opinion

It is 78 years since the Korean Children’s Union was founded as a mass political organization of the Korean children.

The 78-year history of the Korean children's movement is linked with the tradition of patriotism along with the red tie, part of the flag of the Workers' Party of Korea.

The Juche-oriented Korean children’s movement dates back to the period of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle.

The members of the Anti-Japanese Children's Corps, who traversed the vast Paektu plain and steep and craggy mountains, shedding blood, with the death-defying determination to liberate their country and the persevering fighting spirit, were the young heroes produced in the incipiency of the Korean revolution.

Among the legendary feats of the indomitable young revolutionaries were those of a Children’s Corps member who was arrested by the enemy and killed after shouting at them “Kill me with the bayonet, not by shooting the gun. And send the bullets to the guerrilla army,” to the consternation of the enemy. Another member lured the enemy “punitive” troops to an ambush range of the guerrilla army at the risk of his life.

After Korea’s liberation on August 15 1945, General Kim Il Sung founded the KCU on June 6 1946, a mass organization of Korean children inheriting the precious tradition of the Anti-Japanese Children's Corps.

Since then, the Korean children’s movement has developed into a proud revolutionary children’s movement, and all the children have firmly rallied around their revolutionary organization to become young revolutionaries.

During the Fatherland Liberation War (June 25 1950-July 27 1953), KCU members, who grew up in the embrace of the WPK after liberation, fought to defend their beloved native land by forming guards and guerrilla units unprecedented in the world history of war as they inherited the revolutionary faith and fighting spirit of the Anti-Japanese Children’s Corps.

On July 5 1951, the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK issued a decree on awarding the Order of the National Flag Third Class and Medal of Merit to the KCU members who performed distinguished feats in assisting the people’s guerrilla movement during the Fatherland Liberation War.

The order they received before citizenship certificate was a precious decoration the Party, the country and the people gave to the indomitable young revolutionaries who fought heroically, braving the fierce flames of the grim war decisive of the destiny of the country.

The noble soul and spirit of the young revolutionaries and patriots have steadily been carried forward to be fully displayed in each era of socialist construction.

During the great Chollima upsurge, the flames of the movement of donating the Sonyon (child) crane, which was kindled by young Kim Jong Il, spread throughout the country to develop into a mass movement of schoolchildren and young people, and KCU members actively conducted the do-good-things movement to bring benefits to the country.

In the new century of the Juche era, the loyalty and patriotism of KCU members for the socialist homeland have got more intense.

The noble love of the respected Marshal Kim Jong Un for younger generations is the nutriment for the growth of schoolchildren and thereby they grow up to be reliable pillars of the DPRK.

It has become part of national tradition to celebrate the founding anniversary of the KCU as a national holiday and grand meetings of its members are held with splendour under the blessings of the whole country.

The KCU members presented Sonyon light aircraft reflecting their patriotic devotion on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the DPRK and the 74th birthday of the WPK and it is a manifestation of the patriotic spirit of them which is enhanced further along with the era of the Workers' Party.

Today the huge army of young revolutionaries wholeheartedly supports powerful socialist Korea and the future of the DPRK is rosy along with the ranks of these successors.