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NORTH KOREA THIS WEEK NO. 480 (December 27, 2007)
*** TOPIC OF THE WEEK
N. Korea Marks 90th Anniversary of the Birth of Kim Jong-il's Mother
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korea renewed its unflinching loyalty to its current leader on Dec. 24 on the occasion of the 90th birthday of Kim Jong-il's late mother, Kim Jong-suk, who died 58 years ago. The North also highly praised Kim Jong-suk's "great struggles" against Japan's colonial rule of Korea from 1910-1945.
Born into a poor farming family in 1917 in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, Kim Jong-suk was married to former North Korean leader and founder Kim Il-sung, the father of Kim Jong-il. She died in 1949.
Art performances and other events were held in various parts of the country to commemorate her birth. Nearly coinciding with the birthday celebrations was the 16th anniversary of Kim Jong-il's assumption of office as supreme commander of the (North) Korean People's Army (KPA), which North Korea celebrated on Dec. 23.
To celebrate Kim Jong-suk's birth anniversary, a national meeting was held at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang on Dec. 24 with many senior officials of the ruling Workers' Party of (North) Korea (WPK), the army and the state attending. Also present were workers, figures from the fields of science, education, culture and arts, diplomatic envoys of various countries and representatives of international organizations.
North Korea's nominal head of state, Kim Yong-nam, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, said in a report that the revolutionary career of Kim Jong-suk was a "brilliant life most loyal to President Kim Il-sung, as she single-mindedly and devotedly defended him and firmly upheld his idea and cause."
He said that Kim led a great life of the woman commander of Mt. Paektu as she performed distinguished exploits by taking the lead in carrying out the Songun (military-first) revolutionary cause of Juche (self-reliance) and a noble life of the most outstanding woman revolutionary, the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
"She was a model of genuine revolutionary fighters as she glorified her life with her staunch and noble revolutionary traits and popular character," Kim Yong-nam said in a report, adding that she worked heart and soul to rear leader Kim Jong-il to be successor to the revolution, possessed of intense loyalty to the president's idea and cause.
He emphasized that 2012, the centennial anniversary of Kim Il-sung's birth, will be the target year for the North to accomplish the socialist country's construction of a Kangsong Taeguk, roughly translated as "a great, prosperous and powerful country."
Similar meetings also took place in provincial capitals, cities and counties to commemorate the anniversary. At the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery on Mt. Taesong, an endless stream of people from all walks of life, including students and children, visited the bust of Kim Jong-suk, said the KCNA.
On Dec. 22 alone, at least 100,000 people visited the bust to pay tribute to her. Over the past 30 odd years since the cemetery's opening, more than 36 million (North) Korean people, overseas compatriots and foreigners have visited the bust, according to the KCNA.
In Hoeryong, a meeting of the party was held to pay tribute to Kim Jong-suk and vow loyalty to leader Kim Jong-il on Dec. 20. Present at the meeting were senior party, army and state officials, as well as youths and students from the province. A floral basket sent by Kim Jong-il was laid before the statue of Kim Jong-suk.
Choe Thae-bok, alternate member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK, said that Kim Jong-suk "lives in the hearts of the Korean people as a lifeguard of President Kim Il-sung, outstanding political activist and mother of revolution for her great revolutionary career."
He called on all the people to uphold Kim Jong-il's Songun revolutionary leadership with loyalty and build without fail a great, prosperous, powerful socialist nation true to the last instructions of the president and as desired by Kim Jong-suk.
KPA Vice Marshal Kim Il-chol, minister of the People's Armed Forces, said that the officers and men of the People's Army will deeply trust and single-mindedly follow Supreme Commander Kim Jong-il in whatever storm and stress, and become ardent fighters and genuine Songun revolutionary comrades.
Ri Yong-chol, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Kim Il-sung Socialist Youth League, said that all the youths can learn from Kim Jong-suk's transparent revolutionary outlook on the leader, and protect Kim Jong-il politico-ideologically.
In its article, the KCNA praised the life of Kim Jong-suk. "The great changes in the days of the enforcement of the laws on agrarian reform, nationalization of major industries, labor, sex equality, etc. promulgated by the president were associated with the noble feats of Kim Jong-suk," the news agency said.
North Korea's official newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, offered a eulogy to Kim Jong-suk on Dec. 25, saying, "The whole life of Kim Jong-suk, anti-Japanese war hero, was a brilliant life dedicated to achieving the sovereignty of the country and the nation and a sacred one as she made an immortal contribution to the patriotic cause of national reunification and great national unity."
In addition, the newspaper of the WPK said that among the great exploits that Kim Jong-suk performed for the cause of national reunification, the most important was that she laid a firm foundation for bringing about a bright future for national reunification and prosperity.
(END)
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