Down-with-Imperialism Union
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The Down-with-Imperialism Union (DIU; ) was allegedly founded on 17 October 1926 in Hwatian County, Kirin,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, in order to fight against
Japanese imperialism The territorial conquests of the Empire of Japan in the Western Pacific Ocean and East Asia began in 1895 with its victory over Qing China in the First Sino-Japanese War. Subsequent victories over the Russian Empire (Russo-Japanese War) and the ...
and to promote
Marxism–Leninism Marxism–Leninism () is a communist ideology that became the largest faction of the History of communism, communist movement in the world in the years following the October Revolution. It was the predominant ideology of most communist gov ...
. It is considered by the
Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also called the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), is the sole ruling party of North Korea. Founded in 1949 from a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, the WPK is ...
to be its root and foundation and its creation is celebrated every year.


History

North Korean or sympathetic sources claim that the organization was founded and led by
Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...
, who would have been fourteen years old at the time. However, most scholarly sources identify Ri Chongrak, a radical militant, as the founder of the Down with Imperialism Union also known as Down with Imperialism Alliance. In 2016, in particular, the DIU received special attention, especially on 18–19 October. This included dramas, singing of songs in a
Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...
plaza, "dancing parties" of students and youth, and wreaths laid at the graves of
revolutionary martyr A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...
s to commemorate the founding of the revolutionary organisation, saying that it was the origin of the ideas of ''
Juche ''Juche'', officially the ''Juche'' idea, is a component of Ideology of the Workers' Party of Korea#Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism, Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism, the state ideology of North Korea and the official ideology of the Workers' Party o ...
''. Additionally, commemorative stamps were released, a national meeting was held at the
People's Palace of Culture The People's Palace of Culture () is a palace and theater located in Pyongyang, North Korea. Construction for the building finished in January 1974 and was opened to the public in April 1974. South Korean President Kim Dae-jung was given a wel ...
attended by "senior party, state and army officials... labour innovators and bereaved families of the revolutionary martyrs," a national art exhibition opened at the Korean Art Gallery, and members (and workers within) the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea commemorated the occasion. A poster was even issued by
Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also called the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), is the sole ruling party of North Korea. Founded in 1949 from a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, the WPK is ...
to "mark the 90th anniversary of the formation of the Down-with-Imperialism Union (DIU)." According to the North Korean newspaper ''
Rodong Sinmun ''Rodong Sinmun'' (; ) is a North Korean official newspaper of record of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. It was first published on 1 November 1945, as ''Chŏngro'' (), serving as a communication channel for the North ...
'', in 2016, many people such as the chairperson of People Unity-"Kyrgyz El" Republican Political Party in
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...
, the secretary general of
Bangladesh Jatiya Party The Bangladesh Jatiya Party (), simply known as BJP, is a centre-right conservative political party in Bangladesh. It is a splinter group of the original Jatiya Party, founded by the former President Hossain Mohammad Ershad. It was previousl ...
, the chairperson of the Juche Idea Study Society in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, the chairperson for the Juche Philosophy Study Committee in India, high-ranking individuals in the Pakistan-Korea Friendship Association, the National Committee for the Study of the Juche Idea of the
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all praised the developments of the
Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also called the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), is the sole ruling party of North Korea. Founded in 1949 from a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, the WPK is ...
and celebrated the DIU's anniversary''.''


Claimed ''Juche'' connection

On 17 October 1982,
Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Il (born Yuri Kim; 16 February 1941 or 1942 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader of North Korea from Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung, the de ...
honoured the DIU with a speech. In the speech he said that its formation meant that the Korean people had "embarked on a new road of development and our Party orkers' Party of Koreabegan to strike its glorious roots." He went on to explain the accomplishments of his party in defending the country from the
American imperialism U.S. imperialism or American imperialism is the expansion of political, economic, cultural, media, and military influence beyond the boundaries of the United States. Depending on the commentator, it may include imperialism through outright mi ...
and claimed that it had promoted the idea of ''
Juche ''Juche'', officially the ''Juche'' idea, is a component of Ideology of the Workers' Party of Korea#Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism, Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism, the state ideology of North Korea and the official ideology of the Workers' Party o ...
'', which, in reality, was first expressed in 1955 at the earliest in
Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...
's speech entitled ''
On Eliminating Dogmatism and Formalism and Establishing Juche in Ideological Work ''On Eliminating Dogmatism and Formalism and Establishing Juche in Ideological Work'', also known as the "''Juche'' speech", was a speech delivered on 28 December 1955 by Kim Il Sung. The address mentioned his ''Juche'' ideology by name for the ...
''. He also said that Kim Il Sung began the DIU with a programme to engage in "anti-Japanese national-liberation struggle relying on the masses", that its formation was the "fresh start for the Korean communist movement and the Korean revolution... the beginning of the struggle to found a new type of party," and added that "The Korean communist movement... pioneered the revolutionary road under the banner of the DIU."


Doubts on its existence

The story of Down-with-Imperialism Union first appears in North Korean literature in ' 'Sun of the People, General Kim Il Sung''by North Korean author
Baik Bong Baik Bong () is a North Korean author known for writing the official biography of Kim Il Sung. Biography of Kim Il Sung The first comprehensive biography of Kim Il Sung was published in Korean in North Korea in 1968. It was called ''Minjogŭi t ...
. 10 years later in 1978, in the ''Complete History of Korea'' (), the story has been lengthened with its meaning evaluated to the point of "the turning point of modern history of the Korean nation", however, no mention of such incident of such significance is found in any literature before 1968. It is suspected that the real owner for such anti-Japanese activities was the Gilheuk Peasant Union () in Manchuria led by which participated in anti-imperialist activities and thus, was named the "Down with Imperialism Union()".


Commemorative coins

In 1996 and 2016 the Central Bank of DPRK issued commemorative coins commemorating the 70th and 90th anniversaries of the Formation of the DIU.


References


External links


Kim Il Sung's own account of the Down-With-Imperialism UnionThe 80th Anniversary of Formation of the Down-with-Imperialism Union
{{Kim Il Sung Communism in Korea History of the Workers' Party of Korea 1926 establishments in China Kim Il Sung Korean independence movement organizations