North Korea’s
Party-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, on Thursday, emphasized the importance of
state-run programs teaching ethics, saying superiority in ideology, beliefs,
and morals is the path to victory for socialism.
Under the headline “Enhancing Teachings on Ethics, Crucial Requirement in Building
Socialist Civilization,” the article read, “Lectures on ethics are an important part of ideological programs,
and they are part of the process of completing the morals of individuals, as
well as building a socialist civilization.”
“Strengthening our teachings on ethics is
essential in transforming all people into independent revolutionaries who
embody moral values,” the paper said, adding, “A refined moral character is a basic token that any independent
revolutionary must carry.”
Also, it said, “Ethics
are principles of our actions and norms that everyone needs to abide by
following their conscience when it comes to interacting with other people,
other groups and societies.” The paper went on to assert that the teachings of ethics are necessary to groom individuals into true revolutionaries who “follow state projects and their lives in accordance to the rules and patterns
of society.”
“The completion of one’s moral qualities does not happen automatically and can only be
achieved through continual cultivation and constant studying,” it emphasized. “We must strengthen
ethics teachings in order for all members of society
to become loyal revolutionaries who are devoted to the Party and Suryeong with
not a speck of doubt and who hold their purest loyalty in the form of beliefs,
devotion, and clean conscience.”
“It is a way to destroy ideological and
cultural invasions from evil imperialists and thoroughly ground our own spirit,” the paper said, stressing the need for enhanced ethics lectures. “Imperialists are in a frenzy trying to topple our republic from the inside out, as we continue to stride forward with our values of socialism.”
“The
more wicked the U.S. and its puppets become in their ideological and cultural
invasion, we also need to stand up against them with our strong wind of ethics,
wiping out all kinds of foreign lifestyles and trends,” it went on.
On page five, the mouthpiece also
published an article on “Self-Discipline and Phone
Manners.” “Phone manners are a simple way to gauge a
person’s degree of cultural values and dignity, and
they are like a mirror that reflects an individual’s
moral ways and personality,” it explained. Manners and ethics were cited as civilized ways to bring about unity
and peace to a group.
North Korea’s
emphasis on ethics teachings is seen as a measure to help stamp out any
fantasies that its residents might have about capitalism and prevent the
weakening of unity and collective spirit.
