The socialist society is one in which all the people are finally freed from all their fetters and they become the fully-fledged masters of nature, society and themselves. In the society all the members of the society become fully-fledged social beings who are comprehensively equipped with an independent ideological consciousness and the creativity to suit the social character of them. Productivity reaches a high level, sufficient to ensure man’s independent and creative activities materially in all fields of social life. Accordingly, social relations become collective social relations whereby the whole of society forms a socio-political organism and both the individual and the community are guaranteed their independence.

The socialist society is one in which all the people are finally freed from all their fetters and they become the fully-fledged masters of nature, society and themselves.
The socialist society is one in which all the people are finally freed from all their fetters and they become the fully-fledged masters of nature, society and themselves.

In his classic work The Historical Lesson in Building Socialism and the General Line of Our Party Chairman Kim Jong Il clarified the decisive factor, which promotes the development of the socialist society and dominates its destiny, in consideration of the relations of man with social conditions. He wrote that the people with the socialist idea, masters of the socialist society, and a socialist government and a socialist economy, the social-political and economic conditions of the socialist society, are tied closely together. He also made it clear that the people with the socialist idea—the popular masses—are the decisive factor in promoting the development of the socialist society and determining its destiny, instead of objective conditions.

The foundation of socialism is the people because the people are placed above all else and their interests become the starting point of all considerations in the socialist society. In a nutshell, the people are the fundamental factor deciding the existence and development of socialism. The existence of socialism is inconceivable apart from the people. Socialism is the society where people become the masters of society and which embodies their demand and interests. In the socialist society the people are the most valuable beings, and it is the fundamental principle in socialist construction that the interests of the people are placed above all things and their demand and interests are the starting point of all considerations and thoroughly safeguarded and embodied. In the past the Workers’ Party of Korea has carried out all its activities in accordance with the aspiration and requirement of the people while leading the socialist cause.

The people are masters of everything in society. Because the popular masses create everything in society.
The people are masters of everything in society. Because the popular masses create everything in society.

The people are masters of everything in society. Because the popular masses create everything in society. If there is an almighty being in the world, it is none other than the popular masses. Thanks to the inexhaustible strength and wisdom of the popular masses everything in society comes into existence, and the revolution advances forward. Therefore, when a party builds socialism it must always map out lines and policies proceeding from the independent requirement and the interest of the popular masses who are responsible for the building of socialism, and implement them by relying on their exertions.

The WPK, regarding the people as the most valuable, is conducting all its activities to meet the interest of the people, thus leading the socialist cause towards victory amidst their absolute support. It is far from socialism when the interest of the people is neglected and violated and their existence is slighted and betrayed. Everything in the socialist society must be considered from the point of the people and put in their service. Herein lies the intrinsic character of the socialist society which is fundamentally distinctive from that of the society ruled by the exploiting classes.

Another reason why the people become the foundation of socialism is that socialism is founded, defended and developed by the people. The popular masses are the motive force of the establishment and development of the socialist society. The process of the establishment of the socialist system shows that first the socialist idea comes into being to represent the popular masses’ demand and aspiration against exploitation and oppression, and the socialist system is established by the organized struggle of the masses who are awakened to this idea. In this respect, the people are the foundation of the establishment of the socialist system.

Socialism is defended and developed by the people. The main force in defending and developing socialism is the high revolutionary zeal and creative activity of the popular masses who are equipped with the socialist idea and united behind their political party. Of course, the material factor plays an important part in developing the socialist society, and an advanced social system is a significant factor in opening up a broad avenue for the development of the socialist society. But the decisive factor after all lies in the people. If the people fail to equip themselves with the socialist idea and rally around their party, socialism will lose the powerful driving force for its development and fall into stagnation. Worse still, it will inevitably collapse in the face of the anti-socialist offensive of the imperialists and reactionaries despite its enormous economic potential and strong military power.

When the people unite behind their party and their leader single-heartedly, the driving force of the revolution will be powerful in every way and its role be greater, thus dynamically advancing socialism in all fields including politics, defence, the economy and culture while demonstrating its invincible might. The practical experience of the Korean revolution clearly shows that when the people are awakened ideologically and firmly united around their party, they will steadily adhere to socialism and achieve rapid development in all fields in defiance of unfavourable material and economic conditions and vicious moves of the imperialists and the class enemy.

The DPRK waged the struggle for building of socialism by adhering to the socialist ideology and theory of Juche and by applying the idea of “The people are my God” under the wise leadership of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il. In the course of this, the people-centred socialist system, a genuine people’s society, was established in Korea. The popular masses are regarded as the most valuable in the country, and all lines and policies of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the state are mapped out in accordance with the desire and demand of the people, and are successfully implemented by the voluntary zeal and struggle of the masses. The Party and the state seek the promotion of the people’s well-being as the supreme principle in their activities while holding high the slogan “We serve for people!” And they do not tolerate it in any case when someone violates the people’s interest and misuses his authority and behaves himself bureaucratically while lording it over the people.

Socialism in the DPRK is advancing amidst the absolute support and trust of the popular masses, winning victory after victory in the face of all sorts of perverse moves of the US imperialists. The secret is that socialism is deeply embedded in the mind of the Korean people.

Pak Chol