Mick Hartley

The Dear Leader's 67th (actually 68th) birthday approaches. A typically nuanced and thoughtful piece at the Korean Central News Agency takes the measure of the man: 

The Korean people and the world progressives are lauding Kim Jong Il as the greatest leader of the present era who is demonstrating the dignity and the national power of the socialist Korea all over the world and is guiding the cause of independence against imperialism to the victory.

He proclaimed the immortal Juche idea as the guideline of our era long ago and put forth the theories on all realms of the revolution and construction and methods of leadership over masses, thus laying a solid foundation for the victory of the Korean revolution and the human cause of independence.

He formulated the Songun principle with President Kim Il Sung's idea of giving priority to arms as the guideline and established the Songun politics as the main mode of the socialist politics, thus opening up a new phase for the development of the progressive ideas of the mankind.

Under his energetic guidance the Workers' Party of Korea has been strengthened and developed into the Juche-typed revolutionary one which is firmly carrying forward the lineage of Mt. Paektu and the DPRK consolidated as a powerful socialist country with the result that a model of the times has been created in the efforts for accomplishing the people's cause of independence.  […]

The Korean people have smashed the desperate hostile moves of the U.S.-led imperialist reactionary forces against the DPRK at every step and wrought a historical miracle in the decisive battle for defending the country. This is the greatest victory won by the Songun revolutionary strategy of General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

He unfolded a far-reaching plan for building a great, prosperous and powerful nation with the iron faith and unbreakable will, set forth a unique line on economic construction in the Songun era and led the whole country to follow the revolutionary soldier spirit of the People's Army. In this way he has wisely led the people so that they have created new miracles and innovations on all fronts of the socialist construction.

Under the tested and seasoned leadership of Kim Jong Il, a politician rare to be seen, the socialist Korea with the strongest political and military forces will shine more brilliantly and Korean people's aspiration after a rich and strong country will be attained without fail.

Even the natural world smiles…

The snow in the area of Jong Il Peak began to thaw with the auspicious February 16, the birthday of General Secretary Kim Jong Il just ahead, heralding the approach of spring. […]

At around 18:25 on February 8 the surroundings of the peak became as bright as daytime to make the night view above Kim Jong Il's birthplace in the Paektusan Secret Camp brilliant.

This was the first of its kind there this year.

Those who witnessed the opening of willow catkins earlier than the previous years and the unprecedented nocturnal view said excitedly that even the nature and the sky unfolded such mysterious ecstasy in celebration of the birthday of Kim Jong Il.

[I did at one point manage to link to individual KCNA articles, but that method doesn't seem to work any more. The link at the top takes you to the main KCNA page. If you go to Past News the first selection is from Feb 13th: "Kim Jong Il, Greatest Leader of Present Era". The second is from Feb 12th: "Unprecedented Natural Phenomena on Jong Il Peak".]