December 17, 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of the demise of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

Ideological and theoretical exploits made by General Secretary Kim Jong Il have great influence on the world people in their struggle for independence, being the milestone for the construction of a socialist and communist society.

Introducing here are some of seminars as such to learn from General Secretary Kim Jong Il’s exploits held in various places of the world.

Asian Regional Online Seminar:

General Secretary Kim Jong Il Who Clarified Prospect
for Victory in Socialism, Thus Giving Hopes to World People

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the demise of General Secretary Kim Jong Il, an Asian Regional Online Seminar based on Delhi, India was held on December 15, 2021, on the subject of "the Immortal Exploits of the Great Leader General Secretary Kim Jong Il.”

The seminar was attended by Prof. Harish Gupta, director general of the Board of Directors of the Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea (ARIJI), Mr. W. A. Duminduwardane, deputy director-general of the ARIJI Board, Mr. Mukesh Sharma, its general secretary, Mr. Muhammad Kamrul Huda, its director, Mr. Javed Ansari, its director and other Juche idea researchers from Asian countries.

It was presided over by Mr. Mukesh Sharma.

At the beginning of the seminar, in his address, Dr. Ogami Ken-ichi, secretary general of the International Institute of the Juche Idea (IIJI), said that what is required now of the world including the Asian countries is to make a deep study of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism, the guiding idea of the present era, and then clarify a new course for Asia.

It was followed by the speech of Prof. Harish Gupta. He said:

Based on the spirit of self-reliance, General Secretary Kim Jong Il built the DPRK as independence in politics, self-sufficiency in the economy, and self-reliance in defence, by taking utmost advantages of its own resources.

Among the many exploits made by General Secretary Kim Jong Il, what is important is to inspire hopes to the world people who aspire after socialism.

At the end of the 20th century, the world socialist movement suffered unexpected trials and difficulties and socialism was frustrated in some countries owing to the evil designs of the imperialists. Under such circumstances, General Secretary Kim Jong Il published several historic works including “Socialism Is a Science,” which gives the world people prospects for the victory in socialism. The credit for building the DPRK a strong Juche socialist country by giving priority to ideological work goes to General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

Mr. W.A. Duminduwardane made a speech as follows:

Due to his outstanding merits and achievements in the revolution and construction from the beginning of his work in the Party central committee, he had been enjoying high respect from the people as the leader.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il formulated President Kim Il Sung’s revolutionary thought into the comprehensive system of idea, theory and method of Juche.

He built the party into a motherly party introducing benevolent politics while enhancing the role of the party.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il has made great efforts in the struggle for the country's reunification on the basis of the thought and policies advocated by President Kim Il Sung.

The outstanding idea and energetic activities of General Secretary Kim Jong Il were the motive force that led the political trend of the present era to independence.

A new independent world, the beautiful future of humankind will surely be built, the ideology and the cause of General Secretary Kim Jong Il will shine forever along with the developing peoples’ cause of independence.

Dr. D. Serdaram, chairman of the Mongolian Juche Research Center said as follows:

The whole life of General Secretary Kim Jong Il was the most brilliant life of a peerless patriot, a people’s leader who continued forced march for the prosperity of the country and the happiness of the people.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il’s forced march was the round-the-clock forced march irrespective of day and night, the forced march of arduous long journey covered everywhere including the urban and rural areas, the flat and mountainous areas, the steep mountains, etc. and the forced march of boundless devotion and labor made even in the cold weather of winter and the hottest period of summer.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il covered forced march of boundless and unimaginable devotion and labor, because he kept a principle of life cherished in his whole life. His principle was that the harder he works, the more country prospers and happier the people become.

He was much pleased saying that he relieved of his fatigue whenever he saw the people’s happiness come true.

There are many leaders and great men in the world. However, there is not such a great man as General Secretary Kim Jong Il who devoted his all to the country and people like a burning candle although he underwent all sorts of hardships as a revolutionary and a human being since he embarked on the road of the revolution.

Prof. Emeritus Ie Masaji at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, Japan, who is also director of the ARIJI Board, made a speech as follows:

Looking at the world, the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the contradiction existing in capitalism and imperialism, and then in the circumstances that the United States and other countries in the West have got weakened. Under these circumstances, the DPRK with the Juche idea as her guiding principle, under the leadership of General Secretary Kim Jong Un, has energetically promoted her economic activities remarkably since the Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The DPRK has been very active not only in defending herself from the coronavirus pandemic but also developing her military forces for self-defence.

In this regard, I believe that it is important for us, Asian Juche idea researchers, to get united firmly, and conduct our study and dissemination of the Juche idea and try to apply this idea in life creatively for making our own countries, Asia and the rest of the world as a whole independent.

Mr. Javed Ansari, secretary general of the Pakistan Society for the Study of Self Reliance, who is also director of the ARIJI Board made a speech as follows:

Ten years ago the international community was shocked at the sad news of General Secretary Kim Jong Il’s unexpected demise. However, his august name, undying achievements, noble life and personality as great man will be remembered by the Korean people and the progressive people of the world for all ages.

General Secretary Kim Jong Il frustrated the imperialist, anti-socialist moves at every step, built a politically and ideologically powerful country on the land of DPRK and firmly defended the banner of socialism by wisely leading the Workers’ Party of Korea and People’s Army. He handed down his greatness to the succeeding generation now led ably, competently and devotedly by his dynamic successor General Secretary Kim Jong Un, who with his fine frenzy of enthusiasm is furthering the noble cause of revolution and construction of the DPRK.

The closing address was made by Mr. Subash Kaji Shrestha, deputy secretary-general of the ARIJI. He said:

All the speeches delivered today are well prepared and very much inspiring. For the past 41 years the ARIJI has played a vanguard role in the study and dissemination of the Juche idea.

With notable foresight and extraordinary political ability, General Secretary Kim Jong Il ultimately developed unique army first politics, which is unique in its organic combination of both military and political affairs. You will see in modern Korea changing beyond recognition under the continuation of the Juche idea and the Songun-based leadership by General Secretary Kim Jong Un.

My sincere thanks to respected Prof. Harish Gupta, director general of the ARIJI Board, who’s wise guidance to all of us has made this event grand successful, and those who are concerned with the IIJI and other ARIJI Board members.

European Regional Online Seminar:

Exploits of General Secretary Kim Jong Il
to Be Remembered by World People

A European Regional Online Seminar on the subject of “Legacy of General Secretary Kim Jong Il” based on Rome, Italy was held on December 18, 2021 under the auspices of the European Regional Society for the Study of the Juche Idea (ERSSJI) .

Seminar was attended by the members of the ERSSJI Board, including its director general Prof. Edmond Jouve, its deputy directors-general Mr. Keith Bennett and Mr. Juha Kieksi, its secretary general Prof. Matteo Carbonelli, and Juche idea researchers from Europe along with Dr. Ogami Ken-ichi, secretary general of the IIJI from Japan.

At the beginning, in his keynote speech, Secretary General Matteo Carbonelli said that it is a great pleasure to have this opportunity to meet you all, although in a video conference on the Internet and not in presence because of the Covid pandemic. And he highlighted the conspicuous issues in the achievements made by General Secretary Kim Jong Il as follows:

The important role General Secretary Kim Jong Il played lies in deepening several central issues in theoretical elaboration of socialism by publishing many works. Not only analyzing the causes of the collapse of socialism in the former USSR and East European countries but also he clarified the superiority and necessity of socialism.

Similarly, when the DPRK had to face enormous difficulties arising from the imperialist sanctions and blockades and from repeated famine and other natural disasters affecting also agricultural and food production, General Secretary Kim Jong Il declared to build a thriving socialist state under the banner of the Juche idea. To achieve this objectives he emphasized ideological formation, and united all the Korean people on the basis of the Juche idea as a powerful means for achieving human emancipation and social development.

The DPRK’s farsighted policies to which General Secretary Kim Jong Il dedicated with his outstanding capabilities throughout all his activities have been still carried forward and realized by the successor General Secretary Kim Jong Un.

So, the legacy of General Secretary Kim Jong Il will stay alive in the memory of the Korean people and the world progressive peoples.

His speech was followed by a congratulatory address by Secretary General Ogami Ken-ichi, who had contributed to the seminar his article entitled “Historical Significance of Line of Three Revolutions Defined by General Secretary Kim Jong Il.” He said as follows:

The fact that General Secretary Kim Jong Il defined the Juche idea as the universal revolutionary idea of the present era is of immortal significance in the history of the mankind’s struggle.

In order to develop the present era and realize the independent demands of the people, it is important that the people themselves become conscious of the correct ideas that can develop the present era, and let them united to fight for the realization as such.

Now that the contradictions of capitalism have been intensifying, a movement guided by the Juche idea is desperately needed.

The reason for the victory of the Korean revolution and the steady progress of its socialist construction ever since lies above all in the correctness of its human-centered guiding idea.

It is indispensable to have a theory for building socialism in a constant manner after the establishment of the socialist system. The theoretical and practical tasks for strengthening and developing socialism were fully elucidated by President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

President Kim Il Sung set forth the general line of socialist and communist construction, which was to strengthen the people's government, constantly enhance its functions and roles, and thoroughly carry out the three revolutions of ideology, technology and culture.

In the DPRK today, the people are united in their struggle around General Secretary Kim Jong Un with a view to the complete victory of socialism and with a clear vision of a communist society, which is the century-old aspiration of mankind. I should say that it is of great significance to study in depth the ideological theory of General Secretary Kim Jong Un, who, in the present world, is solely and correctly leading the construction of socialism and communism.

Let the researchers of the Juche idea in Europe and other regions and individual countries push forward the study and dissemination of this idea more vigorously with the awareness of their proud duty and role.

In his speech, Mr. Juha Kieksi said as follows:

General Secretary Kim Jong Il was the most important statesman, who led the 20th and the early 21st century. The importance of the life of Comrade Kim Jong Il to the Korean people and the working class cannot be overemphasized.

Now at the strength of Korean socialism I would like to highlight three key issues.

First, the basis of the Juche idea is its interest in the popular masses. Socialist Korea reflects just perfect the needs and aspiration of the Korean people.

Second, the Korean revolution has put large effort to ideological work, one of the major causes of the collapse of socialism in the former Soviet Union and some East European countries was that those countries did not put precedence to the ideological work with the ordinary people.

Third, the theory of the revolution has been developed all the time, taking into account changes in the working class throughout the world.

Neoliberalism occurs income differences and poverty in all capitalist countries. To cope with the situation, the people should know the advanced common ideology.

Despite the pressure of the imperialists against the Korean people, the Korean revolution has an access to success. The single-minded unity of the Korean people is unique in the world.

Capitalism has made a success by chasing tactics of staying power and securing privileges of the capitalists. However, the situation is changing. For example, climate is changing and increasing the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be solved in the capitalist system. We must carefully learn about the experience of the DPRK.

We must study and disseminate the Juche idea actively also in Europe. General Secretary Kim Jong Il is still alive in life. Fully relying on the scientific view of the world, we can lead the broad masses of the people from capitalism to socialism.

In his speech, Mr. Keith Bennett said as follows:

Comrade Kim Jong Il was the great leader of the Korean people, and outstanding as the highly respected leader of the international communist movement and the international working class, and national liberation movement and all oppressed nations and the peoples, all those who engage in building a new society and anti-imperialist independence and progressive forces throughout the world.

He led the Korean people during the most challenging period of arduous march and created the unique and original mode of Songun politics to cope with the situation at that time.

At the time when the cause of socialism faced the grave challenges and setbacks due to the cowards, traitors and rotten revisionists, and when imperialism was running rampant, calling about the supposed end of socialism, and even the end of communist history, the great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il rallied and led the world revolutionary forces in an unprecedented way to show his confidence in victory.

His immortal classic works such as “Socialism Is a Science,” “Abuses of Socialism Are Intolerable,” “Respecting for the Forerunners of Revolution Is a Noble Moral Obligation of Revolutionaries,” “On the Fundamentals of Revolutionary Party Building,” and others. These works not only affirmed the necessity and inevitability of socialism, but also developed the socialist idea in depth in profound creative and original ways.

Comrade Kim Jong Il’s untimely demise was therefore the greatest misfortune not only for the Korean people, but for all revolutionary progressive people in the world.

So, today despite indescribably difficult and challenging external environment including of course global pandemic as well as the sanctions and military occupations and threat of the United States, despite of all of this and more, the DPRK continues to advance from strength to strength as a modern socialist country based on self-reliance and centered on the popular masses.

To Celebrate Birth Anniversary of General Secretary Kim Jong Un,
New Year Seminar on Juche Idea Held in Okinawa, Japan

To celebrate the birth anniversary of General Secretary Kim Jong Un, a New Year Seminar on the Juche Idea was held in Okinawa, Japan on January 9, 2022.

The seminar was co-hosted by the Japanese National Liaison Council for the Study of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism and the Okinawa Liaison Council for the Study of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism with the attendance of Dr. Ogami Ken-ichi, secretary general of the IIJI, Prof. Emeritus Taira Ken-ichi at Okinawa University and other Juche idea researchers all over Japan, some 100 in all.

The seminar this year was unique in that it was held on the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of General Secretary Kim Jong Un as supreme leader in the DPRK.

It was jointly presided over by Mr. Tamaki Washin, former city council member of Itoman, Okinawa and Mr. Mikami Taichi, secretary general of the Kansai Liaison Council for the Study of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism.

The inaugural address was made by Mr. Suzuki Toshikazu, representative coordinator of the Tokai Liaison Council for the Study of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism. He said:

In Japan, semi-state of emergency COVID-19 measures has been issued by the government in certain prefectures such as Okinawa, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi where the U.S. military bases have been stationed and where a record number of infected people of a new variant of the COLONA-19 pandemic has been reported. It is a result of the abandonment of its own independence and sovereignty by the Japanese government that is subordinated to the United States, showing that the Okinawan people in particular have been sacrificed. Let us who can share this recognition work together for the social development of the country of our own.

A congratulatory message from the Secretariat of the Korean Association of Social Scientists was then read aloud.

In the seminar, Prof. Taira Ken-ichi gave a lecture entitled “Korean Socialism That Shows Prospects for Communism”.　

In the capitalist society, there have been piled up many problems such as the increase in the disparity of the rich and the poor, unemployment among the youth, hardship in the lives of elderly, homelessness, and solitary death. “New capitalism” the Japanese government is now advocating officially is nothing more than the further promotion of capitalism by involving a new neoliberalist policy.

In many countries Marxist principles could not be carried forward nor developed properly so far. However, it can be said that the DPRK is developing its socialist society based on collectivism and building socialism based on love and trust even in the difficulties. So, the DPRK with the superiority of collectivism is showing the highest phase of socialism.

Mr. Ri Yong Su, chairman of the Korean Association of Social Scientists for the Korean residents in Japan, gave a lecture entitled “On Characteristics of the Kim Jong Un Era and Achievements during Its Decade ” in the followings:

One of the important characteristics of the Kim Jong Un Era is that it has carved out the era of “Our State-First.” The DPRK has played a role in preserving itself against the United States so far. This role has been accomplished by now. Then, the DPRK has come to greet another era of self-respect and prosperity. The DRPK has entered the era of comprehensive development of socialism, which includes such tasks as to eliminate the disparity between cities and rural areas, and that of industrial labour and agricultural labour.

Similarly, through developing a supersonic rocket and others, the DPRK has reached the level that she could win a victory in the showdown with the U.S. So, the key to solving all the problems that have arisen today lies in Kimilsung-Kimjongilism. Let us promote such a proud work as to study and disseminate this ideology to build a new world of independence and peace.

Finally, a letter addressed to General Secretary Kim Jong Un was proposed and adopted in the unanimous applause.

New Year Art Performances Enlivened by Collaboration

The New Year Seminar on the Juche Idea was followed by New Year Art Performances.

First, a young singing group active in Okinawa called “Tida” performed folk songs about the beautiful scenery of the Okinawan islands and about the feelings of their people.

Toyama Yoko, singer, who is also vice-chairperson of the Japan-DPRK Association for Exchanges of Music and Arts, performed a medley of Korean songs sung about people’s pride in their homeland.

The event reached its climax when Kina Shokichi, artist, appeared and sang a song of Arirang with Toyama Yoko with a desire to realize the reunification of Korea.

While performing songs with his own band, Kina Shokichi talked about that it is out of the question to have foreign military bases here in Okinawa that admits going to war, and that it is necessary to realize peace everyone wish for, and then he sang several Okinawan folks and an original song of his own called “Hana (flower)-Flowers to the heart of everyone.”

His songs filled with the admiration for peace moved the audience greatly.

The year 2022 will be a historical one in such a sense that it greets the 110th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung along with the 80th birth anniversary of General Secretary Kim Jong Il, and marks a millstone of a decade since General Secretary Kim Jong Un became the supreme leader of the state and the revolution of the DPRK. So, the New Year Seminar on the Juche Idea and the art performances have become the occasion for Juche idea researchers all over Japan to promote their work for independence and peace in the world including their own country, Japan, upholding aloft the banner of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism.