Those scientists, technicians and workers of the DPRK who contributed to the success of the third underground nuclear test were accorded the most cordial hospitality in Pyongyang. From the moment they arrived in Pyongyang on Feb. 20th, 2013, they were warmly welcomed by the people.
They were enthusiastically welcomed by the people wherever they went during their 7 days stay in the capital. Among them, 100 were awarded the title of the hero of the DPRK all at once. Many were presented with watches bearing the august names of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il.
They were also highly honored of being received by the dear respected Kim Jong Un, which is every DPRK citizen’s earnest desire. They enjoyed art performances and had photo sessions with Kim Jong Un. Though every detail of their movements during their stay was made public, some stories of the hospitality they enjoyed were not made public.
People got a deep impression after they went back.
It is the fact that the nuclear scientists of the DPRK entirely revealed their faces to the world. They faced the world through newspapers, TVs and radios. In Dec. 2012, those scientists who produced and launched the man-made satellite were revealed and so were the nuclear scientists in Feb. 2013. Even their words were aired.
It is a spectacular event whose precedent could not be found in the world munitions history. Those countries boasting of possessing nukes and satellites dared not do like that. Generally, people tend to hide things which they consider not righteous because they do not want it to go public.
Nuclear is nuclear in every aspect.
In no case nuclear weapons can be beneficial to mankind. Nuclear weapons possessed by those to think hurting somebody else generate horror and hatred but those aimed to safeguard one’s destiny are helpful for peace and safety.
Only two psychologies exist in the world with regard to the possession of nukes.
One is to invade and dominate others and the other is to defend oneself from aggressors who come in attack with the nuclear weapons. What made the DPRK people think of producing missiles and nukes were the missile pressure, sanctions and nuclear threats from the U.S.
During the Pyongyang visit by nuclear scientists, we talked with them for a long time.
There is one common special feature in the environment in which they were raised. Of course it is the one that every citizen who lives on this land has. What could that be?
Though they differ in ages, places of birth and characteristics they were brought up being exposed to the same threats till this day. It is the war threat and nuclear threat from the U.S. How painful was the nuclear war threat from the U.S. to the growth of people?
It is especially more painful to those people aspiring after the science of the future. No right to existence can be possible without the right to develop. Without the safety of the country how could people create the future science as they wish? Nuclear scientists thought about this issue deeply.
Ashes covered the Bikini and its surrounding ocean after the U.S. carried out an H-bomb test on the Bikini of the Marshallese on Mar. 1st, 1954. The test took the lives of 23 fishermen of the Japanese fishing boat “Fukuryu-maru No. 5”.
Written on the gravestone of a wireless operator of the boat who managed to save his life but died 6 months after due to the effect of the radioactivity are words reading: “I hope I will be the last man dying of the nuclear bomb.”
Those who lost their lives in Hiroshima and Nagasaki hoped that they would be the last persons to die by the nuclear bomb. But the damage by the nuclear bombs continued in the 1950s. The nuclear tragedy continued one after another in the 1960s, 70s and even the 2000s.
The arch criminal of the nuclear disaster, the U.S., is working on the plot of modernizing the nuclear weapons even at this moment and still carrying on sub-critical nuclear tests. It is also aiding the nuclear militarization of its allies behind the scenes. The U.S. deployed thousands of tactical nuclear weapons and a lot of depleted uranium bombs in south Korea, threatening the DPRK.
The U.S., a country possessing nuke and missile, is now technically at war with the DPRK. That is why the DPRK people have lived, exposed to the constant nuclear and missile threats.
The U.S. has neither declared its intention to give up the nuclear umbrella offered to south Korea nor is trying to withdraw the U.S. armed forces from south Korea.
Therefore, the nuclear scientists judged that the U.S. nuclear weapons and missiles constantly point at the DPRK wherever they might be.
Why is the nuke produced?
No man will dream of becoming a scientist producing nuclear weapons unless he is a descendant of an aggressor. Whose mother would want her offspring to produce nuclear weapons. If there is no nuclear weapon aiming at us, we feel no need to produce nuclear weapons.
Our scientists have a lot of things to do even only for the development of national economy and culture. It makes us painful to think that such intelligent men devote their efforts to thwarting the nuclear threat from the U.S. and this makes us burn our hearts with the hatred to the U.S. aggressors.
In order to develop the science, the nation has to be defended first. After existence there is development. If we do not have means to strike back, no future development of science could be expected.
The nuclear scientists of the DPRK know this quite well. Does peace mean the submission to the imperialists? Never. Not a few countries have lost their independence by submitting to the imperialists.
Our scientists think about these also.
Is security needed only for those countries boasting of being big powers? What do you mean by standard, if some countries are allowed to produce nuclear weapons and others not? Is it okay to say that big countries must be safe and small countries may be invaded?
Why do the big powers do not propose competition for scientific development, but keep sparking off arms race? Why is the DPRK, a small country, compelled to develop military capabilities as much as other countries which have vast territories, wealth of natural resources and huge population?
Who makes the nuclear development something necessary? How good would it be if that amount of money spent on the arms race is used for improving the people’s living standard and developing science? Why is the U.S. trying so viciously to quench our wish for the country’s prosperity?
The U.S. is mocking at the mankind by abusing the science.
The U.S. is trying to attack people in the other hemisphere of the earth. Our scientists do not just remain idle with their arms folded. They are working on the science for countering the attack. The U.S. nature of aggression and domination remains unchanged and becomes more atrocious with the passage of time. That is why our scientists are working on inventing strong countermeasures in the spirit of “Higher! Faster!”
It is the right and obligation of the scientists to invent weapons desired by the people. “We also have to manufacture nukes!”
All of the DPRK people wanted this from a long time ago. “As long as the U.S. produces the nukes!” this will remain the common psychology of the DPRK people. As those nuclear scientists devotedly worked for meeting the people’s ardent desire, the DPRK people value them and love them so much.
Our munitions scientists do not beg for peace. Begging is the way to death. The DPRK scientists are scientifically analyzing the “theory of nuclear dismantlement” touted by U.S. recently.
The U.S. is bluffing that they invented vacuum bombs which have no radioactivity contamination and completed point attack technology but it only reveals its despicable nature.
If one wants to occupy others’ territories and plunder their treasures, it is certain that fresh grass and trees should remain uncontaminated.
If the territories they want are contaminated with radioactivity then it would negatively affect those aggressors as well.
Having thought of this, the U.S. started research into the new type “nuclear bomb”. And it is brazen-facedly coming up with the “theory of nuclear dismantlement” to give impression that they are not interested in the nukes at all.
The DPRK scientists never get scared at the exaggerated advertisement of the point attack technology. Over-confidence in one’s own strength will make them blind and prevent them from seeing others’ power. History of wars since the Mid Age shows a lot of countries were defeated despite their gigantic armed forces.
If the U.S. invents more powerful means of attack than the nuclear weapons, then the DPRK scientists would invent more updated technology. The DPRK scientists are confident in their abilities and are not afraid of the arms race.
The U.S. is making foolish attempt to affect the popular sentiment of the DPRK, saying why the DPRK produces nuclear weapons when it is so poor. On every possible occasion, the U.S. authorities emphasize that. If they think that the DPRK people’s mind can be shaken by their rhetoric, then it is necessary for them to improve their strategic way of thinking.
The DPRK scientists know well about the culture of coexistence.
As long as the U.S. is not willing in good manner to discuss issues with us on an equal footing and seriously listen to our opinion, the DPRK munitions scientists would continue research for countering the political and militant pressure from the U.S.
Even though the U.S. attempts to attack the DPRK with drones, nuclear submarines and cruise missiles, the DPRK scientists are prepared to counter them.
They will ceaselessly prepare and work on the science for the counter attack, science for peace, in order to defend their beloved wives, sons and motherland and valuable socialist system.
Though the fight with the U.S. lasts for more than one century, our children and children’s children will prepare themselves for the fighting.
The Korean people never forget the historic lesson drawn from the days when they lost the country due to lack of guns, army and independent stand. The Korean nation fully realized what is more valuable than rice and what is more painful than starvation. Therefore, we know what is the most necessary for us today and tomorrow.
Sons and daughters of the nuclear scientists know why their fathers cannot come home often. They know well who makes nukes for aggression and who for peace.
They know well that the devoted work of their fathers guarantees the country’s security and the blue sky of the country. That is why they respect their fathers and love them. They will be like their fathers when they are grown up. The U.S. and its allies should fear the rising generations of the DPRK.
The DPRK will never be anyone’s slave nor a subject state. The Korean nation has drawn lessons from more than 100 years ago.
We will never hurt other people with missiles and nuclear weapons. But the DPRK people want to use merciless nuclear and missile attacks to punish those who try to hurt them with nuclear weapons and missiles. The DPRK scientists just meet the genuine demand of the people, and that is why they are respected as the most honorable men in the world.
Those who seek to hurt others cannot deserve bouquets. But those who have done wonderful things should be recorded in history. Bouquets of flowers should be given to those who produced the most indispensable weapon for the existence of the nation.
Making public the DPRK nuclear scientists to the world was what the people wished. Their beautiful life is worth of applause from the people.
People have waited long to meet them.
They wanted to carry them on their shoulders, boast them to the world and tell the world that the right to independence is something like this. At last that time has come.
Even after the scientists returned home still there remained feelings of love for them in the people’s hearts. At the same time, people felt thankful to the respected Kim Jong Un who brought about that impressive time.
Now we can answer.
Why were the DPRK nuclear scientists made public?
It was not a simple event. It was a fruition of great love rather than declaration of a victory. It was benevolent love. Some of the nuclear scientists received the title of hero of the DPRK twice and thrice for their contribution to peace and security of mankind.
That showed the DPRK is getting fully prepared in science and technology to fight the aggressors to the last.
That also showed the DPRK people do not read other’s faces on the road of acquiring their legitimate right. It reaffirmed independent stand of the DPRK people.
It was also a message that the DPRK people would exercise their right to independence, in the future, too. That message of justice could be read on the faces of the nuclear scientists.
Ms. Song Mi Ran who is a columnist for the Rodong Daily Newspaper, the official organ for the Korea Worker’s Party of DPRK also writes for The 4th Media.