Abstract : On the auspicious occasion of 110th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung, this presentation is to pay high tribute to the highly distinguished and peerlessly great personality President Kim Il Sung. Through this paper his contribution is looked back on and his prodigious contribution towards the nation and the people of Korea including the whole subjugated human force throughout the world heading towards the liberation of the society turning the nation into an economically independent nation.

The transformation in the society that he has brought through the innovative ideas has made his idea a distinct and peculiar one while comparing to other theories of socialism. As President Kim Il Sung headed towards the scientific socialism through his scientific way of dealing with the hindrances of the nation he is classified as a supreme figure of the nation. The Juche philosophy that he propounded always led the country towards economic progress, self reliance and apart from the colonization.

The status of Korea automatically transformed and gained sovereignty through the theory President Kim Il Sung propounded that is Juche theory. This paper mostly highlights on the rise of Korea through independent national economy that was possible through the Juche philosophy of President Kim Il Sung.  

Key Words: Kim Il Sung, Juche Philosophy, national economic independence and scientific socialism

 

President Kim Il  Sung’s Independent National Economy for Rise of Korea

It is a matter of great delight to pay a highest tribute to the great leader             President Kim Il Sung for his 110th birth anniversary on April 15, 2022, and pay sincere respect for his countless contribution for the foundation of Juche theory for the independence of Korea. Despite the fact that Korea had been under the Japanese Imperialists, the theory of Juche by Kim Il Sung made it possible to fight for its independence and become self reliance.

In his talk title, “A New Era Requires a New Idea”, given to the Kim Il Sung University students on July 19, 1963 Kim Jong Il proved in depth that Kim Il Sung’s revolutionary ideology that reflected the demands of the present era, a new historic era, and, on this basis, put all the theories of the revolution and construction onto a higher level (Il, 2015, p. 22).

The scientific innovation of Juche idea that President Kim Il Sung propounded made Korea an independent socialist nation in the world through economic independence. President Kim Il Sung made the transformation of Korea through the implementation of Juche theory in a practical form. For the happiness and freedom of Korean people the great leader Kim Il Sung made a great devotion for the national independence under the paradigm of economy so that the nation moves towards a great progress moving ahead independently. President Kim Il Sung was a peerlessly a great man as his attempts assisted the nation to liberate the nation from the imperialism of other nations. His theory always tends to decolonize the nation for the benefit and freedom of the nation and its people in fact the world. Despite the fact that other socialists, President Kim Il Sung too headed towards the socialism through Juche theory; a new perspective to look into the theory of socialism. 

We must destroy the Japanese imperialist marauders achieve Korea’s independence so as to ensure freedom and happiness for our people. Furthermore, we must accomplish the sacred cause of destroying imperialism throughout the globe so that the oppressed working masses of the whole world can lead a free and happy life (Sung, 2011, p. 3). 

The motive of saying that Japanese imperialist must be destroyed for the achievement of Korea’s independence is in order to be free nation and achieve economic independence so that people in the country would live a peaceful and content life. President Kim Il Sung’s Juche theory not only intends to cover the freedom of nation instead of the whole world. Juche theory embraces a scientific way to solve the problem keeping man in the central point and considers man as the greatest power of the nation who bears an ability to transform the society through the achievement of economic independence.   

In his talk titled, The Leader of the Working Class Plays a Decisive Role in the Revolutionary Struggle, given to the students of Kim Il Sung University on June 12, 1963 and many other works, he proved that the leader of the working class is the supreme representative of the interest of the masses of the decisive role in the revolutionary struggle of the working class (Il, 2015).

The great leader Kim Il Sung always focused on an individual that bears the potentiality to transverse the society through revolution that is scientific. The working classes are the supreme power of the society and standing independently can bring deviation in the society with the achievement of independence in economic arena of that person and the nation as a whole. Kim Il Sung in his University days taught the students about the power of working class people in the society for the achievement of goal of scientific socialism in the nation.

Statement of Problem

  i. DPR of Korea needs more mobilization of Juche philosophy that the        President Kim Il Sung developed for the national economic liberation. 

Our revolution has not yet been completed, and we still have a long rugged revolutionary path to tread. But our revolutionary veterans have gradually been decreasing in number, while a great many younger people who have not been trained during an arduous revolutionary struggle are joining the ranks of our revolution (Il, 1997, p. 45). 

Juche philosophy by Kim Il Sung always centered on the revolutionary potentiality of the working class people in the society that is always based on the intelligence of an individual in order to gain economic independence. The philosophy always focused on self reliance that is the gist of the theory so that it would not on let the imperialist rule the nation and the world and set the nation and world free of imperialism. So, there is still a need for more awareness and more practice of Juche philosophy in Korea in order to take the nation and the whole out of imperialism and set them through economic independence.  

ii. Need of economic constructions to fulfill task of independent national economy.

We must conduct explanation and information activities and act performances on a wide scale to enlighten and awaken the broad masses. As our country had been a feudal state for a steeped in superstition and outdated feudal ideas...Bigoted old men restrain women’s movement, saying that if a woman moves about outdoors she will bring misfortune to her family. In this situation, it is impossible to rouse the broad masses to the anti Japanese struggle unless they are enlightened (Sung, 2011, p. 12).

In any nation, people or the public is considered the source of power in order to develop the nation and so Kim Il Sung in Korea. It is true that the development of each and every individual in the nation makes difference in the economic prosperity in the nation. So, when each and every individual in the nation heads towards the progress then automatically nation heads towards the economic progress. But, there is a need of economic construction through which the enlightenment of masses in Korea that would make the country more powerful and strong and economically self reliant.

Aims and Objectives

i. To make people realize to mobilize the Juche philosophy of Kim Il Sung through awareness programs among the people in the country for the national economic liberation.

ii. To stimulate to built more and more economic constructions in order to utilize the labor of people and bring more economic national independence.

Theoretical Framework

The great Juche idea, the first of its kind in the history of human thought, constitutes the revolution and kind in the history of human thought, constitutes the essence of methods of leadership are integrally systematized. Herein lies its characteristics feature which make it different from the preceding revolutionary theories of the working class, Kimilisungism is the genuinely right system of ideology, theory and method which serve as guidelines in making the revolutionary in our era, Juche era (Il, 2015, p. 81).

This paper as oriented to the idea of the great leader and theorist          President  Kim Il Sung, that is Juche Philosophy that is proved to be extremely new theory than that of Marxism or any other theory of communism for the fact that it is scientific and shows the way for the economic independence in the nation. As the presentation is for the contribution of the great leader Kim Il Sung for his pragmatic attempt of achieving national as well as worldwide independence for each and every individuals happiness and freedom this paper revolves on the same idea of Juche philosophy as a theoretical framework.

“The Juche idea raised the fundamental question of philosophy by regarding man as the main factor, and elucidated the philosophical principle that man is the master of everything and decides everything” (Il, 2015, p. 139). The Juche philosophy propounded by Kim Il Sung puts man as the central figure in the society for the development of the society who has the ability to hold the power of everything and can bring transformation in the society possibly with the economic independence. The economic independence can be achieved with the utilization of individual power in the developmental work at various levels in the society is the gist of the Juche Philosophy and until and unless the societal figures do not use or mobilize their power the achievement of economic independence is not possible.

Marxism is the most progressive idea and the most scientific revolutionary theory in human history. Its truth and might were already proved clearly through the October Socialist Revolution in Russia. Under the Marxist banner the Russia proletariat fought and overthrew tsarist monarchism and established for the first time in the world a social system under which the oppressed people live a happy life. We must have been confirmed through practice. However, we cannot fight in the same way as some so-called advocates of Marxism do at present (Sung, 2011, p. 5).

Although, Korea is a socialist nation that aims to achieve and maintain socialism in the nation and throughout the world, it follows the theoretical perspective different from the theory of Marxism. The economic self reliance in Korea is possible due to the practical implementation of theory of Juche that followed the scientific operations in the nation unlike other theories that do not explain the way to end the class in the society.

Hence, this paper relies on philosophical idea on Juche that is set forth by President Kim Il Sung for the freedom of nation and the world from the imperialists and establish the economic independence in the nation with the realization of self reliance that would bring change in the field of all the paradigms of the nation that is political, social, cultural, and overall development of the nation.

Limitation 

This study is limited to the theory of Juche by Kim Il Sung that aims to achieve economic independence in the nation through self reliance and scientific implementation of labor in the nation. The study relies on the qualitative research method hence, tends to reprove the theory of Juche that is introduced by the great leader Kim Il Sung as a distinct and new ideology for the achievement of economic independence in the nation.

Methodology

This study is based on qualitative method in order to analyze and reproof the theory through support of various text books related to Juche theory and Kim Il Sung for support most probably the book related to Juche theory and President Kim Il Sung’s writings . The study as is based on Kim Il Sung and his theory, so counts the theory of Juche and throughout the study moves on same perspective.

Conceptual Framework

The main concept of this paper is the idea of President Kim Il Sung’s Juche theory under the perspective of economic independence of the nation through the implementation of the theory in the nation that is Korea with the support of each and every individual’s intellectuality and labor for the economic development. The paper states that the great leader Kim Il Sung is the one who is responsible for the guidance of the promotion of economy and self reliance in the nation. So, the concepts paper builds are scientific implementation and self reliance.

Scientific Implementation 

The masters of the revolutionary struggle are masses of the people. Only when they are organized and mobilized can they win the revolutionary struggle. Therefore, the leaders of the movement must go among the masses and awaken them so that they themselves can wage the revolutionary struggle as masters. But the self-styled leaders of the communist movement merely indulged in a war of words harmful to the revolution, and gave no thought to awakening the masses for revolutionary struggle (Sung, 2011, p. 35). These lines clarify that the real leader makes people aware in the nation by involving them instead playing the war through words. The real leader show the way to the people and motivate them to awaken themselves and struggle for the achievement of economic independence. The organization and mobilization of the revolution only can take to the goal of economic liberty among the people as they gain financial benefit from the scientific implementation of ideas from the state or the nation. The economic self reliance through the awareness of the mass only can bring the development in the nation and power of the nation so exists in that way.

Self-Reliance

Every Country should follow the example of Kangso County, South Pyongan Province, in developing local industry. Kangso County has now set an example for the whole country to follow in the management of local industry efficiently and also contribute to follow in the management of local industry. Last year it did very well in implementing its budget by operating state treasury. In addition, it produced large quantities of daily necessities and precessed[sic] food and thus made a great contribution to the welfare of the people (Sung, Kim Il Sung Works, 1988, p. 183).

The self reliance of the nation in economic paradigm needs management of local industry that is possible with the implementation of budget from the state treasury. The strategy of producing large quantity of daily necessities would boost in the economic burgeoning. In this way the mass production that fulfills the demand of customer would bring increment in the national income that makes the nation economically independent and powerful as enough production in own country stops import in trade while possibly improves in export to other countries that would again increase the business of the nation.  

Analysis

The Juche theory by Kim Il Sung reinforced the economic state of the nation that made the nation economically independent as the theory is the scientific presentation and implementation. Various economic strategies under the theory of Juche by Kim Il Sung assisted in the growth of economy of the nation that makes nation as well as individual independent and content in the nation. Kim Il Sung brought a new revolutionary idea that is Juche idea which is the idea of new era in the history. 

In order to built socialism and communism, two fortresses must be captured, namely the ideological and material fortress. In order to take these two fortresses we should guard against leaning too far towards cultural and technical education while neglecting ideological education, and vice versa. In order to build a socialist and communist both the ideological remoulding[sic] of all the people and the work of raising their cultural and technical levels. (Sung, Kim Il Sung Works, 1988, p. 342)  

The achievement of socialism and communism is possible with the embracement of two perceptions; ideological fortress and material fortress. The achievement of ideological and material entities is possible with the guidance of cultural and technical education to the people in the nation. The practical education in relation to culture and technicality makes people creative that leads to strong economic construction in the nation that means fulfillment of task that raises the nation to the free economic position. Strong economy in the country leads to the happiness of the citizens.

Finding

Through the analysis it is found that Kim Il Sung, the great leader and genius national figure with the foundation of Juche theory different of any other theories of socialism and communism, made a great attempt to bring national economic independence in Korea. With the implementation of the Juche Philosophy keeping man at the centre he made people realize the potentiality of an individual to break the tradition of imperialism through self reliance heading towards the development of nation.  

Kim Il Sung with his focus on industrialization of the nation without depending on the other nations made it possible to assure national economic independent in the nation and still wants to promote the same idea throughout the world in order to eliminate imperialism from the whole world. The scientific implementation of Juche Philosophy made the transformation in Korea possible that was under the imperialism of Japanese Imperialists. And still there is a need of development of low level, high level and medium level industries for more self reliance in Korea and bring potentiality more ahead among the world.

As Juche theory seems to be an innovative theory, it suggests that man is the centre of society and most powerful agents for development of the society and can gain economic independence with their effort and implementation of Juche theory in the development of industrial sector of the nation. So, it is found that the economic independence can be found with self reliance as a main principle of Juche Philosophy that leads to the prosperity and happiness of people in the society.

Conclusion 

To conclude, the achievement of ultimate goal of national independence in the nation through the building of socialism is possible with the pragmatic application of Juche theory by the great leader Kim Il Sung. And on the promising day of 110th birth anniversary of a prominent figure of Korea Kim Il Sung this paper is presented in order to pay high respect for his distinguished work of guiding the nation to achieve economic independence through scientific principles in the nation that would ultimately bring satisfaction, prosperity and happiness among the people in Korea and still heads towards the achievement of end of imperialism throughout the world with same philosophical notion for the economic independence throughout the world through revolution. 

References

Il, K. J. (2015). History of Revolutionary Activities of Chairman Kim jong Il. Pyongyan, Korea: Foreign Language Publishing House.

Sung, K. I. (2011). Kim Il Sung Complete Work. Pyogyang, Korea: Foreing Languages Publishing House.

Sung, K. I. (1988). Kim Il Sung Works. Pyongyang, Korea : Foreign Language Publishing House.