calendar>>May 18. 2009 Juche 98

Anniversary of Kwangju Popular Uprising Observed

Pyongyang, May 18 (KCNA) -- Though much water has flown under the bridge since the heroic Kwangju popular uprising of the south Korean people, the spirit and noble soul of the participants in the righteous uprising who fought courageously braving death live on and are powerfully inspiring the south Korean people in their dynamic struggle for independence against the U.S., democracy against dictatorship and for national reunification.

Rodong Sinmun Monday says this in a signed article dedicated to the 29th anniversary of the uprising.

The Kwangju popular uprising was a just resistance against the U.S. and fascism as its participants fought for national sovereignty, social democracy and the reunification of the country against the fascist rule of the U.S. imperialists and the south Korean military gangsters and, at the same time, a massive armed uprising whose participants stood up in a do-or-die spirit against the merciless armed suppression by the dictatorial power, the article notes, and goes on:

The uprising taught a bitter lesson that the U.S. imperialists are not the "protectors" and "friends" of the south Korean people but the violators of sovereignty and democracy, ferocious aggressors and man-killers and it is quite impossible to achieve the independent development and progress of the society, national unity and reunification as long as such gang of robbers are allowed to go scot-free, and once a struggle is launched, it should be carried on dynamically to its victory and only by doing so is it possible to win a final victory.

None of the desires of the resistance fighters in those days, ie an independent, democratic new society and national reunification has come true up to this date.

The national dignity and sovereignty of the south Korean people are trampled down and democracy and human rights wantonly violated still today due to outsiders and traitors just as what happened 29 years back.

The people from all walks of life in south Korea should intensify the struggle for independence against the U.S., the struggle for driving the U.S. imperialist aggressor troops out of south Korea, and disclose and condemn and thoroughly foil the moves of the group of traitors to increasingly depend on foreign forces in a bid to sacrifice the national interests to serve them.

It is a law of history that justice is sure to win and no force on earth can hold in check the south Korean people's righteous struggle for independence, democracy and reunification.