| April 15, 2015 marks the 103rd anniversary of the birth of Comrade Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), legendary leader of the Korean people in the anti-Japanese war and defeat of the Axis powers, and founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 1948 as a sovereign, modern and socialist state. Kim Il Sung is the historic personality who provided leadership to the Korean people for the peaceful, independent reunification of their country, and at every turn defended the dignity and honour of the Korean nation. The birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung is celebrated as the Day of the Sun on the Korean peninsula, an occasion on which the Korean people and all peace- and justice-loving humanity pay tribute to the life and work of this Korean communist leader and statesman. This year's Day of the Sun celebrations are taking place at the same time that the U.S. under the Obama administration is stepping up its aggression against the DPRK, as part of its Pivot to Asia geopolitical war strategy to control China and Russia. Part of the Pivot strategy is to increase the U.S. military presence in south Korea and around Korean waters, and East Asia and threaten another Korean War aimed at occupying the entire Korean peninsula in the service of the U.S. war, occupation and aggression in East Asia and around the world. This must not pass! Desperate crimes are being committed by the U.S. and their allies to destabilize the DPRK, derail it from its independent socialist path, and sabotage the ongoing efforts of the people of the DPRK to build their socialist economy, ensure peace on the Korean peninsula and to realize the sacred aim of the reunification of the Korean nation. These include anti-communist and racist books and films such as The Interview, bogus human rights reports and disinformation from the U.S.-dominated and discredited Commission of Inquiry based on false testimony from so-called north Korean refugees, as well as the annual U.S.-south Korean joint military drills, the ongoing economic and political embargo of more than 60 years, plus the use of spies and saboteurs. This year under the leadership of Kim Jong Un and the Workers' Party of Korea, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean people's victory of the Japanese occupiers of their country and as well as the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Worker's Party of Korea, the Korean people are stepping up their efforts to strengthen and diversify their self-reliant economy particularly in the area of food self-sufficiency and consumer products. The military defence capability of the country is also being bolstered in the face of U.S. threats and aggression, and efforts to step-up the reunification movement and foster peaceful co-operative relations between north and south Korea are being made. In his lifetime, Kim Il Sung gave leadership and organized for Korean reunification after the U.S. unilaterally divided the country in 1945 following the Second World War. He set forth the three principles of national reunification (May 1972), the plan for founding a Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo (October 1980) and the 10-Point Program of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation for the Reunification of the Country (April 1993). These and other proposals bore fruit in the June 15, 2000 North-South Joint Declaration and the October 4, 2007 Agreements which began to normalize relations between the two Koreas. Since that time the U.S. and its puppet governments in south Korea have done their utmost to sabotage the reunification movement of the Korean people because it would mean the end of U.S. military occupation of Korea. In a speech delivered at the First Session of the Third Supreme People's Assembly in October 1962, Kim Il Sung pointed out: "Reunification of our country is a complicated and difficult task that cannot be performed easily. Only through a hard and long-drawn-out struggle can we accomplish the great task of national reunification, for the U.S. imperialists, the overlords of world imperialism, have occupied south Korea and are now plotting frantically to unleash a new war, pursuing a policy of aggression against the whole of Korea and Asia. [...] the only way to save the present situation in south Korea [...] is to drive out the U.S. troops and achieve national reunification." At every turn in the history of modern Korea, Kim Il Sung provided the summation of the Korean people's revolutionary experience which laid down the line of march to enable the Korean people to find their bearings under any situation and thus realize their aspiration of living in a prosperous and peaceful Korea. Today the DPRK, under the leadership of Comrade Kim Jong Un continues to make great strides in all spheres of its independent socialist economy and is meeting the people's growing needs despite the brutal imperialist political and economic embargo imposed for over 60 years. This is thanks to the firm course established by Kim Il Sung based on the self-reliant spirit of Juche, which put the economy and military and all aspects of social life in the DPRK firmly in the hands of the people, calling on them to take the initiative in nation-building and confidently marching ahead on the socialist independent road despite all difficulties. Today, the people of the DPRK, with Korean patriots in the south and around the world honour the memory of Kim Il Sung by carrying forward and defending this nation-building project, upholding the unfurled banner of the Korean reunification movement and not permitting the U.S. imperialists to compromise their independence, dignity and sovereignty. On the occasion of the Day of the Sun, TML Weekly sends it warmest revolutionary greetings to the Korean people, confident in their efforts to fortify their economy, oust the U.S. imperialists from south Korea, achieve the peaceful reunification of their country and continue to uphold peace on the Korean peninsula and contribute to peace in the world and the independence and self-determination of all nations and peoples. |