Independence in Politics – On the Juche Idea (treatise, 1982)

Politics is of decisive significance in social life. Without independence in politics it would be impossible to talk about independence at all. Juche in ideology is expressed, above all, by independence in politics, and self-sufficiency in the economy and self-reliance in defence, too, are guaranteed by independence in politics.

Maintaining independence in politics means upholding national independence and sovereignty of one’s people, defending their interests and conducting politics by relying on them.

As the leader instructed, political independence is the first criterion and the life and soul of an independent sovereign state. Only when a nation maintains political independence, will it be able to ensure independence and freedom and be happy and prosperous. The revolution is a struggle to win political independence before anything else. Since all questions related to revolution and construction depend directly on politics, it can be said that the destiny of the revolutionary cause is determined, after all, by political independence.

In order to ensure political independence, it is imperative to set up a people’s government.

Man’s right to independence finds typical expression in state power. So the working class and the masses of the people, to realize independence completely, must first of all become masters of state power. Only when they hold state power in their hands and become true masters of state and society, will they be able to attain political independence and lead an independent and creative life.

In order to guarantee political independence it is necessary to build internal political forces.

Political forces are the main component of the revolutionary forces. Only when one builds strong internal political forces and relies on them, will one be able to win and preserve sovereignty and ensure independent politics. If powerful internal political forces are to be developed, it is imperative to strengthen the party, the leading revolutionary force, and achieve the unity and solidarity of the entire population based on the worker-peasant alliance with the working class at its core. What is most important here is to rally all the people closely around the party and the leader. When the party and the people are solidly united into a single political force, they will be able to display boundless strength and emerge victorious in the revolution and construction.

If one is to ensure political independence, one must have one’s own guiding thought, work out one’s policy by oneself in accordance with one’s decision, and carry it through.

The main thing in politics is to formulate policies and implement them. It can be said that independent politics consists in formulating and implementing all policies independently. Yielding to foreign pressure and tolerating foreign intervention in politics or acting at the instigation of others would make it impossible to maintain principle and consistency, and would lead the revolution and construction to failure.

Our Party has laid down and implemented all its policies independently in accordance with the interests of our people and the specific conditions of our country, with the Juche idea as the only guiding ideology, under the wise guidance of the leader. That is why it has always won shining victories in the revolution and construction.

In order to ensure independence in politics, it is imperative to exercise complete sovereignty and equality in foreign relations.

Independence of a party and a state is expressed, after all, in foreign relations. To exercise complete sovereignty and equality in foreign relations is fundamental in ensuring political independence. Sovereignty is an inviolable right of all parties, all countries, and all peoples. There are big and small parties, big and small countries, and economically developed and underdeveloped peoples in the world, but all parties, all countries and peoples are equal and independent. No one should encroach upon the sovereignty of others and no one should tolerate encroachment on one’s sovereignty.

Independence is not in conflict with internationalism but is the basis of its strengthening. Just as the world revolution is inconceivable without the revolution in one’s own country, internationalism divorced from independence cannot exist. As a matter of principle, internationalist solidarity must be based on freedom of choice and equality. Only when it is founded on independence, will internationalist solidarity become based on free choice and equality and become genuine and durable.

Our Party is adhering to the policy of strengthening the solidarity of the socialist countries and the international communist movement on the basis of opposing imperialism and giving support to national-liberation movements in colonies and the international working-class movement, continuing advance to socialism and communism, and observing the principles of noninterference in each other’s internal affairs, mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Our country is also adhering to the policy of joining forces with non-aligned countries, the newly- emerging nations, on the principles of respect for territorial integrity and state power, nonaggression, noninterference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and of cooperating with all countries which are friendly towards us.

In the future, too, we will uphold sovereignty and equality in foreign relations and maintain the principle of combining independence with internationalism.