The 13th Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is successfully conducting its work on the basis of the mission and authority granted to it by the Constitution of the Republic and thanks to the active participation and discussion by all the Deputies.
I feel satisfied that our supreme power organ is pushing forward in a responsible and purposeful way with the important state affairs to provide a legal and institutional guarantee for solving urgent problems of great practical significance in further promoting the consolidation and development of the socialist system and the comprehensive prosperity of the state.
Expressing encouragement to the Deputies to the Supreme People’s Assembly, who, as representatives of our people’s independent rights and general will, are infinitely faithful to their duties in their fields of socialist construction and are playing a major role in the legislative activities for the perfection of state policy and government work, and availing myself of this opportunity, when numerous officials of the Party, government and leading organs in national defence and security and socio-economic sectors are present as observers, I would like to emphasize the successes achieved so far this year and a series of important tasks arising in state building and activities in the future.
Comrades,
In 2025, when our Party and the government of the Republic have to round off their work at the present stage, great and important undertakings, which were planned scientifically and more actively for the comprehensive development of the state, have been pushed forward in a powerful and balanced way and meaningful successes achieved so far.
The 13th Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Party to be convened this December will make a general review, but if I have to make a preliminary review at this meeting, I think that the five-year plan, including this year’s plan, will be successfully fulfilled, and I do not doubt that this will be reported to the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
The political enthusiasm of the citizens to glorify the 80th anniversary of the Party with great labour achievements has been fervent since the beginning of the year and has led to an uninterrupted advance and courageous struggle in the second half of the year as well, following the first half.
This convinces us that the five-year plan, set by the Eighth Central Committee of the Party, is sure to be carried out in 2025, an important year that marks the 80th anniversary of our Party, in the run-up to its historic Ninth Congress.
The achievements made in the nine months of this year are great, and the overall mettle and atmosphere are inspiring.
Before anything else, the metallurgical, chemical, electric power, machine-building and other key industries and major economic sectors are carrying out this year’s national economic plan in the main.
Of course, they are not on the level with which we can feel content and satisfied, but it is very good that most enterprises are eager to attain their production targets and are presenting substantial results.
Following last year, the agricultural sector has grown promising crops this year, and it expects to hit the national target of grain production.
The fact that the production and procurement plans of early-ripening crops for this year have been overfulfilled thanks to the devoted efforts of the officials and working people in this sector is something that is unprecedented and has proved in reality the validity and vitality of our Party’s new policy of encouraging wheat farming.
The expected yields of the second crops are good as well, so we have definite prospects for attaining the grain production target envisaged for this year.
As a result of our efforts to increase the rate of mechanization in farm work, it has increased by 2% over the previous year; this further strengthening of the foundations of agricultural production constitutes a great asset for its steadier advance.
It can be said that the deviations of only making empty talks have been eliminated, the seed revolution, double cropping, scientific farming and mechanized farming have become part and parcel of bringing about a substantial transformation in agricultural production, all the people’s enthusiasm for sincerely assisting the farms has soared, and the capability to cope with natural calamities that hampered farming every year has been raised to a certain degree.
It is the construction sector that most clearly and undeniably demonstrates the nation’s progress.
As for industrial construction first, the projects for building bases with a high level of modernization and enormous production capacities in the key industries and light industry sector have been pushed forward through strenuous efforts, and major projects including the first stage of the Tanchon Power Station and the renovation of the Ryongsong Machine Complex expect the day of completion.
On the shore of the Amnok River, which witnessed the removal of flood damage last year and a transformation in the northwestern border area, a large-scale greenhouse farm is presenting its vivid appearance thanks to the vigorous creative struggle of soldier-builders and other young people.
With the gigantic project of building 50 000 flats in the capital city within the five-year plan period being pushed forward more extensively than the original plan, the fourth-stage construction in the Hwasong area is well underway according to the planned procedure, and construction of hundreds of houses in the Komdok area and tens of thousands of houses in different rural communities across the country will be completed within this year.
The Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area was built in a perfect way and people from different parts of the country started enjoying themselves there; the construction of the Samjiyon tourist area has been dynamically pushed forward; the Pyongyang General Hospital is nearing inauguration; and many other structures, which are symbolic of our style of new civilization and showcase our state’s rapid advance, are springing up. These, too, constitute a remarkable success.
With the regional development policy in the new era being pursued in an expansive way, the regional-industry factories, more developed than those built in the first year of enforcement of the policy, are under construction in 20 cities and counties, and another tremendous undertaking for setting up public health facilities and comprehensive cultural service bases, essential for radically improving the quality of life of the regional people, is also going on successfully at a trial stage.
In particular, the Ragwon County Offshore Farm and a modern housing district for its employees, which can be called a substantial target in securing big assets for increasing the development potential of regions and transforming them, have been built in a little over half a year.
Nothing is more encouraging and inspiring than the joy and laughter of the people for the ruling party of a socialist state and its government in convincing themselves of their policies and devoting their all for the people by displaying stronger leadership abilities.
The people are deeply feeling the real change of their own regions as they move into modern houses built by the state and bringing the future goal to the present reality through courageous efforts–this is a great motive force in vividly highlighting the aspirations and development goals of our economy and injecting vitality into our socialist system.
Notable successes have been achieved in the sectors of science, education, public health, arts and sports, making the appearance of development become clear in all the realms of state and social life and giving pleasure and encouragement to the people.
On several occasions including the 80th anniversary of national liberation, 77th anniversary of the Republic and V-Day, our state has demonstrated its dignity and prestige once again and our people renewed their will to keep their self-respect and achieve prosperity by their own efforts.
Our Party and government are also making a steady leap forward in strengthening the defence capabilities of the state.
In accordance with the Party’s line of strengthening the naval forces, we have successfully built destroyers capable of carrying out various naval military missions, thus creating a solid strategic axis for defending our maritime sovereignty and taking a crucial first step in building a marine power. Recently we have set clear targets, ranging from ceaseless strengthening of the strategic forces and the expansion of their capabilities to improvement of the combat performance of conventional military hardware. These constitute a transformation of great significance.
Besides, we have possessed new, secret weapons, and made many achievements in defence science, which would make a great contribution to boosting our military forces more radically.
We have demonstrated how great and precious the assets of the state and the wealth of the people created over the nine months of this year are and how wide our fighting scope for confidently stepping up the remarkable progress of socialism is.
To lay the foundations for achieving prosperity by dint of self-reliance had been included in the long-term plan at the First Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly held six years previously; now these foundations have been built up definitely in all realms, and the comprehensive development of socialist construction, which had been regarded as an ideal in those days, has already entered a solid phase.
Now, it has become an established theory that no one or no adversity can obstruct or delay our state and people in their onward march to increase their own strength and progress in their own way along the road for their development.
Neither the wicked obstructive moves by outside forces nor the unprecedented public health crisis and natural disasters could undermine our strength and unity.
All these are attributable to the fact that the entire Party, the whole country and all the people, by upholding the decisions of the Eighth Congress of the Party as their invincible struggle programme, have made strenuous efforts to achieve a leap forward by displaying unprecedented perseverance and practical ability year after year, dauntlessly overcoming severe challenges and difficulties.
In the course of this, our will and self-confidence to staunchly advance our cause and open up our future have become stronger, and the role of all the people and their power of advance have gained further momentum.
All the people in the country are witnessing radical transformations where they live, and they are being united more closely with a high sense of pride in their country and devotion for its sake.
I am proud of the fact that the people’s pride in and love for their country have never been so great as today in the history of the Republic spanning nearly eight decades.
For us, the economic growth and the increased military strength are of weighty significance, yet what is more important and powerful is the spiritual strength of the people, the motive force, and the preparedness of the politico-ideological force.
Our Party and the government of the Republic identify reserves and potentials first in ideological factors rather than in economic levers, and they solve all problems by dint of ideology and political offensive; thanks to such leadership mode, the flames of an emulation drive for increased production and practising economy, which were kindled by the workers of the Sangwon Cement Complex, have swept the whole country with revolutionary enthusiasm and fighting zeal. Encouraged by the heroic spirit of the martyrs of the overseas operations units who sacrificed their lives in defence of the honour and dignity of the country, the patriotic enthusiasm and mass heroism are mounting further among the people across the country.
For the future victory, success and development, this is more precious and powerful than anything else.
Availing myself of this opportunity, I would like to extend my warm, sincere gratitude to all the citizens of the Republic who have always rendered absolute support to the policies of the Party and the government and upheld them through a vigorous struggle and brilliant achievements of creation.
Dear Deputies,
We are working hard to develop our Republic into a powerful country that no one would dare to provoke and an ideal society for the people by boosting the soaring spirit of advance with which we have brought about unprecedented changes in all the realms of state and social life since the founding of the country and thus successfully carrying out the heavy tasks of the times and the revolutionary duty. This is the real aim of our struggle, and we are full of self-confidence.
At the present moment, when the struggle to bring about the comprehensive prosperity of the state has entered a period of unprecedented upsurge, our Party and people expect a more correct and proactive role from the government of the Republic.
The government should adhere to the principle of strengthening the people-oriented character in its activities and giving full play to the unity and creativity peculiar to our people.
Revealed in a number of units are such deviations as paying little attention to the working and living conditions for the working people and leaning towards implementing production plans or construction tasks.
We should not tarnish the original features of man-centred socialism in any circumstances, but place man above production and solve one by one the elementary problems arising in promoting the health and convenience of producers.
