Self-Reliance in Defence – On the Juche Idea (treatise, 1982)

Self-reliance in defence is a fundamental principle of an independent sovereign state. A state without self-reliant armed forces capable of defending the country from the enemies at home and abroad when imperialism exists cannot, in fact, be called a completely independent sovereign state.

Imperialism is a constant cause of war, and the main force of aggression and war today is US imperialism.

As the leader said, we do not want war, nor are we afraid of it, nor do we beg peace from the imperialists. The best way to preserve national independence and peace and win the revolutionary cause is to counter the imperialist war of aggression with the war of liberation, answer the counterrevolutionary violence of reaction with revolutionary violence, and always meet the imperialist moves of aggression and war in full preparedness.

For this purpose, we must implement the principle of self- reliance in defence.

Self-reliant defence is a military guarantee for a nation’s political independence and economic self-sufficiency. Only when one implements the principle of self-reliant defence, will one be able to repel imperialist aggression and intervention, defend the nation’s political independence and economic self- sufficiency and safeguard the revolutionary achievements and the security of the people.

Implementing the principle of self-reliant defence means defending one’s country by one’s own efforts. Of course, one may receive aid in national defence from fraternal countries and friends. But it is impossible to depend on others for the defence of one’s own country. In any case, the main thing is one’s own strength. Only when one is strong, will foreign aid prove effective. In national defence, therefore, one should rely on the efforts of one’s own people and one’s own defence capability before anything else. Defence work, too, is an undertaking for the people and of the people themselves. If all the people participate in unison in the national-liberation struggle and in the defence of the country, under the leadership of the revolutionary party, they will be able to repel all imperialist aggressors and safeguard national independence and revolutionary achievements.

In order to implement the principle of self-reliant defence, one must have armed forces capable of defending one’s country.

Such armed forces must embrace the sons and daughters of the working people. An army whose men and commanding officers come from among the workers, peasants and other working people, can guarantee unity between the army and the people, and between superiors and subordinates, and become a truly self-reliant people’s army which safeguards national independence and revolutionary achievements and serves the people.

If the principle of self-reliant defence is to be implemented, a defence system involving all the people and the whole country must be established.

The establishment of such a defence system requires that the whole of the army must be turned into a cadre army and modernized. Only when the whole army is a cadre army, will it become strong and provide the necessary force of commanders and multiply its strength in case of need. And a modernized army which blends its politico-ideological superiority with modern technology will become a really unconquerable revolutionary army.

In order to set up an all-people, all-nation defence system, it is also necessary to arm all the people and fortify the whole country. When all the people are under arms and the whole country becomes a fortress, all the people can be mobilized to crush the enemy as soon as it comes in to attack from any quarter, and defend the country from imperialist aggression with credit.

If the principle of self-reliant defence is to be implemented, the politico-ideological superiority of the people’s armed forces should be utilized to the maximum.

The decisive factor for victory in war does not consist in weapons or techniques, but in the high political enthusiasm and revolutionary devotion of the army and popular masses who are conscious of the justice of their cause. A noble revolutionary spirit to fight for the freedom and liberation of the people, boundless loyalty to the party and the leader, a peerless self- sacrificing spirit and mass heroism which are expressed in willingly giving up one’s youth and life for the sake of the country and revolution, revolutionary comradeship between men and officers, their inseparable links with the people, and voluntary military discipline–these are politico-ideological superiority peculiar to a people’s army, a revolutionary army. As the history of revolutionary wars shows, a revolutionary army which is in firm politico-ideological readiness, though armed with inferior weapons, can fight and defeat an enemy equipped with the latest arms. Indeed, politico-ideological superiority is the essential merit of revolutionary armed forces and the source of their invincibility.

It is imperative, therefore, to knit the army closely from a politico-ideological point of view and steadily raise its politico- ideological level and ensure that imperialist armies of aggression are defeated by the strength of the politico- ideological superiority of the revolutionary people’s armed forces.

The principle of self-reliant defence, to be implemented, requires that one must build one’s own defence industry. A national defence industry is a material guarantee for self- reliant armed forces. Particularly at this time when the US and other imperialists are viciously manoeuvring to subjugate other countries by offering arms as a bait, and plundering other peoples’ resources and making huge profits through arms deal, the newly-independent countries should build their own defence industries. This is of tremendous significance. True, it would be difficult for small countries to produce all the arms they need. But it would be inadvisable to depend totally on others for the arms. They should build and develop their own defence industries so that they can produce whatever is within their power.

In order to implement the principle of self-reliant defence, it is essential to consolidate the home front. As the leader instructed, victory or defeat in modern war depends largely on whether or not manpower and material resources necessary for the war effort are ensured for a long period. If a nation is to be ready to cope with war, they must build up major strategic zones, store up necessary material reserves, and make full preparations from the peacetime so as to continue with production even in the case of a contingency. Upholding the policy of building the economy and defence simultaneously, our Party has made good preparations both militarily and materially and built up both the front-line areas and home front to cope with war.

We will continue to fully implement the policy of self- reliant defence, and thus further strengthen our self-reliant armed forces to be invincible, fight back any enemy aggression and defend the country and revolutionary achievements faithfully.