Songun, a new vocabulary of humankind in the 21st century 

Songun is a word which has come into the world along with a unique political method enriched by Kim Jong Il, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a small country in the East, in the latter part of the 1990s. Today it is rapidly spreading throughout the world as a synonym for justice and truth and as a symbol of victory and glory, arousing sympathy in the whole world.

The new word is widely echoed by the peoples from all social strata and many countries of the world that differ in ideas, ideals and political and religious views and by the political, public and academic circles of the international community. The Presidents of the Republic of Uganda and the Democratic Congo highly appreciated the greatness of the Songun policy, and expressed their full support to it, stressing that all countries should earnestly learn from it.

The former Indonesian President said that her country, by learning the Songun policy of north Korea, would show greater concern for strengthening its army into an army of the nation, a fighting army and an army of the people, and increase investments in this undertaking.

The Chairman of the Party for the Peace and Unity of Russia said that the Songun policy reflected the firm will of Comrade Kim Jong Il to defend the independent rights and dignity of the people to the last at all costs in any adversity, and emphasized that the policy was really the most powerful political mode of the present era.

The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia lauded the Songun policy, saying that the policy is a great policy of importance not only for the DPRK but also for the whole world, and that the policy is really an omnipotent sword and a banner of justice that inspires progressive mankind with fresh strength, optimism and a hope for the future.

The unique word "Songun'' is adopted as names of institutions and organizations throughout the world.

In February 2004 a scientific study centre was formed in Ulyanovsk Province, Russia, to learn from the Juche idea and Songun politics. At the inaugural meeting a letter to Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, was adopted in accordance with the participants' wishes. In the letter the First Secretary of the Ulyanovsk Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation wrote: "We who live in the home town of the great Lenin are firmly convinced that under the Juche idea and Songun politics of the great General Comrade Kim Jong Il socialism will be strengthened, that the defensive strength and sovereignty of the DPRK will be consolidated, that Korea will be reunified, and that the peace of the whole world will be ensured. Your Juche idea and Songun politics are very important to us."

In its article a group for the study of Songun politics formed in the United States pointed out that Songun politics of leader Kim Jong Il is a policy embodying the Juche idea and giving priority to military affairs, and added that they would learn the great Songun politics because it is superior to any other politics.

Songun study groups are formed and operated also in Britain, Ukraine, Peru, Colombia, Chile, India, Uganda, Byelorussia and many other countries. The word “Songun” is mentioned passionately at symposiums, short courses and lecture meetings held in all parts of the Five Continents.

Symposiums, short courses and lecture meetings were held on the theme of the Songun policy in more than sixty countries on over 300 occasions in a year alone. They included a joint symposium of the delegates of many political parties of the Balkan region held in Bulgaria on the achievements of leader  Kim Jong Il’s Songun leadership; a joint symposium of the political parties and organizations on the prevailing situation on the Korean peninsula and the Songun policy of the Workers’ Party of Korea held in Italy; a national symposium on the theme of the “Songun Idea, the Guiding Idea of the 21^st Century,” held in India; and a seminar held in Guinea by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Party for the Unity and Progress of Guinea on the Songun policy of the WPK.

The extraordinary diffusion of the Songun idea can be seen from the fact that the word “Songun” and other new words related to it appear profusely with each passing day in various publications in more than a hundred countries.

Writers and artists of different countries have composed and published many poems and songs praising the Songun idea, and wrote and published reminiscences, notes and books.

In his poem “Songun, a guiding beacon” the Russian poet Oleg Naumov sang that the Songun idea is the symbol of victory and will, a lodestar lighting up the way ahead of the people of the world, and an avenue to the victory of justice, and creation of well–being. In his poem “The sun of the Songun age” Dermot Hudson, a British public figure, wrote that the flames of the Songun revolution are burning all over the world, and highly praised Kim Jong Il as the sun of the Songun age.

In his epic “A Victorious Songun March” the Russian poet Alexander Brezhnev highly extolled the Songun policy as the greatest factor stirring up the Korean people, a shield guarding security on the planet, and an ever-victorious lightning and thunder mowing down the wicked. He proceeded to sing:

Songun means eternal victory

Songun represents the courage of Korea

Songun is the banner of Korea,

Songun fireworks,

Go up higher,

Glory, glory to

General Kim Jong Il

It took the world 100 and scores of years for the socialist ideas to appear and spread throughout the world. But the great and original word "Songun" has produced great repercussions in the world immediately after its appearance, and has served as the common idea of many political parties and organizations in the world.

     Songun is really a word of the times that symbolizes the present world, and a word finding a place in the vocabulary

   of our times.