Ideological indoctrination materials distributed by North Korea since the start of the New Year have focused mainly on praising leader Kim Jong Un’s achievements in developing the country’s nuclear arsenal, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a source in Pyongyang told Daily NK on Thursday that the Central Committee’s Propaganda and Agitation Department has sent lecture and study materials for cadre workshops to provincial, city, and county party committees several times since the beginning of the year, “but they’re mostly propaganda about the greatness of the Supreme Leader, focusing on praising his achievements with nuclear weapons and constantly stressing how officials must prepare themselves accordingly through ardent struggle.”
The source said a Central Committee order about lectures issued on Jan. 12 also included praise for Kim’s nuclear achievements.
According to the source, the order in question said: “The Supreme Leader’s policy over the past two years of legislating and enacting laws on nuclear policy and his elevation of our nation, people, and state to the supreme, inviolable status is the highest and greatest achievement in the history of the Korean people.”
It went on to say that “what the Supreme Leader always says during his recent visits with his esteemed child to defense, munitions, military and economic sites is that we can protect not only this generation but also future generations from the imperialists only if our nation stands tall as a stronger nuclear power,” calling this Kim’s “vision of the future generation” and “vision of the future.”
The order added: “The Supreme Leader also made our national strength a core [value] and stipulated that paving the way for a bright future when we’ve accomplished the feat of building our nation into a powerful country is the highest value.”
“All officials in Workers’ Party and state agencies must realize and implement these thoughts of the Supreme Leader in their activities with the heart of complete loyalty to the Supreme Leader who is unceasingly providing on-the-spot guidance to protect all future generations of Korea,” the order continued.
It added that officials must “supervise not only themselves but also their children to prepare them as workers who are always ready to serve their social fatherland as a trustworthy rear guard” and that they must “walk in step with the Supreme Leader with an indomitable spirit for the development of the nation’s strength and prosperity and its bright future.”
Daily NK’s source said that “this Central Committee order also called for four consecutive days of lectures for leading personnel in party and state agencies beginning Dec. 12, and for separate, smaller lectures for personnel who missed the original lectures with three or more party agency heads. It stressed that the party must instill this ideology in all officials.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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