Stephen Cho | Organizer of the World Anti-imperialist Platform
As a result of World War 1, which was an inter-imperialist war, the first socialist state in history emerged. As a result of World War 2, which was an anti-fascist war, a socialist camp and a national liberation camp emerged on a global scale. At that time, anti-fascism was the banner of justice and inevitable victory. This cataclysmic shift in the postwar global political landscape precipitated an unprecedented political and economic crisis for the imperialist camp. The crisis management measure introduced against this backdrop was the policy to contain and disintegrate the anti-imperialist camp under the name of the “Cold War.” It was the imperialist camp that first shattered the global anti-fascist front formed during World War 2.
The Korean War served as the decisive turning point where this imperialist policy began to be implemented. The scientific and essential definition of a war lies in its character. The Korean War was a great confrontation between the Korean nation and the US-led imperialist coalition―a war of national liberation. It became the textbook for numerous national liberation wars in the 20th century, including the Vietnam War. The Korean War was a miracle of history that inflicted the first defeat upon US imperialism, which had been recognized as the strongest power in World War 2.
During the 20th century, Korea waged an armed struggle and a war of national liberation against Japanese imperialism, centering around the communist forces. In June 1930, the armed struggle line and the national liberation united front line were adopted at the Kalun Meeting of the communist forces; these were further concretized at the Mingyuegou Meeting, the Nanhutou Meeting, and the Xiaohaerbaling Meeting, reflecting the shifting situations. Following the Mingyuegou Meeting, Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Army were organized; after the Nanhutou Meeting, the Battle of Pochonbo was waged; and following the Xiaohaerbaling Meeting, International Allied Forces were formed. The communist forces of Korea organized International Allied Forces together with the communist forces of the Soviet Union and China to fight against Japanese imperialism, ultimately achieving final victory. At the center of the key that enabled the Korean communist forces to win the Korean War against US imperialism lies the phenomenal leadership formed since the period of the anti-Japanese struggle
As a consequence of the imperialist “Cold War” policy, the Korean Peninsula was divided along the 38th parallel. As clearly shown in those proclamations, the Soviet military entered the north as a liberation army, while the US military entered the south as an occupying army. In 1948, under the auspices of the United Nations―which had degenerated into a mere voting machine for the USA―the south undemocratically, illegally, and violently established a separate regime of its own, the ‘Republic of Korea’ (‘ROK’). Meanwhile, the north democratically, legally, and peacefully founded the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), based on the decisions of the Joint Conference of Representatives of Political Parties and Public Organizations in North and South Korea in April of that same year. In short, the ‘ROK’ was forcibly and subordinately established relying on the power of foreign forces, whereas the DPRK was voluntarily and independently founded based on the power of the nation. In the north, pro-Japanese collaborators were liquidated, and democratic reforms, such as land reform, were implemented; in the south, however, pro-US and pro-Japanese factions seized power, and a fascist rule was imposed just as it had been under the Japanese colonial era. The April armed uprising of the Jeju people starkly demonstrates the resolute will of the southern populace to fight to the death against the US military government, the pro-Japanese and pro-US factions, the separate regime, and the fascist rule.
In the Korean War, the imperialist state USA drew fifteen additional countries into the fighting, besides the ‘ROK,’ Japan, and Taiwan. By contrast, the anti-imperialist, independent state DPRK was supported only by China, which entered the war as the Chinese People’s Volunteers. It is the anti-imperialist camp that inherited the tradition and the great cause of fighting against the fascist aggressive forces during World War 2.
Naturally, the communist forces of Korea regarded the entire Korean Peninsula―where a single homogeneous nation had lived for over five thousand years―as their national domain, and viewed the realization of national independence across the entire region as the completion of national liberation. To this end, establishing the northern part of the Korean Peninsula as a revolutionary democratic base was in the same context as the expansion of the East Manchurian guerrilla zones or the Mount Paektu secret camp. The line of all-people’s resistance during the anti-Japanese period―which was the totality of the general offensive of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army, the all-people’s uprising, and the joint operations in the rear―also ran through the Korean War. The same applied to the International Allied Forces. Since it had been only five years since the division, and even that was forced by foreign forces, it was impossible for different national sentiments to develop between the north and the south. Without distinction between north and south, the Korean nation united as one and fought at the risk of their lives against foreign forces and their puppets to realize national independence on a nationwide scale. In the immediate postwar period, while highly evaluating the victory in fending off the aggressive war, the DPRK could not help but regard the unaccomplished task of national liberation as its greatest long-cherished desire.
The DPRK adopted a parallel line of non-peace and peace to achieve this goal of national liberation. It stated that if the adversary launched another aggression, it would take the former path; otherwise, it would basically follow the latter―and it actually did so. The federal system, which proposes to recognize the other side, cooperate with each other, and achieve fatherland unification, is inherently a line of peace. In the concept of a “nation-state,” focusing on the “nation” leads to fatherland unification, whereas focusing on the “state” leads to territorial integrity. While considering both concepts, the DPRK proceeded basically by prioritizing fatherland unification. The Proposal for Founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo, proclaimed in October 1980, is a representative example.
After summing up the long history of the fatherland unification movement and reflecting the situation of World War 3, the DPRK announced a line of subjugation centered on territorial integrity in January 2024. Reflected here is also the review of the war in Ukraine and the change in the concept of fellow countrymen due to the necessity of using tactical nuclear weapons. This implies that even if the ‘ROK’ is not regarded as fellow countrymen, a federal system between different races is possible, as in the cases of the Soviet Union or the Russian Federation. As the process demonstrates, the conceptual change from fellow countrymen to a different race is merely a tactical measure. Naturally, the withdrawal of US troops and the abolition of the National Security Act are included within the concept of the federal system. Unless these two measures are swiftly implemented, the DPRK has no alternative in this grave and rapidly changing situation of World War 3 but to take the path it has proclaimed internally and externally―the fastest, most decisive path: the path of subjugation.
The contributed article by the Chinese President in the Rodong Sinmun on the occasion of his visit to the DPRK in June 2026 contains far-reaching content. Looking at its underlying keynote, the DPRK could no longer avoid considering a shift from a line of non-peaceful territorial integrity to line of peaceful territorial integrity―that is, a federal system between different races. However, looking at the recent remarks and moves of the ‘ROK’ leader during the European tour and the Ankara NATO Summit, he is going in completely the opposite direction. One cannot help but face the reality that, stripping off the “mask of peace” and pledging to become a “dagger” of US imperialist aggression, he is burning the last remaining bridge of peace on their own.
The imperialist aggressor forces are seeking to use the war in Palestine and West Asian war centered on Iran war as a springboard to expand the Ukraine war into a broader war in Eastern Europe and, at all costs, to ignite an East Asian war centered on the ‘ROK’ and Taiwan. Should either an Eastern European war or an East Asian war break out, history would have ample reason to record it as the full-scale escalation of World War 3. Tragically, the world situation is being driven by the imperialist aggressor forces toward this perilous course of world war, toward an unprecedented catastrophe.
Where there is oppression, there is resistance. Just as the anti-fascist camp took shape during World War 2, so today, in the era of World War 3, the anti-imperialist camp is emerging and becoming humanity’s hope. The DPRK, the most thoroughgoing socialist state, together with China―a state of socialism with Chinese characteristics―and Russia―a state possessing a socialist legacy―forms the leading force of the anti-imperialist camp and ranks among the world’s foremost nuclear missile powers, making an outstanding contribution to the strengthening and development of the world anti-imperialist front. Armed with hydrogen bombs, hypersonic missiles, tactical nuclear missiles, and the most advanced destroyers, the DPRK is, in both name and reality, a foremost military power possessing the highest level of war deterrence.
As time passes, the anti-imperialist camp grows ever more united and stronger, while the imperialist camp becomes increasingly divided and weakened. That this trend has been accelerated by the Iran war is by no means accidental. As the anti-fascist banner once was, so today the anti-imperialist banner is the banner of justice and certain victory. The proletariat and the people of all countries are uniting beneath the banner of anti-imperialism. Our conviction that the peoples of the world will overthrow imperialism and achieve final victory is an inevitable necessity and a scientific certainty.