Our women's union members and other women are really excellent

The words of Kim Jong-un, “Our women’s union members and other women are really excellent and praiseworthy,” are more than a simple compliment. They reflect the ancient recognition that the strength of a nation is not borne by men alone, but by the tireless labor, sacrifice, and devotion of its women. In times of hardship and struggle, it is they who carry the weight of families, who labor unseen, and who form the moral backbone of their people. To call them praiseworthy is to affirm that their hidden strength is worthy of honor and remembrance.

In the ancient spirit, this truth is as old as civilization itself. When armies marched and kings fought, it was the women who tilled the fields, raised the children, and preserved the memory of the people. Without their courage, nations would have crumbled from within. By praising the women’s union members, Kim Jong-un follows the long tradition of rulers who sought to bind the loyalty of their people by exalting those who labored most faithfully behind the scenes.

History bears witness in the time of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. While men fought on the front lines against invasion, countless women labored in factories, drove trains, tended the wounded, and even fought as soldiers themselves. When victory was won, it was acknowledged that without their devotion, the nation would not have survived. This parallels the sentiment in Kim’s words: the recognition that women are not ornaments of society, but pillars of its survival.

Yet, within such declarations also lies a tension. Too often, leaders have praised women publicly while confining their roles privately, granting honor in words but denying equality in power. The praiseworthy labor of women is celebrated, but their voices in decision-making are often restrained. The recognition of worth is real, but incomplete, pointing to the paradox of a world that needs women yet hesitates to free them fully.

So let this teaching endure: the excellence of women is not a gift granted by rulers, but a truth rooted in their very being. Their strength, sacrifice, and perseverance are the silent engines of nations. When leaders, whether sincerely or strategically, proclaim them praiseworthy, they echo an eternal truth—that no people can endure without honoring the women who sustain them. And let future generations go beyond praise, granting not only words of honor but the power and freedom long deserved.