Opinion

Ten years have passed since the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un was elected to the top posts of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the state in the DPRK.

In the period, remarkable changes have taken place and notable successes been achieved in the DPRK, as the Korean proverb says ten years are enough to change mountains and rivers .

On the strength of single-minded unity

A new history of a harmonious whole, single-minded unity, was written in the DPRK in the past decade.

Making selfless, devoted efforts for the good of the people has become a mode of existence and revolutionary trait of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The new Party-building idea and ideal that the WPK should be a genuine party of the people are enshrined in the slogan “Everything for the people and everything by relying on them!”

In 2020 alone many major meetings of the Party took place to take important measures for the people’s lives and safety and a touching story was told that flood victims lived in the office building of a county Party committee and its officials worked in tents. They speak volumes about the WPK’s view on the people that there is no more serious emergency than the pain they suffer and nothing is more important than to relieve them of the miseries. 

As the people-first principle was thoroughly embodied in the whole Party, the WPK was further strengthened and developed into a party that takes responsible care of the destiny of the people and forms a harmonious whole with them. As they realized through real life and experience the original features of the WPK as their genuine motherly Party, the Korean people believed in it as the whole of their destinies and entrusted themselves wholly to it.

In this context noble deeds and admirable traits of helping and leading one another forward were widely performed across the country. The people adopted the collectivist slogan “One for all and all for one!” as their ethics and it became the inherent tendency of society and national trait that all of them share joys and sorrows and encourage each other, and create a beautiful life with love and affection like family members. 

In September 2016 when flash floods unexpectedly hit the northern areas of North Hamgyong Province, the country mobilized and concentrated all human, material and technical potentials on the front for disaster relief to repair the flood damage in a shortest possible time. In 2020 when typhoon and flood inflicted damage on several regions of the country simultaneously, all the people went through the trying ordeals together, speeding up the reconstruction of the afflicted areas.

Socialism victoriously advances in the country on the strength of the concerted efforts of the people united in intention and affection.

Single-minded unity is the irresistible force of Juche Korea, driving force of its leap forward and a weapon of its invincibility.

Along the road of self-existence and prosperity

In the past ten years the hostile forces imposed extreme sanctions on the DPRK to trample on its sovereignty and rights to existence and development. Moreover, the world health crisis has persisted in recent years, compelling its economic sector to experience grave difficulties.

Under the circumstances a breakthrough was made in making independent and self-reliant the metallurgical and chemical industries, the two pillars of its independent economy and marked successes were achieved in various sectors including electric power, coal and machine-building industries and rail transport. Production increased in the leading and basic industry sectors of the national economy and various major construction projects were successfully completed to positively step up the programme for consolidating the foundations of the self-supporting economy. 

Model and standard factories of the knowledge economy era sprang up throughout the country and the DPRK made sci-tech achievements of great significance in economic growth and the improvement of the people’s living standards.

The country’s economic development was directed to providing the people with an affluent and civilized life. With a new history of “gold mountains”, “golden fields” and “gold seas” being created, forests were planted in large areas across the country, the agricultural sector was fired with the enthusiasm for scientific farming and high per-hectare yield for increased grain production and the groundwork was provided for systematically boosting production in the fisheries sector.

Major factories and enterprises in the light industry sector were reconstructed to secure the potentials capable of improving the quality and increasing the production of consumer goods.

In 2021 the national plan in terms of the total annual industrial output value was overfulfilled by 48 percent and the overall fields of the country showed upward trend, with positive changes taking place in succession.

All these achievements are attributable to self-reliance which the Koreans hold as a treasured sword for prosperity.