Mick Hartley

Still with the KCNA (see below), the latest issue has a long editorial under the catchy title “Glorify This Year of the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the DPRK as a Year of Historical Turn Which Will Go Down in the History of the Country”. I’m not copying the whole thing, but here are a couple of rousing excerpts to give the flavour:

Our people are a heroic people who built socialism on the ruins and a stout-hearted people who turned the “Arduous March” into the march to paradise through severe ordeals. We should all become standard-bearers of struggle and heroes of creation to leave remarkable trace of life in the efforts for the prosperity of the motherland and greet with dignity the grand festival in September with proud labour achievements made for the motherland.

Korean-style socialism that has tided over the storm and stress of history under the WPK’s Songun leadership is vibrant with great vigour winning victory after victory, and the day is coming towards us when the building of a great, prosperous powerful country will emerge victorious. In the 60-year annals of the DPRK never has there been such a time as today when its dignity and power have reached the highest stage and the soldiers and people are full of confidence in the future and are burning with the enthusiasm for bringing about an upswing.

A special Juche award for services to the socialist culture of the Songun era, brought into full efflorescence under the eternal leadership of Kim Il Sung, who has led the whole country to become vibrant with a militant spirit and optimism, to anyone who makes it through the whole piece at one go.