With this politics, Kim Jong Il honorably safeguarded the socialist gains, the precious heritage of President Kim Il Sung, turning the DPRK into a political and military power and a nuclear state.

He authored such celebrated works as "The Songun-based Revolutionary Line Is a Great Revolutionary Line of Our Era and an Ever-Victorious Banner of Our Revolution" to develop Kim Il Sung's Songun idea.

His Songun politics frustrated the U.S.-led imperialists' anti-DPRK moves that were getting more pronounced after the collapse of socialism in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries.

Through his inspection tour of the dwarf pine-covered military post on January 1, 1995, Kim Jong Il showed his iron will to defend socialism by further strengthening the Korean People's Army into an invincible one.

One day in December 1996, he told KPA commanding officers that only when the DPRK should enhance the role of the Party and beef up the army can it emerge victorious in the stand-off with enemies and accomplish the revolutionary cause of Juche.

To this end, he made ceaseless inspection tours of the KPA units day and night, in disregard of locations and weather conditions.

On the other hand, he gave priority to developing the nation's defence industry so that it could be able to manufacture any latest weaponry.

In response to the U.S. persistent nuclear threats and hostile policy towards the DPRK, the leader saw to it that the country withdrew from the NPT on January 10, 2003. The DPRK came to have access to nuclear deterrent in February 2005. Its possession of nuclear deterrence brought to naught the imperialists' doctrine of nuclear almighty and made a big contribution to ensuring the world's peace and security.

In April 2009, the country successfully launched the satellite Kwangyongsong-2.

World media said the United States dared not to start a war on the Korean peninsula, for fear of the DPRK's war deterrent.

The DPRK people are now pressing ahead with the building of a thriving nation under the guidance of the dear respected Kim Jong Un, who is identical to Kim Jong Il.