Children on North Korean Stamps - Misused for Personality Cult

After the establishment of the Korean Workers Party, Kim Il Sung enjoyed the support of the occupying Soviet forces (until they withdrew in late 1948), and began playing a leading role in Korean affairs north of the 38th parallel. Under the Communist party and before the establishment of the Democratic Popular Republic of Korea, key political and economic reforms had already been made: elimination of moderate and right-wing elements, subordination of the formal government apparatus to Communist party control, suppression of religious and most other sectarian groups, confiscation of land and wealth formerly belonging to the Japanese or to enemies of the regime, and the initiation of party-directed economic planning and development. Although Kim Il Sung emerged early as the principal leader, others contended for the top position. One of these, Pak Honyong, a Communist from the south, was executed after the Korean War; some believe that Pak was blamed for the loss of the war, the people of South Korea having failed to support the north as Pak had supposedly promised. Kim Tubong and other possible rivals were eliminated by the end of the 1950s, leaving Kim Il Sung in undisputed control. His personal power was buttressed by an extensive personality cult. From Microsoft Encarta 1996.

One example, among many others, of the personality cult of the communist leader, of the misuse of international humanitarian movements and of the deceitful propaganda is the set issued by North Korea in 1979, commemorating "The International Year of the Child". Please consider that the population of North Korea was not less starving of hunger in the late seventies (children and adults alike), then it is starving today in the nineties. The only difference is that at that time, due to the big influence of communism devotee in the free Western countries, it was considered politically incorrect to speak about the fact.

But let us see what is it written on the stamps and on the tabs, this being quite instructive:

5 ch. The fatherly leader Marshal Kim Il Sung, embracing the Children's Corps members in Maanshan in his warm bosom of love. In the early spring in the period of the anti-Japanese armed struggle the respected and beloved father Marshal Kim Il Sung visited the Maanshan Secret Camp and embraced in his bosom of love the Children's Corps Members.
10 ch. The respected and beloved leader Marshal Kim Il Sung giving guidance with a parental love to the study of the Children's Corps members. Even under the difficult conditions of waging the anti-Japanese armed struggle, the great leader Marshal Kim Il Sung set up the Children's Corps Schools in the guerilla bases and visited them often to give guidance to the educational work.
15 ch. The New year gathering. The respected and beloved father Kim Il Sung who provided the children - the future of the revolution - with the greatest happiness and joy in the world enjoys together with them the New Year gathering every year.
20 ch. The father Marshal and children. The respected and beloved father Kim Il Sung is meeting in person with the children of a mountainous village who are joyously playing at soldiers in their fur coats that have been supplied gratis by the state.
30 ch. The father Kim Il Sung. The respected and beloved father Kim Il Sung provided the 11-year compulsory educational system and, visiting in person the fresh children who began to attend the school, inspected their school things.

A sad page of history that isn't closed yet for the poor North Korean people, who's now leader is nobody else than the grandson of Kim Il Sung!

Notice: In 1950 the communist Hungary has issued a set showing children. On one of stamps, showing a pioneer (Scott 899a - quickly replaced as erroneous), one can read: "Our descendants for the future fights."