Rodong Sinmun today observes this in a signed article.

It goes on:

The extraordinary leadership provided by the President to build an invincible socialist power finds expression in that he held fast to the line and principle of independence under any conditions and circumstances, regarded it as the most important state affair to boost the military capability and directed primary efforts to it and maintained a grip on unity as the mainstay of the revolution.

The DPRK stood firm when socialist countries collapsed one after another in the last century and its people ushered in a new era of building a great prosperous powerful nation, firmly holding higher the banner of socialism under the grave situation in which the reactionary offensive of the imperialist allied forces reached an extreme phase. This was possible only thanks to the powerful political, military and economic potentials of its own built by the President under the banner of independence.

It was thanks to the strong military force bolstered up by the President with his far-sightedness that the DPRK could adorn its history with an epic of creation and changes and the heyday of prosperity, mercilessly frustrating the ceaseless moves of the imperialists and reactionaries for aggression and war.

The President showed warm loving care and trust for the people, always mixing with them and leading each of them to the building of a rich and powerful nation by embracing them. This resulted in turning the country into a big harmonious family under socialism and bringing the heyday of prosperity to this land.

The DPRK, the greatest legacy left behind by the President with patriotism, has demonstrated its dignity and might before the whole world as an invincible socialist power generation after generation under the leadership of Kim Jong Il.

It has reached the position of a proud independent powerful state and greeted an era of brilliant efflorescence in which it enjoys the greatest prosperity in the history of the Korean nation spanning 5,000 years.

Under the Songun leadership of Kim Jong Il, the DPRK is widely known as a promising socialist country as it has greeted an era of prosperity in all fields in the new century.

It is immense pride and honor for the Korean people to live and make a revolution in the dignified and prosperous great socialist power which was built by the President and is being glorified by Kim Jong Il by dint of Songun.

The army and people of the DPRK will cherish this high national pride and great happiness and successfully realize the lifetime desire of the President under the Songun leadership of the great Party and thus build without fail a great prosperous powerful socialist nation of Juche on this land of Kim Il Sung's nation.