Report of Visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea by Dermot Hudson
I visited the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea again , for the 10th time , from the 8th of October to the 19th to attend the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Workers' Party of Korea. This was at the kind invitation of the Korean Association of Social Scientists It was a great visit and I was very disappointed to leave to go back to the capitalist world where everything seems so depressing and miserable .
During my visit I had working level meetings with the Korean Association of Social Scientists. I participated as an observer in the meeting of the Board of Directors of the KIM IL SUNG KIM JONG IL International Foundation . I took part the seminar on the 9th of October and made a speech to the seminar on experiences of Juche Idea Study Groups on the 11th of October. I was proud to be awarded the double portrait badge of generalissimos KIM IL SUNG and KIM JONG IL, a great honour indeed.
I was able to have a short meeting with the DPRK Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries during the meal arranged by them on the 8th of October. I had a productive meeting with the Anti Imperialist National Democratic Front of south Korea. I was able to visit outside of Pyongyang the following places such as the Sinchon museum, International Friendship Exhibition and West sea barrage and also to walk around Pyongyang quite a lot on foot for the first time . Seeing pedestrian underpasses I could not see any homeless people. I realised more deeply that the propaganda spread by the imperialist mass media is all lies.
Seeing the DPRK countryside I came to know that the stories about crop failure and famine are untrue . Also some elements spread stories about " reform " and "opening up " and even the" restoration of capitalism" but in the countryside you could see the Red flag proudly displayed on the collective farm fields.
There so many highlights of the trip notably the massive military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Workers Party of Korea . . Also there was torchlight parade by tens of thousands of youth was most impressive as was the 10,000 strong gala performance on a floating stage.
I arrived at the new Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on the 8th where I was met by an official of the Korean Association of Social Scientists and by my guide for the trip Ms Ri , a smartly dressed young lady with a brisk and confident walk who is a university student and member of the KIM IL SUNG Socialist Youth League . Seeing the new Airport itself was a surprise ! . All trace of the old Sunan airport was gone and instead a new modern airport that is spacious and bright . It was constructed by the soldier constructors of the Korean Peoples Army totally self reliantly in the spirit of Juche . Many countries can of course boast of modern airports but these are constructed with the help of foreign capital whereas Sunan Airport is 100 per cent Korean in construction and design . There is no HSBC , no McDonald’s , no Starbucks , no KFC ! everything is Korean owned and managed !It was a contrast to a certain neighbouring country where the first thing you can see on coming out of arrivals is a McDonald’s rather than a symbol of the country concerned or an enterprise owned by that country , what a poor show ! Although Sunan Airport now has bigger capacity it still has a calm atmosphere and lacks the stress of Heathrow Airport . In some capitalist countries airports have been over expanded drawing anger and protests . However the DPRK has struck a balance between the need for international air travel and the need for environmental harmony.
Pyongyang was in a truly festive mood ready for October 10th . The red flag of the Workers Party of Korea with its distinct hammer, sickle and writing brush could be seen flying gaily in the wind on many street corners . On this visit whilst visiting the Party Foundation museum I learnt that the fact that that the sickle, brush and hammer are upright to symbolise the single hearted unity of the masses and that the writing brush is higher to reflect the importance of intellectuals in society .
Of course the DPRK is one of the few countries in the world where you will see the Red flag flying on street corners which reflects the fact that the DPRK is upholding the red banner of socialism frustrating all attempts to undermine socialism as dear respected Marshal KIM JONG UN said in his recently published work "The Cause of the Great Party of Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il Is Ever-Victorious"
" We must keep a watchful eye over all sorts of moves by the enemy to undermine our socialist system from within, approach these moves with political awareness and never allow any poisonous weeds of capitalism, however trifling, to sprout in the garden of socialism."
The single heart-ed unity of the DPRK was demonstrated by the massive military parade , civilian demonstration and torchlight procession of youths . The military parade was was a superb pageant . It was led by a column representing the anti-Japanese guerrillas which was symbolic of the continuity of the revolution down the generations. There were the original tanks from the Fatherland Liberation War including tank no 312 which was the first tank into Seoul on the 28th of July 1950 , a subtle reminder to the south Korean puppets of the fate that awaits them should they provoke a war . There was an impressive display of tanks and missiles including long range missiles as well as a nuclear suicide unit which shows that if necessary the KPA under the command of supreme leader Marshal KIM JONG UN can strike back at the US imperialists in any part of the world . The US imperialists may be able to run but they cannot hide from the merciless strike of the KPA ! There was an ingenious display by planes that flew in the formation of the WPK symbol and in the formation of a number 70 , such creativity and skill !The military parade was followed by a civilian demonstration which demonstrated the army people unity which is quite impossible in capitalist society where there is conflict between the people and the armed forces. Later I explained to my guide Ms Ri that in my country there is conflict between the army and the people giving the example of the town where I grew up : there was an army barracks in the centre of town but it had to be moved into the countryside far outside town because each night the soldiers would go out and get drunk in pubs and beat up the civilians(Ms Ri said that the British Army is not a proper army and that KPA soldiers never drink )
Dear respected Marshal KIM JONG UN addressed the parade , his voice was clear and strong full of conviction. He said
" For our country and people, October 10 is a meaningful revolutionary holiday when they celebrate the birth anniversary of the genuine vanguard of the revolution, its militant General Staff, which has taken responsibility for their destiny and leads them"
Military parades in the DPRK are different from those in former socialist countries as in the DPRK the paraders march with vigour and enthusiasm and with colourful displays. In the former socialist countries the military parades looked gloomy. Of course some big powers may put on big military parades but these are just for show with no real content
I also attended the 10000 strong joint performance "Great Party, Rosy Korea". This was a very new concept for me as it was performed on a floating stage on the River Taedong , something unique and I have never seen this before anywhere in the world. The performance was started by schoolchildren but centred on veteran artistes of the DPRK . The famous Pochonbo and Wangjaesan bands took the stage to perform such classic numbers as My Country is the Best . There were so many fascinating pieces of music . The history of the DPRK was represented by music and stunning choreography . I liked seeing a model of tank no 312 on the stage. The most striking piece was Peace on Is Our Bayonets . The lead singer for this was in a beautiful woman singer in uniform with a powerful and striking voice. This was performed against a striking backdrop showing the US flag and White House being destroyed. This demonstrates the strong and militant anti imperialist spirit of the DPRK which is not seen in other countries. The DPRK fights US imperialism without compromise unlike some countries.
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The anti -imperialist , anti US spirit of the DPRK was also fully demonstrated at the new Sinchon Ri museum . Sinchon Ri is the fateful place where the US imperialists and local class enemies committed the crime of murdering 35383 people or one quarter of the population (can you imagine the death toll if the same thing was done in London , it would 2.2 million people dead!).It is an understatement to say the the US imperialists are just as bad as Hitlers Nazis , in fact they were much worse! A museum was built at the site of one of the massacres not simply as a memorial to those who died but also as a centre of anti US anti imperialist class education . Dear respected Marshal KIM JONG UN instructed that the museum should be rebuilt and modernised . He also gave instructions that it should be moved to the site of where the massacre took place in the Chestnut valley as previously those who visited the old museum had to travel between sites , the new museum affords greater convenience . The new museum is much larger than the old one and has more detailed and graphic displays some with sound effects which tell of the horrendous crimes committed by the barbaric and degenerate Yankee imperialists against the Korean people . We learnt about the long history of US aggression against Korea which goes back over 150 years. In the past the devious US imperialists used religion as a means of creating passivity and US worship infiltrating many missionaries into Korea to spread the worship of the US and to recruit spies and collaborators. My eye was caught by a depiction of Korean shown helping the US imperialists . This was a former landlord . Thus the US imperialists were the external enemy but were helped by internal class enemies like former exploiters. The two were hand in glove . Today the reactionary exploiting class in south Korea led by puppet bosswoman Park Geun Hye is hand in glove with the US imperialists in their anti DPRK moves . My guide Ms Ri explained that the nature of the US imperialists does not change . I was able to purchase an excellent booklet Sinchon Acuses the Yankee barbarians ! . Probably the DPRK is the only country in the world to have such a museum , none of the other socialists countries , former or present , carried out such thoroughgoing anti US anti imperialist class education and it intends to step it up.
Visiting the new renovated and expanded Fatherland Liberation War Museum one could learn the fact that the US imperialists provoked the Korean War and also of the crushing defeat inflicted on them by the heroic Korean Peoples Army commanded by the great leader generalissimo KIM IL SUNG the ever-victorious iron-willed brilliant commander and gifted military strategist of Juche . Also displayed outside were numerous captured US weapons including in pride of place the "USS Pueblo " which was captured on the 23rd of January 1968. At the time the US imperialists asked British premier Harold Wilson who had close business relations with the Soviet Union to ask the USSR to ask the DPRK to hand back the ship . The DPRK refused to do so , though the Soviet revisionists did put pressure on the DPRK to hand back the ship.
We also visited the International Friendship Exhibition situated in the beautifully scenic and supremely serene Myohyang mountains. I was proud to see the gift we presented to dear respected Marshal KIM JONG UN in 2013 on display. There was a beautiful carpet picture of dear respected Marshal KIM JONG UN and comrade Ri Sol Ju on display.Visiting the exhibition we could learn of the the deep reverence of the world revolutionary and progressive people for the great leader President
KIM IL SUNG who was the great elder of the international communist and working class movement . After seeing the waxwork figure of the great leader President KIM IL SUNG Ms Ri said that she felt that she was seeing the great leader President KIM IL SUNG in real life !
No visit to Pyongyang is complete without a visit to the amazing Pyongyang Metro.The cost of ride on the Pyongyang Metro is the equivalent of 0.003p(according to a google currency converter) so it is virtually free and war veterans get completely free travel.The Pyongyang Metro is clean, free from vandalism, graffiti , capitalist advertising and dirt ! I told my guide how dirty the London Underground is and she asked why given the high fares on the Tube they cannot kept it clean ! The Pyongyang Metro is very safe as the platforms are wide and each station has 2 "security girls" who ensure the safety of passengers. In London ticket offices are being closed and the numbers of staff reduced.
The DPRK is building many blocks of flats such as Mirae Street and handing them over to the people free of charge. This would be unthinkable in the UK where a flat on the riverside in central London cost £12,000 per month to rent or up to £1 million to buy . Even in the run down and poor Woolwich Dockyard area ( where I live) a flat costs £200,000 to buy or £500 to £1000 a month to rent.
Thanks to my dependable and reliable guide Ms Ri I was able to walk about the centre of Pyongyang which not only afforded me the opportunity of fresh air and exercise but gave me the chance to see the reality of the DPRK even more deeply before. Some enemies of the DPRK say that visitors to the DPRK simply stay in hotels and go around in tourist buses but do not really know the country . This was proved untrue . I encountered busy and bustling streets full of people. In the pedestrian underpasses there were no homeless people that you would expect to see in the capitalist countries . Indeed in London some pedestrian underpasses at night are full of homeless people , drunks , drug addicts and lumpen criminal degenerate type people but in Pyongyang there is no such thing. Indeed the DPRK is a highly moral society that does not have drug addiction nor does it have pornography or the so-called "sex industry " that the capitalist countries have which distorts human values and blights lives.
There was also no sign of the police oppressing the people norheavily armed police units patrolling the streets . Travelling through the countryside to various places such as Sinchon, Mt Myohyang and Nampo therewas absolutely no sign of the "forced labour camps " and "concentration camps" that the imperialists claim exist in the DPRK . In fact I did not see barbed wire anywhere in the DPRK countryside . I realised that the "human rights " propaganda of the imperialists and the stories spread by defectors are completely false.
The DPRK boasts excellent leisure and recreational facilities which are either non existent or very expensive in London. We watched a lively performance by the dolphins at the Rungna Dolphinarium . I was told it is very cheap to visit this place.
On my last day I visited the famous Munsu Water Park which had not been completed when I last visited in 2013. This place is incredibly big with indoor and outside facilities such as slides and a wave machine. It also has its own hairdressers and an excellent coffee bar.
I had the privilege of meeting with for 5th time the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front of south Korea, the vanguard revolutionaries of south Korea . I was shown a video about the US imperialist and south Korean puppet moves to tear up recent inter-Korean agreements and provoke war . They also showed me a video concerning the attempt to revise history books in south Korea in a way as to embellish both Japan's occupation of south Korea and the Park Chung Hee military fascist regime and also the struggle of the south Korean people against such a revision. In my discussions with the AINDF I stressed that Park Geun Hye styles herself on Thatcher but in reality Thatcher was a leader hated by many British people so that when she died some people came out on the streets to celebrate. The same will happen to Park Geun Hye and her fate will be the same as her fathers . I had some very good discussions with the AINDF and exchanged gifts with them .I was entertained by an excellent meal by the AINDF which included my favourite Korean hot pepper sauce
I was greatly honoured to met secretary Kim Ki Nam and shake his hand and say Chosonnodongdang manse ! in Korean to him
I also met with Dr Ogami Kenichi head of the International Institute of the Juche Idea and Dr Harish Gupta head of the Asian Regional Institute for the Study of the Juche Idea and had discussions with them. I had the priviliege of 2 working level meetings with a senior professor from KASS. I also had the opportunity to meet the vice secretary general of KASS at a meal arranged on my last night in the DPRK at which I was able to enjoy lobster which is only eaten by rich people in my country. The meal was very reasonably pricedonly 58 euros between for 6 people including soju (normally in London the same price would only buy a similar meal for two people)
Dermot Hudson
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JISGE