They are commonness of blood, language, cultural life and territory.
Leader Kim Jong Il said:
“Nation is a firm collective of people that has been formed socially and historically on the basis of the commonness of blood, language, cultural life and territory.”
Nation is distinguishable from other social collectives for its unique features. The criterion of a nation is the most essential feature to distinguish a nation from other social collectives and at the same time from other nations.
The most important criterion of nation is the commonness of blood. It means the commonness of kinship of the people. Of course blood itself is embodied in the body of the people and transmitted to posterity by heredity. In such a context, blood itself is a biological and natural one. But the commonness of blood as the criterion of a nation is not a pure biological and natural one. The commonness of blood is formed socially and historically. It is made in the historical process of expanding and developing social relations of people more closely in all realms of politics, economy and culture.
Next, the important one is the commonness of language. It means the commonness of speech and letters used by members of a nation.
Without identical language, people can neither live in a community as one nation nor exist and develop as an independent nation. However, using the same language does not mean being the same nation in any case. Many nations over the world use the same language. The same language cannot make a nation if it has different blood.
Next, the important one is the commonness of cultural life. It is the commonness of literature and art, the mode of living and customs of people.
Members of a nation create and enjoy the common cultural life and through it, national culture is established. It does a great action in uniting them into one nation.
The important one is the commonness of territory. It is the commonness of land they live in. The commonness of territory that characterizes the nation is not a pure geographical term. It means the commonness of the living unit divided by a certain territory under the same state sovereignty.
The commonness of territory is the important condition that enables people to form a nation. People united wit
Out of these four features that characterize a nation, the most important ones are the commonness of blood and language. It is because they are more powerful and strong factors in uniting people as one and the same nation.
The commonness of blood and language are the rooted and active source of the national soul, will and sentimental emotion.
