Mick Hartley

The exhortations for ideological purity in the Kim Dynasty of North Korea keep on coming, and keep on ramping up. It's never enough. There are always greater demands of loyalty to be made, and more draconian punishments to be meted out to those showing the slightest hint of individual thought, and deviance from the all-consuming Kim worship. 

North Korea has launched a nationwide campaign to study Kim Jong Un’s rare personal statement published in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Oct. 11.

A source in North Hamgyong province said recently that the Central Committee’s Propaganda and Agitation Department ordered all party organizations and worker groups to study Kim’s statement titled “Officials Should Become Communist Revolutionaries Who Are Possessed of the Party’s Original Ideals and Spirit as Their Mental Qualities.”

The order emphasized that current political conditions require absolute unity around the supreme leader. “One-hearted loyalty doesn’t arise on its own. Our revolution can proceed vigorously only when it has sufficient ideological and spiritual nutrients,” the Central Committee stated.

Local party committees must now use their Saturday lecture hours for workshops and discussions of Kim’s address. The directive extends to all ages and groups – from youth league organizations to retired officials over 65, who must submit research papers of at least 10 pages.

The lead item in today's news from the Rodong Sinmun – the headline news: Vol. 60 of "Complete Collection of Kim Jong Il's Works" Published.