Where we stand * North Korea

A L L I A N C E ! ,A Revolutionary Communist Monthly

(i) Defence of Sovereignty against Imperialist Attack

Evidently, there is an enormous pressure on the state of North Korea to toe the USA line. What should Marxist-Leninists do? Does defending North Korea against the acknowledged biggest enemy of the world?s working class ? the USA - mean supporting claims of North Korea as a socialist state? It must be made clear that these two positions are not dependent on each other. We insist that we must divorce the one question from the other.

To refuse to defend the state of North Korea now, against continued further pressure from the USA, is akin to sanctioning invasions of sovereign states. If we are to do this in the case of North Korea, for consistency, we must surely apply this to Iraq also?

Yet we are not aware of any Marxist-Leninist grouping that does not defend the Iraqi peoples from USA and UK military aggression. Similarly, we are not aware of any such defense of the Iraqi peoples as equivalent to claiming that Iraq under Saddam Hussein is a socialist state.

Neither do we consider Hussein a Marxist-Leninist, nor do we consider Kim Jong Il as a Marxist-Leninist.

We consider aggression and acts of war against either the state of Iraq or of North Korea ? as imperialist acts that worsen the situation of the people living in those states, and makes it less likely that they will achieve their own democratic rule. Therefore, we must and do defend the current states against military moves and acts of belligerence.

(ii) Why North Korea is not socialist

Many will readily accept that Saddam Hussein is not Marxist-Leninist. After all, he has never traded in ?Red slogans? or in ?waving the Red Flag?. But what of North Korea? Some calling themselves Marxist-Leninists charge us as ?renegades?. But on what basis can we support the following statements from 1955-58, as being consistent with A Marxist-Leninist viewpoint?

"We intend to carry out the revolution to eliminate the capitalist elements in the north not by expropriating the capitalist merchants and manufacturers, but by transforming them on socialist lines by drawing them into various forms of cooperative economy."

Kim Il Sung, Works, vol 9, Pyongyang, 1982, p. 171.

"Our Party should form a solid united front with the entrepreneurs and merchants. . . .

Various methods . . . can be applied in curbing the exploitative practices of the entrepreneurs and merchants. But it will not do to try to confiscate their properties."

Kim Il Sung, Works, vol 8, Pyongyang, 1981, pp. 171-2.

"The capitalist elements still remaining in town and country will have to be restricted and utilised, and remoulded, step by step, on socialist lines."

Kim Il Sung, Works, vol 9, Pyongyang, 1982, p. 201.

By 1958 ? it is claimed ? that without a socialist revolution including expropriation of the ruling classes, ?socialism? had been created. As if this economic nonsense is not enough (Imagine if you can ? the capitalists ?agreeing? to be ?remolded? for the general good! Suggest that to Bushie eh?) ? how about the notion of a hereditary leadership ? from father Kim Il Sung to son Kim Jong Il? Or what about the Cult of Personality built up by Kim Il Sung ? and perpetuated by his son ? Is the following an example of Marxist-Leninist thought?

"The unity and cohesion of our Party developed into the unity of the entire Party in ideology and purpose, reinforced by morality and loyalty, based on the leader?s idea and centering on the leader."

Kim Jong Il, The Workers? Party of Korea is the Party of the Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, Pyongyang,1995.

Finally, if none of those convinces the open-minded, what about the failure of the system to feed its peoples? Famine is widespread, with an escalating infant mortality rate and all other markers of well-being in the country, show the same trend. The Independent warns that "The United Nations food agency warned yesterday that supplies for some seven million people, a third of North Korea's population, will run out early next month without further aid."

This is not socialism. The North Korean regime is nothing more than a dynastic military dictatorship hiding behind Marxist-sounding phraseology.

We support the formation of a truly Marxist-Leninist party in the North Korean state, and in South Korea ? as essential preludes to socialism in a single united Korea.

BUT ? we must vigorously protest and organize against the USA imperialist attempts to invade or bomb North Korea. It is telling that a large part of the South Korean population has mounted huge demonstrations against the US imperialist moves.

(Continued on page ten)

NORTH KOREAN REVISIONIST HEAD OF STATE KIM JONG-IL.

(iii) Why Did North Korea Toss the UN Nuclear Inspector Team out?

What is the background to the recent steps North Korea has taken regarding its abrogation of the nuclear proliferation treaty? In1994, North Korea signed a deal with the USA and Japan and South Korea to shut down its older graphite-moderated nuclear plants (obtained from the USSR). In exchange the other signatories would sponsor the building of light-water nuclear reactors (1994 US-North Korea Framework Agreement). In 2000, the respected media group: ?Jane's Information Group?, reported that agreement for two plants was delayed till 2010, and that North Korea threatened to withdraw from the project and restart its nuclear weapons program. Then Japan demanded guarantees from North Korea to repay a $1 billion loan, which was pivotal to the $4.6 billion Framework Agreement. All this gives the term ?nuclear blackmail? ? a new twist. As satellites look at the Korean peninsula at night, large swathes of light are seen in the South ? and darkness in the North.

The North Koreans had lived up to their compact with the signature states. But the USA, Japan and South Korea had not. The latter were content to watch the on-going misery of the North Korean peoples. The leaders of the North Koreans know that they must make some improvements ? even if minor ? in the well-being of their peoples. They are opening the doors to a full rapprochement with the South Korean state. But, the pace of material improvements to their state was not fast enough, and they frankly tried to pressure the USA. They succeeded.

At the time of writing the North Koreas have agreed to let the Nuclear inspectors return to North Korea.

Further Reading:

On the history of North Korea and why it is not socialist: See http://www22.brinkster.com/harikumar/China/KoreaNS.htm

On the nuclear negotiations with the USA and Japan and South Korea: http://www.nti.org/e_research/e1_nkorea_nuclear.html

On the power shortage in North Korea http://globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/dprk-dark.htm

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