A Great Man Remembered
December 17 is the 9th anniversary of the demise of H.E. Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
On the occasion of marking this anniversary, peoples of the world recall him with deep respect and emotion.
He was a veteran statesman who achieved great exploits for the socialist cause. In the late 20th century, when socialism collapsed in several countries, he made public many works such as The Historic Lesson in Building Socialism and the General Line of Our Party, Abuses of Socialism Are Intolerable and Socialism Is a Science, proving in a scientific way the truthfulness of socialism and the inevitability of its triumph.
He firmly defended the Korean style of socialism by dint of unique Songun politics.
By strengthening his country’s military capabilities for self-defence in every way, he smashed the enemies’ manoeuvres to frustrate the country militarily and provided a springboard for building a powerful socialist country.
In those days, VOA reported as follows: Chairman Kim Jong Il is a unique political leader unheard-of so far in the world; he must be recognized as a socialist statesman and military leader possessed of absolute faith in and loyalty to socialism and of tenacity.
Wakabayashi, a Japanese political figure, said; “Chairman Kim Jong Il is surely an outstanding statesman, who is principled, stout and who adroitly combines strength and elasticity, and a marvellous strategist, who defeats his enemy without fighting.”
Kim Jong Il made a great contribution to the accomplishment of the cause of global independence.
Visiting China several times, he further promoted the common cause of developing traditional friendship between the peoples of the two countries and of defending socialism and global peace.
His visit to Russia in August 2001 and adoption of the DPRK-Russia Moscow Declaration was a historic event that dealt a serious blow to the manoeuvres of the imperialists to make the whole world unipolar one based on the superiority of strength. By achieving international unity with all countries, which were opposed to war and aspired after peace, by transcending differences in ideas, political views, nationalities and religious beliefs, he gave great impetus to the accomplishment of the cause of global independence.
All who met him were attracted to his unique political qualifications and magnanimity.
Goran Persson, president of the European Council and prime minister of Sweden, who headed a top-level delegation of the EU to the DPRK, said: Chairman Kim Jong Il is the most excellent leader of all the heads of state I have ever met.
Madeleine Albright, the then US Secretary of State, on her return from a visit to Pyongyang with an entourage of over 200 persons in late October 2000, submitted a report to President Clinton, which reads in part: Kim Jong Il is completely different from what we have so far thought of him; his theories are systematic and logical; he not only has mastered the complicated international issues of the present days but also is accurate in analysis and judgement and is magnanimous, broad-minded and clear-cut in dealing with issues; it is entertaining to have talks with Kim Jong Il for he listens to his dialogue partner to the last in a prudent manner and with great attention and shows himself to be magnanimous; it is accordingly inevitable to be drawn deep into his theories and assertions during negotiations; all in all, I could not but admit that Kim Jong Il is a leader of great versatility who is clear in the theories of and self-confident in the wide-ranging fields of politics, the economy, culture, military affairs, and diplomacy and is broad-minded and scrupulous.
