Fighting for Socialism

 By New Worker  correspondent

LAST WEEK the Korean people marked the 51st anniversary of the start of work by Kim Jong Il at the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, at meetings and ceremonies across the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. They were joined by communists and Korean friendship activists at solidarity events throughout the world and on Friday June 19th  many of them paid tribute to the Korean communist leader at the John Buckle Centre in south London.

The commencement of Kim Jong Il’s work at the Central Committee of the WPK, on 19^th June 1964, has significance in marking the period of the consolidation of the WPK as a truly leading Party whose authority is recognised by the Korean people and is fully at one with their interests and aspirations.

            Andy Brooks of the Friends of Korea committee, which organised the meeting, chaired the panel that included Michael Chant of the RCPB (ML), Dermot Hudson of the Korean Friendship Association, John McLeod of the SLP and DPRK Ambassador Hyong Hak Bong.

The speakers summarised how the revolutionary direction of the Korean people, their successes and their construction of a human-centred society were inseparably linked to Juché, the kernel of Korean-style socialism. During the lively discussion that followed many took advantage of the golden opportunity to ask the DPRK ambassador about the current situation and the prospects for peace on the Korean peninsula.

            This was followed by informal discussions over drinks and the screening of the latest news review from DPRK TV.

The Friends of Korea committee brings together all the major movements active in Korean friendship and solidarity work in Britain today. The committee includes the New Communist Party, Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (ML), Socialist Labour Party, Juché Idea Study Group and the UK Korean Friendship Association.  It is chaired by Andy Brooks and the secretary is Michael Chant. The committee organises meetings throughout the year, which are publicised by the supporting movements and on the Friends of Korea blog.