.

The personality of President KIM IL SUNG symbolizes the entire and incessant contribution he had rendered for the economic, social and cultural development of DPRK. The history of DPRK remains incomplete if  it does not shed light on the historic deeds of President KIM IL SUNG accomplished in the larger interests of his country and people. What have been published with regard to the unique qualities of President KIM IL SUNG’s life and personality were found to be concrete realities which I myself witnessed and experienced during our visit to DPRK in June 1979.                                                                                                                                                            

It is this personality of President KIM IL SUNG which had permeated in the heart of the entire Korean people and it is because of this that they have engaged themselves so heroically in the task of their national reconstruction. We personally witnessed this fact during our visit to DPRK. That a nation's overall development was possible only under the leadership of such a personality as had identified himself with the lives and aspirations of his people was borne out in the personality of President KIM IL SUNG. Had this national personality of President KIM IL SUNG not been so before the world, Korea and the Korean people would surely have not been able to emancipate themselves from their agony   and troubles. The development campaigns launched in the political, economic, social and cultural fields by President KIM IL SUNG demonstrate beyond even the least suspicion that President KIM IL SUNG was always prepared and determined as ever for laboring hard for the bright future of his country and people. He had dedicated himself to the overall development and fulfillment of the larger interest of his country and people. These constructive contributions made in the larger interests of DPRK reflect without any diminution the personality of President KIM IL SUNG. It was under the dynamic leadership of this illustrious personality that DPRK become able to occupy its place of pride among the developed nation of the world.

It would not be inconsistent here to claim that President KIM IL SUNG’s personality had not remained confined only to any limited area but had expanded over the entire regions of the nation. In fact, the multi-faceted personality of President KIM IL SUNG had become a golden page in the history of multi-lateral progress of DPRK.

The Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG had so closely identified himself with the urges and aspirations of the people that there is nothing in the DPRK which does not carry the distinct  impact of that great personality. The Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG had personally visited each and every nook and corner of the DPRK to understand for himself the hardships and problems of his people. The revolutionary idea formulated by President          KIM IL SUNG is Kimilsungism with the Juche idea as the essence.

The revolutionary idea propounded by President KIM IL SUNG was an inheritance and development of Marxism-Leninism and it forms the highest pinnacle of the revolutionary ideas of the working class. In this sense, it may be said that the  revolutionary idea of   President KIM IL SUNG is not a mere present day Marxism–Leninism and it is proper that the Korean people call it Kimilsungism after his death also. President KIM IL SUNG, like the rising sun in the Far East had one of the most far-sighted leadership among all Marxism–Leninism leaders in the contemporary world. His success was ever uncontested leader of the DPRK, reflected absolute support to and trust in the Great Leader as a token of the unanimous desire of the Korean people entrusting their entire destiny to him. Korean people hold him high veneration for he laid them through thick and thin.

The pace at which the great Korean people have attained progress in almost all fields of socio-economic structure of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the direct result of the wise and dynamic leadership of respected and beloved leader of the entire Korean people, Great Leader President KIM IL SUNG who was adored as brilliant master of creation and construction. It was he who had performed immortal feats for the cause of human liberation and of socialist construction.

The experiences demonstrate that when he formulates line and policy at each stage of the revolution, he forces the distant future not only taking into account the present and sets a clear direction and objective of struggle for the masses.