Seoul, July 27, 1985
Forty years have passed since Korea was liberated. But the dark clouds of national misfortunes have not yet been cleared away and we, under these circumstances, are going to celebarte the August 15 liberation. When the country was liberated, all the 30 million Koreans, filled with the joy of liberation, shouted: "Long live independence!" For the Koreans who had been down-trodden and lamenting over the loss of national sovereignty, nothing was more precious than the independence and liberation of the country. But neither complete liberation nor true independence have yet come to south Korea.
When Korea was liberated on August 15, 1945, Koreans sought eagerly to create a new history of a prosperous nation as masters of a unified, independent country. South Korea, however, was put under a new yoke of domination and slavery by the foreign forces, which have been fording it over the land. The 40-year history of south Korea has been a course of precipitate national ruin, not national rehabilitation, a process of further enslavement, not independence, and annals of widespread social evils, not people's welfare.
In south Korea, bitter lamentation never ceases and people shout: "Let's regain our August 15 liberation!" Out of the sense of duty to achieve true liberation as early as possible in conformity with the people's will to get rid of the slavery and bring about a great leap of the nation, the National Democratic Front of South Korea issues this manifesto on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the liberation. The Manifesto for National Independence of South Korea is the demand of the south Korean people for true sovereignity.
Today the national liberation is what the south Korean people should pursue. The cause of national liberation is an indispensable requirement deriving from the colonial system of south Korea. South Korea is a complete colony of the United States and a modern version of Manchukuo.
The U.S. domination over south Korea is maintained to reduce this country to a strategic base for their supremacy over Asia and the world. The United States is eager to have south Korea as an inexpensive advanced base for anti-Communist confrontation, and therefore she is still keeping this country under her control by combining direct military occupation with indirect colonial rule and "two-Korea" policy with the cold war strategy.
In south Korea, there are a president and a political system under which the three powers of government are separate from one another. But none of them has the right to self-determination, although these must be needed to put on a semblance of an independent state. South Korea's Constitution stipulates the sovereignty rests with the people. The south Koreans, however, could never establish their government nor elect their president according to their own will.
The south Korean "sovereignty" rests with the United States, not with the south Koreans, and south Korea is governed by the White House, not south Korea's Chong Wa Dae. South Korea has colossal military forces including the nearly one million army and the Reserve Forces of more than 4 million, but there is no army to defend the country and nation and none of so many generals has the prerogative of supreme command of the Army. The operation of the south Korean Army is directed by the U.S. Forces Command and the south Korean army troops serve as bullet-shields for the U.S. troops. South Korea that was proclaimed to be the "strategic front line" of the United States has now become a largest thermo-nuclear base in the Far East for a "military showdown in the 80's", and thus the south Koreans are in danger of nuclear holocaust.
The south Korean economy is not a national, but a colonial economy dependent on American capital. American monopoly capital that penetrated into this country under the cloak of "aid" and "loan" is suffocating national capital, and U.S. multinational enterprises are swallowing up the south Korean economy, trampling down the right of the nation's self-determination. U.S. monopoly capital fattens on surplus value in south Korea, whereas south Korean people are suffering from starvation wages, high prices, the heavy burden of taxes and unemployment.
It is very dreadful that the state goes to ruin. But it is more dangerous that the nation's soul decays.
U.S. worship, anti-Communism, national betrayal and American and foreign way of life are rampant institutionally in south Korea. Under their influences, spirit of national independence is trampled down, disunity and enmity within the nation are encouraged, national culture gets deformed and the nation itself is being Americanized.
Under the colonial rule of the United States we, south Koreans, are not only physically slaughtered but also forced to have the territory and kinship divided The south Koreans who have been undergoing immeasureable national misfortunes and dreadful calamities owing to the division of the country by the U.S. imperialists. The division of the country grows wider to perpetuation with every passing day. The permanent division of the country would lead to the downfall of the nation. This is, indeed, a terrible tragedy of the people in colonial south Korea.
To accomplish the cause of national liberation in south Korea destitute of her sovereignty is the right and duty no force can violate or obstruct.
Through the bloody mass struggle during the past four decades we south Koreans have learnt a lesson how we should achieve the cause of national liberation. Since the liberation of Korea, not a day has passed without our people struggling for liberty and democracy, the right of living and the country's reunification. Indeed not a day has passed without their shedding blood.
In those bloody struggles, the south Korean people destroyed Syngman Rhee's puppet regime in the April 19 People's Uprising, tolled the death of the Yusin fascist dictator in the October Uprising for democracy, and liberated a big city with a population of 800,000 inhabitants, established a democratic state, a bulwark of liberty and democracy, and maintained it for ten days at the time of the heroic Twangs Uprising. This was a notable event in world history.
The dawn of democracy and of national reunification heralded by these struggles, however, was swept away by recurrent storms of tyranny, and a more ferocious military fascist regime is reigning over this land. The United States has always been standing behind these reactions. Through these trials south Korean people have come to a firm belief that the cause of national sovereignty cannot be achieved without anti-U.S. national liberation movement.
In this national-liberation movement, we south Korean people must put up the banner of anti-U.S. independence. AntiU.S. independence is the real way to end colonial subordination and recover the territory and national sovereignty. This is a short cut to democracy and the reunification of the country.
Our national-liberation struggle for independence against the United States is a showdown between the invaders and the invaded and a decisive battle between patriots and traitors.
The U.S. imperialist aggressors are the mayor target of this struggle.
Spearhead of the struggles should be directed to them. The U.S. imperialists are the ringleaders of aggression and oppression and sworn enemies who have imposed calamities and misfortunes upon our nation.
A handful of south Korean flunkeyistic traitors are also a target of the struggle for anti-U.S. independence, who, as well as the U.S. imperialists, must be removed. Comprador capitalists, reactionary bureaucrats and pro-American elements in south Korea are guiding j foreign forces into this country. They are the traitors who are selling out the sovereignty of the country.
The motive force of the anti-U.S. struggle for independence in colonial south Korea is the broad masses aspiring after national sovereignty, namely, workers, peasants, students, small and medium shopkeepers and industrialists, intellectuals, patriotic soldiers and the religious. The working class is the decisive force for the victory of the anti-U.S. struggle for independence. Peasants are a reliable ally of the working class. Students are the main force making breakthroughs in the van of the struggle.
The National Democratic Front of South Korea led by the immortal Juche idea not only represents the south Korean people's aspirations and will, but also is their patriotic vanguard organisation.
In the national liberation struggle for anti-U.S. independence, the NDFSK and patriotic people must fight against fascism and for democracy and national reunification. This is their historic task. Democracy and the reunification of the country can be achieved through the anti-US. struggle for independence. The cause of independence is facilitated by the anti-fascist struggle and the reunification movement.
The key to the victory of the nationalliberation struggle against the U.S. imperialists and their stooges is to strengthen the internal forces of the nation.
The indestructible internal forces are prepared and fostered by awakening and organislug the masses and in the process of mass struggles. When the masses are awakened to national and political consciousness and emerge on the arena of history in order to shape their own destiny, no force in the world can defeat them.
Unity is the source of the strength of the nation's internal forces. If we are to integrate the nation's will and organise people's forces efficiently in south Korea, we must form an extensive national united front which embraces all patriotic forces -political parties and groups and people of all strata.
Today when the anti-U.S. struggle for independence is a historic requirement of the nation, the attitude towards the United States is the only yardstick to distinguish between patriotism and national betrayal. Anti-U.S. attitude is patriotic and pro-U.S. attitude is treacherous.
The situation urges everyone to tranacend the bounds of political groups and parties for the sake of the country and take the way to independence against the United States.
The National Democratic Front of South Korea calls on all the south Koreans to Join the national united front and take part resolutely in the anti-U.S. save-the-nation movement for the independence of south Korea, irrespective of whether they are nationalists or communists, whether they are believers or unbelievers, whether they live at home or abroad and whether they have committed crimes against the country or not. Those who have strength can contribute strength; those who have knowledge, knowledge; and those who have money, money.
The anti-U.S. struggle for independence l has already started and the situation is developing in favour of our people.
Now that the day of a hot battle to restore national sovereignty is approaching, we south Koreans have no room to retreat.
National liberation is the most urgent task of history which must not be delayed any longer.
If we withdraw from this nationalliberation struggle, we shall never be able to free ourselves from the bitter fate of colonial slavery. If we fail to overcome this crisis, we shall lose even the homogeneity of the nation and I our beautiful country. Onlooking leads to death and hesitation to ruin.
Ours is an era of Chajusong when the people, once oppressed and maltreated, are steering history. Dominators' rule is giving way to independent government throughout the world. Oppressed nations are achieving independence and becoming masters of their own destiny.
At this crucial moment all south Koreans who love the country and nation and want independence must join the great anti-U.S. struggle for national liberation.