Thousands of mourners gathered in Pyongyang at a national memorial service for Kim Jong-il on Thursday. His death has left the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), more commonly known as North Korea, in shock and a state of sadness. It is unfortunate to see that the western press is busy in its propaganda and vilifying the late Kim Jong-il. When the western media and governments paint Kim Jong-il as a madman, they never give ‘credit’ to their own activities that led to reactive tendencies in the DPRK. This is reminiscent of how the Soviet Union and China were demonised in the Communist era. In the words of Chairman Mao, “A revolution is not a dinner party…A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.” Since DPRK’s leader, Kim Il-sung, was a communist and close to the Chinese communists, his country also came under attack during the Cold War because after the end of World War II, the west realised Communism was a powerful ideology and the greatest challenge to capitalism and imperialism. The reason why the DPRK is abhorred in the west goes back to the Korean War of 1950-53, which ended in an armistice leading to the division of the Korean Peninsula. The armistice may have brought an end to a UN-sanctioned invasion (shades of Libya can be seen here) but the situation soon evolved into a no war/no peace standoff that persists to this day. There is still great tension within the region and occasional outbreaks of violence take place. The DPRK was isolated and has constantly been under siege. As a deterrent to the long drawn confrontation with the US and its allies, they developed nuclear weapons since they are considered the currency of power and a deterrent. The North Koreans went that route because they felt threatened but there was a lot of hardship to follow, which the people and the rulers equally shared, unlike in capitalist societies where only the elite gain wealth in good times and the poor are hit the hardest in difficult times. Now Mr Jong-il’s son, Kim Jong Un has taken over. By any principle, communist or other, a dynastic setup is not desirable. But it is for the Koreans to decide whether they approve of it or not. One thing is clear though. The west’s hope that the new leader will go the China way and break with communism is unfounded. These hopes will not be fulfilled any time in the near future. Any move to ‘rescue’ DPRK from communism and bring it back to the capitalist fold should be abandoned. The government and military of DPRK are on the same page. What is needed is the settlement of the Korean problem once and for all by the reunification of both North and South Korea. It is a lingering, emotional issue for the people on both sides. Divided families have had a hard time ever since the Korean War. It is important for normalisation of relations that a peaceful reunification takes place in the Korean Peninsula. The west should stop interfering in other countries and let the people decide for themselves what they want. *