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Tumbling seven times, standing up eight.

Seoul, October 2nd, 1951

Jubilant celebrations filled the night of the 1st of October, as party-endorsed drinking, dancing and music erupted from every tavern and inn within war-ravaged Seoul. A joke had been going around most of the month:

"Why are the Americans bombing Seoul?"

"They got lost on their way to Tokyo."

Nevertheless, morale was high throughout September heading into October. The KPA had forced a much-superior enemy force into a tiny pocket around Busan, and talk came of a massive assault preparing. The vast majority of Korea was now under Communist control, and thus the election that took place on October 1st was one marked by general optimism and excitement about the future - even if the threat of the Silver Demons was ever-present.

The elections of October 1st took place throughout over one hundred counties, and thousands of townships, villages and neighborhoods. In the spirit of democracy, over 75,000 village people's committee members, 21,000 township people's committee members and 3,800 county people's committee members were elected throughout the regions under DPRK control.

The elections were not completely well - minor interference against polling places, and enemy propaganda had minor effects in places. Only two incidents of note took place: in Seoul on September 12th, a partisan was lynched by a pro-Communist mob after temporarily escaping pursuit by the Seoul Red Guard. On September 25th, a candidate was shot by partisans near Chuncheon, only surviving with the amputation of her right arm. This individual, Cha Seong-kyeong, went on to win election to the township council of Chuncheon. On October 1st, while standing for election at the polling place, Cha Seong-kyeong was surprised by the presence of the Chairman Kim Il-Sung himself, who presented her with the Order of the National Flag, 3rd Class for her bravery and steadfast example to the people of Korea.

In any event, an organized effort against the election failed to materialize. Democracy flourished in the newly defended regions of the south, as it had existed in the north for the half-decade preceding the ruinous war.

To be continued...