[Editor’s note: The following reply was prepared by the Editor in Chief, The 4th Media, Professor Kiyul Chung, to the questions respectfully raised by a well-recognized and important writer, also a friend of mine, on the global issues including Korea question. The 4th Media believes both the questions raised by Peter and the answers in the form of a ‘reply letter’ would be beneficial for many of our global viewers to understand the Korea situation much better. Best wishes!]
*************
Dear Peter,
Glad to hear from you! Didn’t know where you were lately. Hope you and your wife both all well!
Re the Korea situation in general, both Korean (in the South) and the global media outlets around the world are full of ‘fake news’.
It’s particularly true about the DPRK (aka, “North Korea”).
The frightened sense of fear with the ‘real’ and strong possibilities of nuclear war breakout in the Korean peninsula which will automatically and instantly ignited to the first global nuclear war is ‘real’ and serious.
However, the sense of fear is paradoxically much more hyped, frightened and serious felt among/in outside world rather than the people inside the North.
They are not afraid of war, any kind of war including the nuclear war. They don’t want war. They want peace. But they don’t beg for peace anymore. Since they’ve obtained their own self-determined nuclear deterrent power in 2006, they don’t beg for peace anymore. In fact they’ve never begged for peace, or anything from the imperialists.
As you know very well, the people in the North have been forcibly going through and living with the real and constant threats of nuclear war from the Washington’s never-dying ‘imperialist ambition’ for over 60 some years now.
So, as a result, the people in the North and the whole nation there are fully(unbelievably fully!) prepared to deal or handle with the constant threats and/or the outbreak of a real nuclear war.
That cruel imperialist nuclear war games for over 60 some years have pushed them build their own nukes. The Washington’s nonstop nuclear war threats have forced them prepared to not only fight back with their own nuclear deterrent power but also “blow their enemies torn apart,” as they claim, and “wipe out the imperialist HQs, starting from the Washington.”
I believe they are the only and the most prepared nation in the world to readily deal with, I mean both to defend themselves from and defeat the Washington’s psychopathic craziness who’s been habitually wielding their deadly serious nuclear weapons against any nation, like DPRK, who dares to stand on their own feet, refuse to subordinate, instead fearlessly challenge the Washington’s hegemonic, demonic and imperialist ambitions around the world.
It’s why I believe Washington has never been able to force their imperialist will whatsoever against DPRK ever since the Washington had criminally divided a nation, probably one of the most homogeneous(culturally, ethnically, linguistically, traditionally, etc.) nations in the world, into the two worst antagonistic entities in September, 1945.
So, even if the constant possibilities of a nuclear war breakout are ‘real’ in Korean peninsula (as it’s been ‘real’ last 60 some years ever since Washington has begun to threaten the North with the use of their nuclear weapons in November, 1950 in the early phase of the Washington’s criminal imperialist war against the whole Korea), the people in DPRK are (again) unbelievably(or unimaginably amazingly) calm and steady.
Instead they are busy as usual with their daily life and work, laughing with their daily chores, while they are as always ‘100% ready to deal with any types of outside war threats, either it’s nuclear or conventional’.
Still hundreds of foreign visitors and tourists from all of the world, however, lately mainly from European countries travel throughout DPRK. In fact, at the moment, my own wife is traveling there with her Australian(Korea Study Tour) friends from April 26 till early May.
Out of DPRK’s 25 million population, often the outside world says, there is a “one million men military force” in DPRK. That’s true. However, they know only one thing, one aspect of the DPRK’s military forces. Not the whole picture of military in the North.
The DPRK medias are all the time saying the “10 million military and the people”[it sounds ‘chon-man(천만: literally meaning, ’10 million’)-gun-min'(군민: literally meaning, ‘military and the people’)].
In addition to their a ‘one million’ [both men and women] ‘regular military force,’ they have also another about “9 million paramilitary forces”, i.e., the millions of workers, farmers and students (aged from 16 and beyond, before they join the regular military force legally at 17).
The military force made out of those millions of workers and farmers is called “Workers and Farmers Red Army Guard”[로농적위대: it sounds like “Ro(workers)-Nong(farmers)-Jeok(red)-Wi-Dae(military guard)”].
Normally they work. They, like anybody else around the world, also produce goods, harvest, sow seeds, feed their children, nurture their family and build their nation economically stronger for the future.
But, in abnormal circumstances/situations like a war breakout, they grab their weapons (I mean, ‘all sorts of weapons’) and join their brothers and sisters in the regular military force to fight back and together defend their nation from foreign invasions.
Those grown students at 16 and beyond do the same thing as their parents do in their patriotic duties and services to together defend the nation from enemies like the US imperialists.
Both boys and girls when they become 16 begin to learn how to use some basic weapons to defend their own schools, work places and villages (i.e., factories, farms, hospitals, etc.).
At 16, a year before they are legally allowed to join the military (BTW, DPRK runs the ‘volunteer military service’) at 17, boys and girls join the Youth Military Force, called, the “Red Youth Guard”[붉은청년근위대: It sounds like “bul-geun(red)-cheng-nyon(youth)-gun-wi-dae(guard)].
It’s a One Year term basic military experience.
Many, after their one year experience with the RYG organization in school, join the regular [voluntary] military service usually 10 years for man, 7 years for woman.
Again in the North, the military service is run by the volunteer system, not the mandatory one like in the South.
FYI, in the North, many, who are willing, ready and qualified after or in the middle of their military services, go to university-level studies usually in their mid or late 20s. Unlike most other countries in the world, there are no tuitions in DPRK even for their university/college-level studies.
They instead are granted with monthly stipends or scholarships throughout their university years. While they study, they’d therefore pay attention onto their studies only instead worrying about their daily breads. FYI, basic books, university official uniforms, study materials, etc. are free, too. All their medical services, except plastic surgery, some dental and chiropractic (physical therapy) services, are free as well. Of course, housing is also free.
Not only the people are prepared to defend their own territorial sovereignty in land, sea and sky from any outside foreign military invasions, but also the whole nation which is geologically full of mountains, mountain ranges and deep valleys (80 % of the entire land), is known fully capable to wage any kinds of war, including the nuclear war while they protect their people from any sort of harm’s way.
Not only their both tactical and strategic nuclear war (including the ICBM, Hydrogen Bomb, and so on) capabilities but also their conventional war power have been purposefully, systematically and endlessly disputed or disqualified and/or neglected by both US/Western and SK/Japanese medias as “either not ready, incapable, poor, outdated, old, or dysfunctional,” etc.
However, mostly if not all, it’s all propaganda. Full of ‘fake news’ about the DPRK in general, its military in particular.
If the Washington’s arguments/claims were true, then already several decades ago, the international imperialist forces had invaded many times and completely destroyed the entire Korean peninsula again as they did in early 1950s.
However, the historical fact, after the Armistice Agreement signed in July, 1953, that US militarily hasn’t been able to do anything for 64 years, powerfully argues that those Washington’s baseless claims about DPRK’s military capabilities are either terribly distorted, fake truths(news), half-truths or flat lies.
What they’ve been doing all along instead ever since the war temporarily ended in 1953 is nothing but waging those types of dirty anti-DPRK demonization campaigns for 60 some years now.
Their only remaining weapons available in their repeatedly failed imperialist war against DPRK for over 70 years is the ‘psychological warfare’ which is solely relying on Washington(Tokyo/Seoul)’s disgustingly shameful and hypocritical “North Korea” demonization campaigns.
What it means is the DPRK’s military (both nuclear and conventional) capabilities is strong enough to deter Washington’s imperial ambitions in the military sense.
Peter, let me stop here. I wrote too long and too much. Will talk more later when we both have some free times.
Take care,
Kiyul
—————— Original ——————
From: ………..
Date: Sat, Apr 29, 2017 11:00 AM
To: “Chung – Chief Editor – 4thMedia Kiyul”<chiefeditor@4thmedia.org>;
Subject: North Korea
Dear Kiyul,
Hope this finds you well.
I’m still in …, but I’m interested for the sake of the North Korean people.
How is the political situation there?
Is it as bleak as described by the western media?
Personally I do not believe that Trump will be foolish enough to attack North Korea.Not with nuclear weapons anyway.
That would be a high risk of an immediate strike back, not necessarily from North Korea.
But from her powerful allies.
But the stress and fear the people must be going through is just inhuman.
Please keep me posted on how you assess the situation.
Warm regards,
Peter