"The Baekdusan Spirit is Unwavering Loyalty to the Leader"
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported on January 22 that a propaganda painting embodying the 'Direct Assault Battle' ideology presented at the 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party was produced. The photo shows the new propaganda painting released on the KCNA website, featuring the red flag of the marching unit emphasizing the 'Baekdu Mountain Spirit.'
North Korea has emphasized the 'Baekdusan Spirit' ahead of the Supreme People's Assembly scheduled for the 10th.
On the 6th, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, published an editorial titled 'Baekdusan Spirit,' stating, "It has been over 120 days since Marshal Kim Jong Un left his immortal footprints on the Baekdusan military march," and added, "The person who holds absolute faith in the leader with their life and who carries the burden and opens breakthroughs in difficult times is the foremost embodiment of the Baekdusan belief."
The newspaper emphasized worship of Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, saying, "The noble Baekdusan Spirit lies precisely in the unyielding single-hearted loyalty that only defends and follows one's own leader."
It further stated, "The noble Baekdusan Spirit, which must be nurtured more closely and thoroughly as one goes farther, and embraced like a pillar of the heart when weary and struggling, lies precisely in the unyielding single-hearted loyalty that only defends and follows one's own leader."
Additionally, the newspaper stressed resistance against external forces called imperialism and encouraged internal unity.
It said, "Though time passes and everything in the world changes, what never changes and rather becomes more vicious is the nature of imperialism as a wolf," emphasizing "only counterattack, attack again and again, breakthrough after breakthrough."
The newspaper warned, "Illusions, compromises, detours, and retreats are already deviations from the revolution, and their repetition gradually leads to the abyss of self-destruction."
It argued, "One must thoroughly wash away weak and wavering hearts, renew the whole mind and body with the red blood of the revolution and indomitable spirit, and be reborn as today's guerrilla fighter in whom Baekdusan water flows abundantly from head to toe, inside and out, and the Baekdu spirit is truly embodied."
The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 27th that deputies of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, who were inspecting the Baekdu area, climbed Baekdu Mountain on the 26th of last month.
Meanwhile, North Korea will hold the 3rd session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly, equivalent to South Korea's regular National Assembly, in Pyongyang this week.
The Supreme People's Assembly is the highest sovereign body under North Korea's constitution, holding regular sessions around April each year to establish basic principles of national policy such as constitutional and legal amendments, appoint key state officials, and approve the budget.
Despite declaring this year as the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party and announcing a new national line of 'economic frontal breakthrough' through self-reliance, North Korea has been facing difficulties due to nationwide lockdowns amid the international spread of COVID-19 since early this year.
In this context, the upcoming Supreme People's Assembly is expected to review last year's economic situation, deliberate and approve this year's budget, and discuss legislative measures or decisions to drive economic growth.
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