— |e

FEATURE

Korea moves in 40 years from
a backward to a modern state

“Canada is a Pacific neighbor

of as many countries as it is an
Atlantic neighbor and has a much
larger and much more con-
structive role to play in the Paci-
fic,’ said William Kashtan,
Communist Party leader, who
headed a recent party delegation
to the Democratic People’s Re-
public of Korea as guests of the
Workers Party of Korea. ‘‘The
Pacific Ocean and particularly its
northeast sector has become a
powderkeg as a result of U.S.
militarist policies’’ he continued:

Kashtan pointed out in an
interview with the Tribune that
Pentagon and White House ef-
forts to tack together an aggres-
sive military alliance of Japan,
South Korea and the U.S. is de-
stabilizing the rough military ba-
lance that had existed in that
theatre for decades and is in-
tended as a spearhead against the
socialist countries in the Pacific —
The USSR, Vietnam, Laos,
Kampuchea and the DPRK. In
addition, it is intended to contain
any revolutionary potential such
as in the Philippines.

““Canada should advance the
cause of peace and stability in the
Pacific by calling for it becoming a

Left to right: Ywang Jang Yop, Secretary of the CC, Director of Inter-
national Department, WPK; Sam Walsh, President Parti Communiste du
Quebec; Pak Sung Chol, VP, DPRK; William Kashtan, General Secretary,
CPC; Kim ll Sung, General Secretary, WPK and President of DPRK; Della
Kashtan; Ho Jong Suk, veteran of the anti-Japanese war; John Bizzell,
Central Organizer, CPC; Gwon Min Jun, Deputy Director, International

Department, WPK.

nuclear weapons-free zone as a
first step toward its further demi-
litarization. It is high time that
Canada closes the shameful chap-
ter of its involvement in the
U.S.-sponsored Korean War and
come out squarely for the peace-
ful reunification of the North and
South. It should establish
dialogue with the DPRK, ex-
changes and mutually beneficial

trade,’’ Kashtan asserted.

‘In Southeast Asia, Canada
should end its shameful flirtation
with the genocidal gang who plot
counterrevolution in Kampuchea
and recognize the real govern-
ment. The formal links Canada
has with the Peoples Republic of
Vietnam should be expanded to
accommodate exchanges of all
kinds and trade. Links of this sort

are essential to Canada if it is to
solve the ‘free-trade debate’ by
diversifying our trade links rather
than merging with the United
States,”’ he continued.

Turning to discussions the del-
egation had held with Kim Il
Sung, leader of the Worker’s
Party of Korea, on three occa-
sions during the visit, Kashtan
said there was a complete meeting
of minds on the questions of the
Northeast Pacific and on the need
for all Communist and Worker’s
Parties to closely unite to pre-
serve peace and to combat the
present U.S. course of militarism
and nuclear confrontation the
world over, and also on the need
to strengthen Marxism-Leninism
and proletarian internationalism.
The discussions were warm and
friendly and ranged over a num-
ber of questions of an _inter-
national nature and on specific
problems in Canada, the mount-
ing struggle for Canadian
independence on all fronts and on
the construction of socialism in
the DPRK and its ongoing efforts
to reach a peace agreement with
U.S. and begin the process of
peaceful reunification of Korea.

Pyongyang panorama — in 1953,
there were only three buildings
left standing after the Americans
had finished. ‘

“Pyongyang will not rise again ina
hundred years,” boasted U.S.
General McArthur after he had
levelled this ancient city. Today it
is a modern and gracious city of
almost two million. It has broad,
tree-lined avenues, a gleaming
subway and efficient public transit
system. Modern apartment build-
ings (rent is 3 per cent of income)
line the streets. Mornings and af-
ternoons, the avenues throng with
gaily dressed and visibly healthy
children on their way to excellent
schools and well dressed adults to
work in an economy that has no
unemployment and boasts con-
stantly rising standards of living.

—

‘‘Korea is a splendid example
of the capacity of socialism to |
answer the needs of all the |
people; to quickly turn a back-
ward nation into a highly edu-
cated, highly cultured and fast
industrializing modern state,”
said Kashtan. ‘‘At the same time,
the DPRK is beautiful and hospit-
able — in fact, I wish many, many
more members of Party and
Canadians in general could visit
socialist Korea and see for them-
SClVeS. =

Kashtan concluded with the
thought that this visit and ex-
change of views between the two
parties will strengthen fraternal
bonds and open the way for a con-
tinuing friendly dialogue.

sionate and caring’.
Kashtan.

A Child-care Centre — A measure of
the compassion of a country is its
level of care for its children and aged.

“At the time of liberation in 1945, 85
per cent of Koreans could neither
read nor write and there were a mere
12 university graduates. Today
everyone is literate with compulsory
eleven year schooling and every
eighth person is a graduate of a
higher institution. All children have
access to universal and free kinder-
garten and an elaborate system of
childcare. Appreciation of culture
starts at the youngest age and all the
tots leaving kindergarten have
learned to play at least one musical
instrument. Children’s facilities are
beautiful. The DPRK scored another
first in Asia during our visit. Full pen-
sion rights were extended to all
peasants with retirement at 60 for
men and 55 for women. We found the
DPRK’s social programs compas-
— Della

Panmunjon,, the site of the 1953 signing of the
Armistice Agreement that halted the U.S.-

sponsored Korean War.

“The building is now a museum. A sobering
visit indeed. Article Six of the Agreement pro-
vides for the withdrawal of all foreign troops
from Korea two months after the signing, but
32 yéars later the Americans are still there. In
their tens of thousands, they point Cruise and
Pershing-2 missiles and nuclear artillery at
the People’s Republic while keeping the south
in colonial servitude under a vicious puppet
dictatorship. The U.S. Army has constructed a
250-km long concrete wall right across the
Korean Peninsula at the 38th parallell” —

Walsh.

Sam

John Bizzell.

Nampo Lock gate. An eight kilometer-long barrage
across the mouth of the Daedong River.

“This massive project, one of the biggest of its kind
in the world is a testimony to the industry and capac-
ity of the DPRK. Built with its own resources and
employing 30,000 workers, the project will have
great benefits for the country. It will separate salt
sea water and fresh river water allowing the latter to
be used to irrigate 300,000 hectares of tidal land
reclaimed from the ocean — presently, only 15 per
cent of the DPRK is arable. With several lock gates
accommodating shipping up to 50,000 tonnes, it will -
allow shipping access to Pyongyang by raising the
level of the river some meters, and at the same time
making several of the tributaries navigable.” —

ie

et

Organizer.

In October, a delegation from the Communist Party of
Canada visited the DPRK on the occasion of its 40th
anniversary, composed of General Secretary William
Kashtan, Samuel Walsh, leader of the Parti Commu-
niste du Quebec and John Bizzell, CPC Central

8 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, DECEMBER 4, 1985