Every year the Korean people meaningfully celebrate February 16, the birthday of Kim Jong Il (1942-2011), eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as the Day of the Shining Star.
The Day of the Shining Star was designated in 2012, the year of the 70th anniversary of his birth. Kwangmyongsong (Shining Star) is Kim Jong Il’s childhood nickname.
During the period of the armed struggle to liberate the country from the Japanese military occupation (1905-1945), Kim Jong Il was born in the Paektusan Sacred Camp, a base of the armed struggle, on February 16, 1942. At that time the anti-Japanese guerillas stripped some trees of the bark in the forests and wrote on them such slogans as Heir to General Kim Il Sung was born on Mt Paektu; O Korea and compatriots, we inform you of the birth of the Shining Star of Paektu; and Bright is the future of Korea lit by the Shining Star of Paektu, a great blessing for Korea to be liberated. All the slogans were associated with their expectation and desire that Kim Jong Il would add glory to Korea in future by carrying forward the cause of President Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), the saviour and great sun of the Korean nation.
True to their expectation and desire, Kim Jong Il grew up as the shining star.
From his early days, he had a great ambition to add glory to Korea so that it would become a prosperous people’s country. With such an ambition, he performed exploits noteworthy in history while overseeing the overall affairs of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the state and the army true to the intention of President Kim Il Sung.
His distinguished leadership ability was displayed to the full in the arduous days when the country was undergoing grim trials in the end of the previous century.
At that time the difficulties and trials facing the Korean people were beyond description–demise of President Kim Il Sung, collapse of socialism in the Eastern European countries, intensive isolate-and-stifle schemes by the US and its vassal forces aimed at exterminating socialism, natural calamities that hit the country for several consecutive years and the subsequent difficulties in the economy and severe shortage of food.
At this juncture, Kim Jong Il braved all the difficulties under the uplifted banner of Songun.
He strengthened the national defence capabilities to the maximum by inspecting the units of the Korean People’s Army one after another, and firmly consolidated the foundations of the independent national economy by visiting various sectors.
In those days, the military and technical might of the KPA was strengthened remarkably, and it possessed a powerful war deterrent, smashing the schemes of the hostile forces to stifle the DPRK to pieces. Under his wise leadership, the DPRK overcame the trials in the economy and provided a springboard for building a thriving socialist country; the traditional single-hearted unity of the Korean people was raised to a higher level.
Entering the new century, he energetically conducted external activities, visiting Russia and China several times. This dealt a serious blow to the imperialist forces’ high-handedness and arbitrariness, proving important occasions for putting the world political trend on the trajectory of independence.
Thanks to his Songun-based leadership, the DPRK won one victory after another in the protracted confrontation with the hostile forces, and many countries, which had been hostile to the DPRK, established diplomatic relations with the country one after another.
Kim Jong Il’s distinguished exploit is that he led his country not only to attain the status of a nuclear state but also to make and launch satellites.
His career and exploits will shine forever in the hearts of the Korean people and the world progressive peoples along with the Day of the Shining Star.
Trees bearing the slogans written by the anti-Japanese guerrillas in praise of Kim Jong Il as the Shining Star
