The Reason Why the NK Government Considers 3rd and 4th Generations a Problem

[imText1]The North Korean media and all the propaganda sources, including Nodong Sinmun have been active in propagating “the Commander as the center.”

The “New Year Cooperative Column” wrote, “(We) must strengthen socialist political and ideological positions centering around the leader (Kim Jong Il) as firm as iron.”

Nodong Sinmun on the 3rd propagated, “Just as Kim Hyuk, Cha Kwang Su, Choi Chnag Gul and other young Communists gave up their lives to protect HanByul (Kim Il Sung), we must protect Comrade Kim Jong Il with our lives.”

During the 80’s, the NK government put out a slogan, “Let’s Become Kim Hyuk and Cha Kwang Su” and in the 90’s, “Let’s learn from Hero Kim Kwang Chul and become the “Gun, Bomb, and Bullet” of the 90’s.” In the beginning of the 90’s, the government gave out “the Four Principles of Loyalty,” which requires loyalty toward Suryeong to become ideological, conscientious, moral, and daily practice. It was required that people memorize the four principles during the meetings or in daily activities.

Foreseeable Movement in the New Year

Late last year, Nodong Sinmun reported that about 17 soldiers were sacrificed to save slogan trees in Mujebong. After that, the newspaper gave out a people’s statement that said, “We will live like the 20 heroes of Mujebong and strife.”

This year, the foreseeable slogan is “A Mind for Guarding Suryeong to the Death.” “Unity in One Heart” and “A Mind for Guarding Suryeong to the Death” are what maintains the NK regime. The NK government also feels that if people lose faith in Kim Jong Il like now and distance themselves from the government, maintaining the government would be difficult.

As of now, “the Heroes of Mujebong” is considered a typical movement for “A Mind for Guarding Suryeong to the Death.” Meanwhile they also report about people dying to save a portrait of Suryeong and awarded with them the title of “Hero” whose name will live forever after.

Propaganda Targeting the 3rd and 4th Generation Revolutionaries

The “New Year Cooperative Column” wrote, “This era requires strong, reliable and passionate fighters who will not be shaken by the general trend or mood.” It noted, “We have to prepare for the 3rd and 4th generation of revolution politically and ideologically.”

We could call the 80’s the most politically stable period centering Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. However, after the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994 and the food crisis that soon followed thereafter, the people started to lose faith in Kim Jong Il. Even with more and more people dying of starvation, the government was still uninterested in the lives of the people, it was inevitable that the people started to realize that Kim Jong Il is unreliable. This is the reason why the NK government will push the “A Mind for Guarding Suryeong to the Death” movement strongly.

The problem is who will be targeted. When I was still in North Korea, it was emphasized a number of times that “ideology and culture education must be strengthened for the 3rd and 4th generations who have not experienced the difficulties of the revolution.” It was said that when the Soviet Union collapsed, it was the new generations who widely accepted capitalism.

The movement “A Mind for Guarding Suryeong to the Death” launched by the NK government this year could be considered propaganda to tie the 3rd and 4th generations to the “commander ideology.”