WWP sends message of solidarity to Koreans
The government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea announced the successful test of its first hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6. It reiterated in a statement that it will never be the first to launch nuclear weapons, pledging to use them in defense only if attacked by nuclear weapons. China and India have made similar no-first-use pledges.
However, the United States and its imperialist NATO “partners” have long refused to make such a commitment, arrogating to themselves the right to use nuclear weapons if attacked in any way.
On Jan. 10, the U.S. flew a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber and two fighter jets on a low-level flight across south Korea in an open threat to the DPRK.
The U.S., since it started the nuclear arms race by dropping two atomic bombs on Japanese cities in 1945, has built 70,000 nuclear warheads. Even with the dismantling of many nukes since the end of the Cold War, the Pentagon continues to keep thousands ready for use. As of January 2014, the official number was 4,650 active warheads and another 2,700 “retired” nuclear weapons not yet dismantled. At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. military occupying south Korea was armed with 950 nuclear warheads. (Brookings Institution)
During the 1950-1953 war against socialist north Korea, the U.S. imperialists killed millions of Koreans and leveled cities and towns in the north with “conventional” bombing. The U.S. government still refuses to negotiate a peace treaty that will normalize relations with the DPRK.
Given these undisputed facts, it should be obvious to any honest person that the DPRK has every right to develop whatever weapons it needs to defend itself against U.S. aggression.
On Jan. 11, Workers World Party in the U.S. sent the following message of solidarity to the Workers’ Party of Korea.
WWP reaffirms solidarity with Workers’ Party of Korea
Workers World Party reaffirms our solidarity and support of the Korean people’s struggle for self-determination and socialist construction, including the right of self-defense in the face of U.S. imperialism’s continued threats and pressures.
Media around the world report that the people of the DPRK are celebrating the successful testing of the DPRK’s first hydrogen bomb, and for good reason. No country on earth has suffered more at the hands of U.S. imperialist aggression than the DPRK, yet remained strong, sovereign and united.
The ability of the DPRK to march forward with socialist construction, while never for an instant failing to maintain a strong defense, is a living testament to the heroic Korean Revolution led by Marshal Kim Il Sung. The revolution toppled Japanese colonial rule and its local collaborators in the north of the peninsula in 1945, bringing to power the workers, farmers and progressive intellectuals. This amounted to a huge defeat for U.S. imperialism, which had expected to pick up all the pieces of the Japanese empire. Washington actually rearmed Japanese troops in the south to keep control until the Pentagon could send in enough forces to prevent the people there from joining the revolution.
It is particularly infuriating to the Western imperialists today that the people of the DPRK are united behind Kim Jong Un and the Workers’ Party of Korea, both of whom represent an unbroken line of leaders committed to the Korean Revolution’s goals of independence, sovereignty and socialist construction.
We demand: U.S. sign a peace treaty with the DPRK and get out of Korea! No to sanctions and military threats! Long live the worldwide struggle of workers and oppressed peoples against racism, class oppression and imperialist war!
Larry Holmes
First Secretary
Workers World Party
