Sino-NK

At SinoNK.com, our Monday morning analysis focuses on the great competition of the past week, namely, the rhetorical attacks on and by state media in both North Korea and the PRC.  The Chinese state media has been fighting off critiques of its support of the Assad regime at the United Nations and, moreover, remains embroiled in a renewed campaign of justification for its crackdown on ethnic Tibetans in the broad moutainous swathes of the Chinese west and southwest.  North Korean state media, heartened by China’s support of the Syrian regime and seeking to score some points with Beijing, recently emerged with a harsh slap for Human Rights Watch’s reporting from the Tibetan regions, voicing full support of the galvanizing January 26 editorial in the People’s Daily/Renmin Ribao. (See KCNA, “True Colors of Human Rights Watch Exposed by Chinese Paper,” February 4, 2012.)  Perhaps most importantly, the KCNA emerged with an explicit (and relatively lengthy) refutation of a wide array of rumors about Chinese military intervention in North Korea.  (See KCNA, “China Dismisses Misinformation of S. Korea, Japan and West about DPRK,” February 1, 2012.)  

For Beijing, such missives from Pyongyang reinforce the value of the Sino-North Korean alliance: when it comes to some of the CCP’s core concerns — internet censorship, crackdowns on dissent, the propogation of “red” cultural content or the violent collaring of ethno-religious nationalisms — the North Koreans can always be counted on for backup. 

Finally, it might be worth noting that the following editorial, dwelling on some familiar themes — namely, “flunkeyism” and cultural invasion versus North Korea’s right to exist — occupies the kind of ideological space explored at length in Song Ji-young, Human Rights Discourse in North Korea: Post-colonial, Marxist and Confucian Perspectives (London: Routledge, December, 2010), reviewed here by one of London’s finest, Michael Rank. And speaking of finest, Joe Litt, one of Yonsei’s cadre of young scholars, rises to the occasion with another able translation and SinoNK exclusive.— Editor

Chang Yoon Nam [장윤남],  “A Litmus Test for Separating Patriots from Traitors,” [애국과 매국을 가르는 시금석/爱国者和卖国者的试金石], Rodong Sinmun [Worker’s Daily/劳动新闻, January 30, 2012.  Translated by Joe Litt, Yonsei University

Our nation’s aim, to achieve reunification independently in accordance with the precious patriotism of the Great Leader and the Dear General, is now growing stronger than ever.

The firm will of our nation, divided artificially by outside forces, is to achieve reunification based on the principle of national independence through the pooled efforts of “our nation itself” in the north, the south, and abroad.

The principle of national independence is a fundamental principle that must be adhered to in the course of achieving national reunification. If we depart from the principle of national independence, the problem of reunification can never be solved in a way that is suitable to the nation’s will and interest.

With respect to upholding the principle of national independence, nothing is more pressing than to thoroughly reject dependency on outside forces.

National independence and dependency on outside forces absolutely cannot coexist.

Whether one supports national independence or dependency on outside forces is the litmus test that divides [those who support] reunification or division, patriotism or treason.

The Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said:

“In order to realize reunification of the nation based on the principle of national autonomy, all supporters of the nation must strongly arm themselves with the consciousness of national independence and must thoroughly oppose and reject the dependence on foreign powers and toadyism.” [Emphasis in original.  — Ed.]

Day-by-day, the increasingly vicious challenges from anti-reunification cliques are beaten off, and the value of national independence is being held up high to quickly achieve the nation’s aspiration for national reunification.

Upholding the principle of independence is the basic guarantee for realizing national reunification in a way that is compatible with the nation’s interest and demands.

National reunification is a problem for only our nation. To the extent that the right to national self-determination is an issue, our nation is the master and reunification must be achieved through our nation itself in accordance with the independent mindset and demands of the nation.

When a person loses his independence it is no different from dying. When a nation loses its independence, it is impossible to think about its existence and development.

The fundamental property of a nation that intends to live independently and develop as the master of its own destiny is national independence.

Every nation has the right to take its destiny into its own hands and live independently according to its will. Nobody can take away or violate a nation’s right to independence.

It is our nation that has the most fervent interests in national reunification and the party that must strive for this is none other than our nation.

It is our nation that must live generation after generation in one reunified Fatherland from which the pain of division has vanished. No foreign powers can assert the greatest aspirations of the nation. [No foreign power] can take the place of our nation in this struggle. It is precisely the principle of national independence that forms the basis of the conviction in the power of national sovereignty and it is the principle that absolutely must be adhered to in achieving independent reunification as it reflects the intention and self-awareness that the nation is the master that has the power to solve national problems on its own. Our nation also has the ability to solve its problems through its own power.

Adhering to the principle of national independence lessens distrust and confrontation between people of the same race. It will open a broad road to the improvement of north-south relations, peace, and prosperity.

To thoroughly realize the achievement of reunification of the fatherland through the principle of national independence, we must steadfastly fight against and oppose the schemes of toadyism and dependency on outside forces.

The ideology of dependency on outside forces enslaves the nation and creates ideological poison through lethargy.

In the last [century], our nation was devoured by the Japanese imperialists. As a result, we stopped believing in ourselves and came to worship and serve big countries. This was because of the presence of outside forces.

If we allow dependency on outside forces, we will come to not only allow their interference, but we also will be unable to stop outside forces from scheming to invade.

It is as foolish as hanging one’s own head [when] a nation is trapped by the promise of outside forces to help find the path to reunification and national independence.

Aggressive outside forces are trying to keep our nation forever divided so that they may play both ends against the middle.

If we become drenched by toadyism and dependency on outside forces, [the outside forces] will without hesitation completely sell out the country and the people.

The reality in south Korea is proof positive of this.

In south Korea, the beef market has been completely opened to America and they have concluded a “free trade agreement” with America. [In doing so,] they have completely trampled on the people’s dignity and interests.

America has committed every kind of crime against the people of south Korea, while the Lee Myung Bak’s toadyist traitor gang has not raised a single protest.

While south Korea’s conservative clique is wrapped up in toadyism and dependency on outside forces, America continues to follow its hostile policy toward north Korea. Because of this, north-south relations have collapsed and the state of tension and military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula continues to intensify.

Despite the fervent aspiration of the whole nation for reunification, the road ahead for national reunification is increasingly strewn with serious barriers and impediments. The is entirely the fault of the foreign dependency schemes of the south Korean conservative clique. Our nation is standing at a fork in the road: wage a nationwide struggle to crush the artifices of dependency on outside forces and the anti-reunification offensive of the Lee Myung Bak gang of traitors, or resign ourselves to live forever with the tragedy of division and take the blame for the outside forces’ future nuclear war.

The victory or defeat of national reunification rests on whether or not all supporters of the nation can put an end to the conservative clique’s artifices for dependency on outside forces and raise up the value of national independence.

Aiming for patriotism, the whole nation in the north, south, and abroad hopes for reunification and should crush the Lee Myung Bak puppet clique.“Our nation itself” should combine forces under the principle of national independence to struggle more vigorously to achieve national reunification.

Piercing the Paper Tiger -- Cai Guo Qiang at Musee d'Art Contemporain de Lyon, 2008