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p Comrades,

p I would like, first of all, to express my sincere gratitude, upon the authorization of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for the invitation and warm welcome extended to us at this international seminar of communist and workers’ parties on the present situation and the validity of Marxism.

p Allow me also to convey the warm comradely greetings and militant solidarity from the membership of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Korean people to the delegates of the communist and workers’ parties of different countries participating in this seminar. Today the progressive mankind of the world is marking significantly the 175th birthday of Karl Marx, the outstanding leader of the international working class and the author of the scientific communist doctrine.

p Although it is more than half a century since Marx pioneered the revolutionary cause of the working class for freedom and liberation, his name and Marxism for that matter are still enshrined in the hearts of the communists and peoples of all countries.

p Marx provided the working class with an ideological and theoretical weapon for its liberation for the first time in history, and threw light on the road to socialism and communism, the ideal of mankind, thereby making an immortal contribution to the development of human history.

p The international communist movement under the banner of 51 Marxism has scored one victory after another in its ceaseless struggle against all shades of anti-revolutionary ideas.

p When ever there was a big change in the historical development, the bourgeois thinkers and their followers made a noise about the so-called incorrectness of Marxism and declared that Marxism had been buried in the dustbin of history. History, however, proved that it was not Marxism that went to the scrapheap but all sorts of counter-revolutionary and revisionist tendencies which tried in vain to vilify and negate Marxism.

p Revisionism was born and developed in Germany, which can be said to be the motherland of Marxism, at a time when industrial capitalism was going over to the stage of imperialism, and it took a heavy toll on the international communist movement.

p But Lenin, on the basis of scientific analysis of the reactionary nature of imperialism, further developed Marxism by propounding a new idea on the possibility of a victorious socialist revolution in one country. Relying on the revolutionary principles of Marxism, he powerfully organized and mobilized the masses of working people and led the October Socialist Revolution to victory.

p Despite vicious moves of the imperialists to stifle it, socialism grew from strength to strength and, at last, developed into a global system. This dealt a heavy blow to the imperialists.

p Faced with a crisis of bankruptcy, the imperialists pursued a social policy aimed at covering up the contradictions between the workersand capitalists with a deceptive slogan of a "welfare state”, and, externally, they colluded with each other politically and militarily, economically and technologically and tried to internationalize the capital.

p At the same time, in line with the neo-colonialistic policy, they subjugated newly independent, developing countries politically and economically. Imperialism, thus revived, further stepped up its anti-socialist offensive. This, however, was only the desperate effort of imperialism living its last days, and history, at this point in time, was at a turning-point ushering in the final defeat of imperialism and the world-historic victory of socialism.

p It was at this juncture that, within the international communist movement, a new form of revisionism raised its head, finding its expression in giving up the revolutionary principles of Marxism 52 and submitting to the pressure and challenges of the imperialists. This brought about serious consequences, that is, the frustration of socialism in the Soviet Union, the motherland of Leninism, and in eastern Europe.

p The imperialists and revisionists are making a big noise about this situation, saying that Marxism-Leninism has gone bankrupt and that the international communist movement was brought to an end.

p The collapse of socialism in some countries does not signify the failure of Marxism. On the contrary, it means the failure of the counter-revolutionary line of the revisionists who abandoned the revolutionary principles of Marxism.

p Marxism proved that:

p Firstly, it is inevitable that capitalism will fade away and socialism triumph, 

p Secondly, transition from capitalism to socialism can only be realized through uncompromising revolutionary struggle against the old exploiting class, 

p Thirdly, victory in the revolution can be won only when the popular masses are awakened to consciousness and organized under the leadership of a working-class party, and  

p Fourthly, the cause of socialism and communism is an international one and, therefore, it can triumph through the strengthening of the intemationalistic unity and solidarity.

p The revolutionary principles of Marxism remain a truth and still serve as a guide for those who are fighting for socialism and communism.

p Today the imperialists appear to be flourishing, but the end of the cold war itself means the failure of the policy of strength and this, in turn, foretells doom for the imperialists who have relied on this policy. The internal contradictions of the imperialists are becoming all the more pronounced, the confrontation and discord among imperialist powers getting more aggravated and the everwidening gap between the North and the South is posing serious threat to the lifeline of the imperialists.

p The reality today demands that we defend the revolutionary principles of Marxism and develop them in a creative manner in the 53 revolutionary struggle to suit the new historical conditions, thereby speeding up the ultimate defeat of imperialism and the worldhistorical victory of socialism.

p Since it assumed the leadership of our people’s revolutionary struggle, our Party has invariably maintained the revolutionary principles of Marxism.

p In the early years of his revolutionary activities when he was blazing the path for the Korean revolution under the banner of Marxism and Leninism, the great leader of our Party and our people, Comrade Kim II Sung, created the Juche idea in keeping with the requirements of the time and the Korean revolution, thereby initiating the building of a socialist society centred on the popular masses.

p The Juche idea means, in a nutshell, that the masters of the revolution and construction are the masses of people and that they are also the motive force of the revolution and construction.

p As the people are the motive force of the revolution and construction, the success or failure in the revolution and construction depends on how they adhere to the position of masters and fullfil the role as such.

p From this perspective, our Party has regarded it as the basic method of the revolution and construction to strengthen the motive force and enhance its role.

p Our Party has consistently upheld the principles of Juche in ideology, independence in politics, self-sufficiency in the economy and self-reliance in defence. We have also maintained the general line of socialist construction, namely, strengthening the people’s government, enhancing its function and role and stepping up the three revolutions—ideological, technical and cultural. The above principles and the general line of socialist construction embody the idea on strengthening the motive force and enhancing its role.

p The Korean people are united with one purpose and will around the Party and the leader and, under the leadership of the Party, they are adhering to the position of masters and fulfilling their responsibility and role as masters in all fields of the revolution and construction.

p Our people emerged victorious from two revolutionary wars against imperialism, from two periods of subsequent 54 reconstruction and two phases of social revolution. They have now built a people-oriented socialist society in which the principles of independence, self-sufficiency and self-defence are thoroughly applied.

p At present our people under the wise leadership of the great leader Comrade Kim II Sung and the dear leader Comrade Kim Jong II are vigorously marching forward in an effort to bring about earlier the final victory of the cause of socialism of our own style with the immutable belief in socialism centred on the popular masses.

p The imperialists are trying every means at their disposal such as pressure and blackmail to strangle the socialist cause of our people.

p Taking issue with us on the non-existing "nuclear problem”, the United States is threatening to use military means and even attempting to apply certain “sanctions’ against us through the UN.

p With no moves can the imperialists hinder the progress of our people who are fighting for the cause of socialism firmly rallied behind the Party and the leader.

p What is important at present in safeguarding and advancing the cause of socialism is to staunchly abide by the ideal of socialism and its revolutionary principles in the face of all kinds of offensives and abuses by the imperialists and the renegades of socialism.

p As the path of socialism and communism is an untrodden path to be paved in the course of decisive struggle against all kinds of reactionary forces, it cannot be achieved without difficulties and trials.

p The imperialists, referring to the frustration of socialism in some countries, are abusing socialism, pretending that the socialist ideal itself is faulty.

p It was against this background that, in Pyongyang, communist and workers’ parties of many countries of the world made public a declaration which mirrored their common aspirations and resolve to safeguard and advance the cause of socialism.

p The Pyongyang Declaration has stressed the validity and correctness of the socialist cause and the inevitability of its final victory and demonstrated to the world that there exist powerful forces determined to remain faithful to the socialist ideal. The Declaration 55 dealt a telling blow to the imperialists and the renegades of socialism in their noisy campaign to publicize the ‘end’ of socialism and implanted great hope in the minds of the people who were concerned about the future of socialism.

p Only socialism can meet the desire of the people to become the masters of the state and society freed from all forms of exploitation, oppression, domination and subjugation.

p The former socialist countries paint a dismal picture in which the law of jungle is in full practice: the gap between the rich and the poor are ever-widening : all kinds of social evils—corruption, killings and gangsterism—are commonplace: the people are suffering from unemployment and starvation: fierce bloody antagonism and conflict between different nationalities are taking everybody by surprise.

p The reality reveals that the road to capitalism does not lead to a "welfare society" or "material prosperity" but to destruction and disgrace.

p Only socialism, the ideal of humanity and genuine peopleoriented society representing the future, will lead to true freedom and happiness for all. Only socialism will lead to the independent development and prosperity for all countries and nations. Only socialism will lead to the realization of the long-running aspirations of mankind to a durable peace.

p The Pyongyang Declaration underlined the idea that the communist and workers’ parties must abide by the principle of independence and the revolutionary principles of socialism and that, at the same time, they must cement the internationalistic unity and solidarity among themselves. This idea assumes a weighty significance in safeguarding and advancing socialism at the present time.

p The internationally concerted challenges against the socialist cause by the imperialists leave the progressive forces aspiring after socialism with no other choice but to unite themselves to stand opposed to the imperialists.

p The imperialist forces and the US, in particular, taking advantage of the tip of the balance of forces in the international arena, do not hide their intention to dominate the world as the only superpower, to isolate and stifle the socialist countries, to put down the revival of socialism in the former socialist countries and to hamper 56 the third world countries moving towards socialism.

p With no efforts, however, can the imperialists check the advance of the people towards socialism nor can they save themselves from the fate of ruin.

p Our Party will, as in the past, strengthen constantly the bonds of comradely unity and cooperation with all the communist and workers’ parties and progressive people of all countries on the basis of independence, equality and the ideal of socialism with the view to safeguarding the cause of socialism against imperialism.

Thank you.