Torch of Pochonbo Still Fortifies Faith of Independence
Pochonbo is the historic place where President
Nearly ninety years have passed since the torch of Pochonbo flared up and everything has changed beyond recognition.
However, the soul and faith of independence which are like the source of innumerable victories are invariable and the weight and value of the Battle of Pochonbo which was recorded in history as the victory of independent spirit can never be changed nor declined.
The Battle of Pochonbo was a historic event which fully demonstrated the independent spirit of liberating the country by our own efforts and accomplishing the revolutionary cause.
It is the faith our people acquired through the battle that Koreans are dignified and powerful and they can smash any enemies and realize the dreams and ideals of national liberation and powerful country only when they fight in reliance on their strength.
On the eve of the Battle of Pochonbo, our people were suffering bitter pains.
The Japanese imperialists were oppressing everything that was progressive without mercy, wielding bayonets on one hand, and were clinging to appeasement and deception for obliterating the spirit of Koreans on the other.
They ran amuck to deprive Koreans of their family names, given names and even speech and written language as well as their traditional virtue and excellent customs, trumpeting that "Japan and Korea are one community" and "the Japanese and the Korean are of the same ancestry".
In order to infuse hope for revival in the hearts of Korean people who were trampled down and flare up flames of independence and self-respect, the President ordered an advance to Pochonbo.
The torch which flared up in Pochonbo was not just a flame of resistance.
It was a flame of independence which demonstrated the President’s thoroughgoing spirit of independence to the whole world.
Fortifying the strong spirit of independence and self-respect reflected in the torch of Pochonbo, our people have emerged ever-victorious, braving harsh trials and hardship of history throughout the whole course of revolution.
It was because it has firmly adhered to the principles of independence and self-respect under the wise guidance of the great leader and Party from the pioneering period of revolution till today that our country, though not large in territory and population, has so far demonstrated its dignity to the full.
The torch of Pochonbo still flares up high in the hearts of our people in today’s gigantic advance for glorifying the great new era of comprehensive rejuvenation of the state, breaking through all the ordeals, obstacles and challenges by our own efforts.
Today’s gigantic changes which startle the world are the proud fruits of wise leadership and great efforts of the respected Comrade General Secretary
In particular, the struggle in the past five years for implementing the decision of the Eighth Party Congress shines as an excellent example in which we achieved unprecedented miracles and eye-opening changes incessantly under the uplifted banner of independence.
The road of achieving prosperity by dint of self-reliance is our invariable course!
Everything in reliance on our efforts, technology and resources!
This is the iron will of the respected Comrade General Secretary and the unchangeable faith he implants in the people’s hearts on the road of revolutionary leadership.
In the important conclusion made at the historic Ninth Party Congress, the respected Comrade General Secretary affirmed that just like we did in the past five-year struggle in which we pioneered the era of comprehensive development of socialism, we will completely rely on our internal force, the great might of our people, in the new upcoming five-year struggle.
On the road of advance for boldly waging the first year’s struggle for implementing the new long-term plan set forth by the Ninth Party Congress, our people recollect the victory in the Battle of Pochonbo and harden conviction that our socialist cause will surely emerge victorious and the dignity and glory of our state will shine forever as our revolution is led by the respected Comrade General Secretary who illuminates the road ahead of our people upholding the torch of Juche and gives full play to the mettle and spirit of Koreans.
Rodong Sinmun