Pyongyang, December 17 (KCNA) -- Chairman Kim Jong Il is an outstanding leader who performed immortal exploits for the accomplishment of the human cause of independence with his extraordinary ideology and theories and gigantic revolutionary practice.

Kim Jong Il, who cherished independence as his revolutionary faith all his life, made public such works as "On the Juche Idea" and "Independence Is the Lifeblood of the Country and Nation" to provide the ideological and theoretical weapon to be held fast to by the progressive mankind in the era of independence.

In April 1992 the Pyongyang Declaration on defending and advancing the socialist cause was adopted and issued. It was a historic declaration that heralded the fresh start of the world socialist movement advancing under the banner of the Juche idea, the banner of independence.

It is an extraordinary contribution he made to the accomplishment of the cause of global independence that he defended and advanced the country and the revolution, smashing the imperialists' moves to stifle the DPRK with his Songun revolutionary leadership.

He developed the friendly and cooperative relations between countries through the energetic external activities with his high international prestige. And he developed the DPRK-China and the DPRK-Russia friendships onto a new high stage through mutual visits with the top leaders of China and Russia in the new century on the basis of deep trust and good-neighborliness and powerfully promoted the common cause of mankind for independence, peace and prosperity.

In the whole period of his revolutionary leadership, he met a large number of foreign political and social figures and gave them the precious instructions which would serve as the guidelines for strengthening the unity and solidarity of the anti-imperialist independent forces.

The undying exploits of the Chairman, who devoted his noble life to the accomplishment of the human cause of independence, serve as a source of the strength making the progressives aspiring after independence hold higher the banner of socialism against imperialism for their richness, profundity and great influence. -0-