(Leader Kim Jong Il meets with south Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young <June 17, 2005>)

Songun Politics and Its Great Influence on South Korea

Songun politics of Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defense Commission, which is bearing amazing fruits in north Korea, is exerting a great influence on south Korea.

It is notable that in recent years the south Koreans’ pride that the Koreans is best and their anti-US, independent sentiments are rising markedly.

Flunkeyism born of weak national power in the past grew rank in south Korea after liberation with the military occupation, with the result that the worship for the US became stuck deep in the minds of the south Koreans. They believed the United States is a great power unrivalled in the world.

Their worship of the US, however, began to be shaken when they saw the world’s “only superpower” be completely nonplused by the Songun politics of north Korea. They realized that the US is not so powerful a state, that the Korean people is by no means a small and weak nation, and that the Korean people is a strong and dignified nation nobody can despise or challenge. They are gradually shedding the worship of and dependence on the United States and becoming more recalcitrant against it. Now the south Korean people do not regard America as “liberator” or “helper,” but as occupier, plunderer, and obstacle to reunification. So their distrust to the US and their anti-US sentiments are growing as days go by.

North Korea’s declaration of its possession of nuclear weapons, in particular, gave a great impact on the south Koreans. They think that the nukes of north Korea is of no threat to south Korea, but that the nuclear deterrent power of north Korea will save the Koreans in the north and south from the disasters of nuclear war, regarding it as the nation’s common sacred sword and treasure. It is now a main trend that the nukes of north Korea strengthen the power of the Korean people and that if the north and the south reconciliate, cooperate and unite, they have nothing to be afraid of in the world. As a result, those who insisted on cooperation with the US and dependence on it began to raise their voices for the south-north cooperation and independence.

Songun politics of north Korea exercises a strong influence on the change of the thinking of the south Korean people, and, at the same time, provides a favorable phase for the realization of independence and democracy of south Korean society and reunification of Korea.

Songun politics debilitates the US war moves against north Korea and weakens its domination over south Korea with the powerful military deterrence. Moreover, because the south-north relationship is developing in conformity to the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration and north Korea’s influence is spreading in northeast Asia and Europe through its Songun politics and elastic diplomacy, the US attempts to stifle and isolate it are going bankrupt and the United States itself is being ostracized in the international community. At present not only the progressive forces for reform but also conservative forces in south Korea raise their voices: “Can the one-sided south Korea-US alliance defend security of south Korea? and “we must acknowledge the claims and requirements of north Korea.” This clearly proves how strong the aspiration of south Korea toward independence is. The US has also lost in war simulation against north Korea. Now nobody gives ears to what the Americans say, and the US attempts to incite south-north confrontation come to naught. South Koreans are acquiring a deep understanding that nuclear weapons prevent a war and that the nukes of north Korea are weapons of peace for all Koreans, which check a possible war on the Korean Peninsula. It clearly shows that the long-standing structure of pro-US, anti-north confrontation in the south Korean society is giving way to the structure of anti-US, national unity.

Songun politics also strengthens the influence of the progressive reform forces that constitute the main force of the independent, democratic and reunification movement in south Korea, while weakening the foundation of the pro-US flunkeyist conservative forces.

Songun politics, the independent and patriotic politics, make the south Koreans realize that since the unilateral south Korea-US alliance serves as shackles making south Korea subservient, they had better keep away from the United States and cooperate and unite with the fellow Koreans in the north. In consequence, the mass foundations of the progressive reform forces have expanded. On the other hand, the pro-US flunkeyist conservative forces are left out in the cold by the people because their basis of the pro-US, anti-north logic falling apart by the Songun polities.

Songun politics has a great influence upon the mass movement in south Korea. It sets off the United States, the biggest obstacle to the independence and reunification of the Korean nation, as a major target of attack, thus firmly establishing the confrontation structure of the Korean nation against the US and propelling the mass movement. It also raises the consciousness of the south Korean people on the national independence and anti-US confrontation, having them push forward their movement for independence, democracy and reunification.

Leader Kim Jong Il’s Songun politics, his original political mode, will prove its great innovative significance more vividly not only in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation in north Korea but also in the social development of south Korea.