September 12, Juche 100 (2011) fell on Chusok (a Korean folk festival).
That evening, Chairman Kim Jong Il met with some officials and looked back upon the memory of his comrades who had already passed away. He said as follows:
Today is Chusok, so I miss my departed comrades and, in particular, those who braved the difficulties together with me during the Arduous March (the trying period in the 1990s when the Korean people were plunged into national mourning by the sudden demise of President Kim Il Sung and suffered from the continuous natural disasters and the enemy’s vicious moves to isolate and stifle their country).
My recollection of the period of the Arduous March is not the memories of hardships and sadness but the memories of faith and will with which we overcame the trying ordeals.
During the period of the Arduous March, the only way for us to defend our country and make our people live an honourable life independently was to fight against imperialism and push ahead with the revolution and construction in reliance on the People’s Army, the revolutionary armed force.
So, I held higher the banner of Songun without hesitation and have steadfastly followed the road of the Songun revolution.
We must follow to the end the road of revolution pioneered by Kim Il Sung. There is no other way but the road of the Juche revolution. It is the only way for our country and our people to live and emerge victorious.
