The noble idea and mature leadership ability of the great Workers' Party of Korea, which is determined to bring earlier the final completion of the sacred revolutionary cause of Juche under the uplifted banner of the people-first principle, are bringing a great change and vigorous leap forward in all fields of state building, making each year of this land a brilliant peak of success and victory in the history.
The Party Central Committee solemnly declared in front of the glorious Party flag the commitment to repay with absolute devotion the heavy responsibility assigned by the times and the people at the start of 2024 when the victory in the implementation of the five-year plan would be confirmed. It turned this year into a year of change and leap forward full of expanded successes despite the severe ordeals, with clear-cut fighting policies, strategic decisions and power of perfect execution.
This year made the people actually sense the advent of a new heyday of socialist construction and the important change of the comprehensive development and rejuvenation both in the capital and the provinces. These glorious achievements serve as an inspiring cornerstone for the brilliant implementation of the fighting programme of the Eighth Congress of the Party and the victory to be achieved steadily.
While going through the innumerable challenges and the processes of fresh innovations, bold creation and steady progress with indomitable and persistent struggles and efforts, people have kept in their minds more deeply the unshakable faith and dignified self-confidence that our Party and system are the best in the world and an absolute trust and conviction that today's happiness and future glory are achieved and guaranteed only in the embrace of the Party.
Members of the whole Party and other people and service personnel of the whole country, who are clearly foreseeing the successful fruition of their cause and ideal, are eager for a dynamic advance and development toward a greater victory as they harden their confidence in and optimism about the invincibility and bright prospects of Korean-style socialism dynamically advancing along the road of independence in politics, self-sufficiency in the economy and self-reliance in national defence under the guidance of the great Party Central Committee.
The Enlarged Meeting of the Eleventh Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was held at the headquarters of the Party Central Committee, the General Staff of the revolution, from December 23 to 27 to review the remarkable achievements made in 2024 by dint of the irresistible might peculiar to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and its people, which is stronger than trials and challenges, and to decide on the development orientation of the Party and state affairs and policies for them in 2025, which will constitute another watershed in the history of the growth and development of our Party and the Republic.
Kim Jong Un , General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, attended the plenary meeting.
When the General Secretary took the platform, all the participants broke into cheers forKim Jong Un , the great representative of the Party, the state and the people and the prominent leader of the Juche revolution, who is ushering in a new era of the most just and dignified prosperity with his extraordinary political acumen and gigantic leadership practice.
Present there were members and alternate members of the Central Committee of the WPK and, as observers, officials of the departments of the Party Central Committee, leading officials of ministries, national agencies and provincial leadership bodies, chief secretaries of the Party committees and chairpersons of the people's committees in cities and counties, leading officials of the Party and administrative bodies of major industrial establishments and the relevant commanding officers of the Korean People's Army.
Kim Jong Un presided over the plenary meeting.
The General Secretary said that this year, too, significant events of opening up a new turning phase were brought about in the political, economic, cultural, defence, diplomatic and all other fields as in last year, and this is an indispensable and remarkable success in the advance of the Korean revolution.
He stressed that at this place of reviewing the results of the struggle for a year, it is the right and revolutionary attitude for the Party Central Committee to find out more defects, though they may be trifling and partial things, rather than successes and to find solutions to them.
Referring to the need for the plenary meeting to take positive measures to overcome the negative elements hindering the normal development of the state and work out a substantial plan for the struggle to successfully implement the decisions of the Party Congress in 2025, the final year of the eighth term of the Party Central Committee, he declared the plenary meeting open.
A presidium composed of the members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau and members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK was elected.
The following agenda items were brought up at the meeting:
1. On the Review of the Implementation of the Policies of the Party and the State in 2024 and the Orientation of Struggle in 2025
2. On the Work of the Central Inspection Commission of the Party in 2024
3. On the New Regional Development Policy of Our Party and Its Future Tasks
4. On the Enforcement of a Series of Measures for Strengthening the Educational Foundations of the Country
5. On the Implementation of the State Budget for 2024 and the Draft State Budget for 2025
6. On the Work for the Inner-Party Structure
7. Organizational Matter
The plenary meeting unanimously approved the proposed agenda items.
The plenary meeting discussed the first agenda item "On the Review of the Implementation of the Policies of the Party and the State in 2024 and the Orientation of Struggle in 2025".
The participants heard a report.
The report referred in detail to the achievements made through a dynamic struggle for implementing the important tasks set forth at the ninth and tenth plenary meetings of the Eighth Central Committee of the Party, the 19th and 22nd enlarged meetings of the Political Bureau of the Eighth Central Committee of the Party and other important Party meetings, and to the shortcomings revealed in the course of the work.
General SecretaryKim Jong Un made a concluding speech on the first agenda item.
He gave an assessment by the Party Central Committee of the implementation of the policies of the Party and state in 2024, recorded as a year of fortitude and transformation for the Party and the people of the DPRK, and made a review of the major successes achieved this year.
This year, too, we have channelled continuous efforts into the development of the political and military fields, further raising the absolute prestige of the country and firmly guaranteeing the defence of its sovereignty and development of socialism.
An all-Party campaign has been intensified to develop the patriotic enthusiasm of all the people based on the single-minded unity unique to us into creating the Chollima spirit in the new era, and this process resulted in further increasing the politico-ideological might, with which we are working miracles by braving any difficulties.
This year another unprecedented record was made in our Party’s history of people-first politics.
When flood disaster occurred in some areas this year, the WPK launched a huge restoration project with its timely decision and, at the same time, put into operation an emergency system for bringing the flood victims to the capital city of Pyongyang to provide them with stable and convenient living conditions and giving education to the schoolchildren.
This important measure was an expression of the sincerity and devotion of the Party, which is faithful to its natural mission of serving the people and desirous of providing those in misfortune with more things than they have lost, as well as an expression of its policy of giving precedence to the training of the younger generation above all state affairs. It has resulted in further deepening the ties of kinship between the Party and the people and consolidating the support and trust of the masses in the Party’s policies.
Kim Jong Un referred to the epochal successes made in building up the powerful self-reliant defence capability, a fundamental guarantee for defending the people and the national sovereignty.
The concluding speech stressed that the field of defence science and munitions industry of the country has played a great role in accomplishing the cause of building a powerful army, like firmly defending peace and stability with the overwhelming increase of combat strength while maintaining a resolute, tough posture of counteraction against the extremely worsening security environment in the region; and demonstrating to the world the entity of our new strategic deterrence and the infinite development potential and modernity of the defence science and technology, whose international position cannot be slighted.
The concluding speech noted that the overall national economy showed a firm growth trend and brought about substantial results directly related to the people’s well-being.
The 12 major goals of the national economic development including housing construction were successfully carried out; the production plans were carried out at 127 percent for rolled steel, 106 percent for nonferrous metals, 103 percent for nitrogenous fertilizer, 101 percent for electricity, 110 percent for coal, 101 percent for cement, 104 percent for timber, 101 percent for aquatic products, 108 percent for rail freight turnover, 101 percent for cloth and 107 percent for grain. The readjusting and reinforcing projects including the second-stage project for modernizing the Kumsong Tractor Factory and the installing of energy-saving oxygen blast furnace at the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex were successfully pushed forward, further strengthening the development motive force and potential of the self-supporting economy.
The agricultural sector reaped a bumper harvest again by actively introducing scientific farming methods and implemented the second-stage project for construction and restoration of the irrigation system by April, further consolidating the material foundations of its production.
The construction sector built again 10,000 flats of more refined and developed architectural beauty in the Hwasong area in the capital city, implemented the housing construction plan for this year in the Komdok area and completed the construction of modern rural villages in many cities and counties, bringing great pleasure and joy to the people across the country.
The large-scale rehabilitation projects were carried out in the flood-stricken North Phyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces, presenting new, transformed looks of cultured country towns. As a result, a new path for regional construction was opened up, the inexhaustible might of self-sustenance was demonstrated, and Party members, youth and service personnel were tempered in the patriotic and practical struggle.
The concluding speech noted that the scientific and cultural fields achieved successes that contributed to promoting the all-people creative struggle and the national prosperity and development and raising the country’s prestige.
The core, main tasks for developing science and technology were carried out, a stride was made in resolving the sci-tech problems urgently needed for increasing production in key industries and other economic sectors including light industry and agriculture and for improving the people’s living standards, and positive efforts were made to bring about innovations in the fields of education, public health, literature and the arts.
Our women footballers won in the Asian Cup and World Cup finals and won the Asian and world championships in various sports events including weightlifting, table tennis, boxing and Taekwon-Do. This is a success noteworthy in the review of this year.
Kim Jong Un said with pride that our Party, having identified the Regional Development 20×10 Policy for a simultaneous and balanced development of the regions and the substantial improvement of the living standards of the people across the country, and presented its first perfect fruit, instilling hope and courage into the people of the whole country and doubling their creative enthusiasm and self-confidence.
On behalf of the Party Central Committee, he extended warm thanks to the Party members, working people, service personnel and youth across the country for having resolutely overcome the facing challenges and difficulties and faithfully implemented the Party’s decisions and thus filled this year, decisive of carrying out the five-year plan, with significant creative and innovative successes of strenuous efforts and patriotic devotion, remaining faithful to the ideas and leadership of the Party Central Committee with one mind.
The concluding speech pointed out a series of deviations and shortcomings hindering our advance and development, including the poor national disaster prevention capability and the failure to carry out construction on a scientific basis.
Kim Jong Un set it as the general orientation of the work for 2025 to successfully complete the five-year plan and push forward with the preparations for the next stage of development in a substantial way, and clarified the policy-oriented tasks for its implementation.
He said that the main efforts should be directed to putting spurs to the growth and development of the overall national economy, indicating the goals to be attained by the key industrial sectors including metal, chemical, electric-power, machine-building and coal-mining industries and rail transport.
The concluding speech stressed the need to wage a massive construction struggle in the new year, too, and, through this, make another leap forward to realize our ideals.
In 2025, building 50,000 flats in Pyongyang should be wound up through the fourth-stage housing construction in the Hwasong area, the construction of houses in the Komdok area completed, and housing construction in the rural communities pushed ahead without letup. In particular, efforts should be channelled into the construction of industrial and public facilities to accelerate the great cause of regional rejuvenation, and, on the basis of the experience gained in the construction of the Sinpho City Offshore Farm, an offshore farm should be successfully built in another area on a trial basis.
The concluding speech underscored the need to improve afforestation, land administration and ecological environment protection, establish a strict and unified command system and order related to disaster prevention by the state, make full preparations for coping with the danger of disaster including securing rescue equipment and relief materials and ensure the scientific accuracy, correctness and promptness of flood warning so as to minimize disaster.
It also stressed the need to successfully attain the expected economic growth goals by channeling efforts into resolving urgent methodological problems, like improving the system and method of unified management of the overall economy, planning and pricing in conformity with the economic structure and specific conditions of the country.
Noting that it is the main task set forth by the Eighth Party Congress to bring about a substantial change in the people’s living,Kim Jong Un stressed the need to push forward more vigorously with the major policy-oriented tasks which had been set up and carried on for the people’s living and thus achieve more remarkable successes next year.
The task facing the agricultural sector in 2025 is to attain the goal of grain production set by the Party and lay the foundations for decisively increasing agricultural production during the new long-term plan period.
The concluding speech referred to the measures for putting the country’s agricultural production on a stable and sustainable track of development, including strengthening the material and technical foundations of the agricultural sector, attaching importance to scientific farming, training in a systematic way and in a large number the ranks of talents who will shoulder the implementation of the rural revolution programme in the new era and transformation of the socialist countryside.
It stressed that the light industry sector should raise the improvement of quality as the primary task and direct efforts to improving the quality of condiments and consumer goods and the socialist policy for the children and students should be implemented in a responsible manner. It also indicated the practical ways for strengthening the material foundations of the fishing sector.
It put forward the enhancement of the role of the scientific and cultural fronts as an important task in the new year’s advance to conclude the first-phase struggle for pioneering and transformation for the comprehensive socialist development.
The scientific circles should turn out as one to achieve successful results to fully support the victory of the final offensive for implementing the decisions of the Eighth Congress of the Party and lead it to a new stage of development.
The public health sector should steadily bring the preventive and curative treatment closer to reality, improve the quality of medical service for the working people, and lay solid foundations for anti-epidemic work to cope with any global public health crisis.
The concluding speech stressed the need for the fields of art and literature, media and sports to stir the times, shake the whole country and give a boost to its revolutionary spirit through the creation of excellent works of art and literature, powerful media offensive and successes in sports.
Noting that the working people’s organizations are the forces that should move vigorously in next year’s struggle, when a landmark for great victory and change will be set up in the history of the development of our Party and country,Kim Jong Un stressed that the youth league organizations in particular should regard the purport and intention of the Party’s policy of prioritizing the youth as their lifeline and prepare the youth league officials and members as true successors to the revolution.
He gave an outline of the remarkable successes achieved this year in enhancing the international position of our state and consolidating its external position and of the features of the present international situation, in which the growth and rapid progress of the circles of the independent forces are conspicuous and the position of the circles of supremacy-seeking forces is rapidly weakening and declining.
Our Republic reliably defended its inviolable sovereign rights and achieved successes of strategic significance from the viewpoint of prospective growth of the interests and enhancing the prestige of the state while responding promptly and smartly to the harsh regional situation and the unsteady structure of the international relations, and firmly maintained its principled foreign policy stand and orientation of struggle. In this way, it has firmly occupied the international position as a representative and powerful independent force that dynamically pushes forward the building of a righteous multi-polar world.
The concluding speech put forward the strategic and tactical tasks for bringing about a more favourable external phase for the Korean revolution through proactive and offensive external activities in line with the Party’s external strategic plan and intentions.
The United States is the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy, the alliance between the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea has expanded into a nuclear military bloc for aggression, and the ROK has turned into an out-and-out anti-communist outpost of the United States. This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how.
The concluding speech clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-US counteraction to be launched aggressively by the DPRK for its long-term national interests and security.
It indicated the tasks for the field of external affairs to wage a dynamic struggle for defending the national sovereign rights on the principle of enhancing the prestige and defending the interests of the state and to positively promote the development of relations with the friendly countries that respect the dignity and interests of the DPRK.
Kim Jong Un pointed to the special importance to thoroughly prepare the People’s Army as a revolutionary army of the Party, boundlessly loyal to its leadership and strong in ideology and technology.
Holding fast to strengthening its politico-ideological might as its primary strategic task for building itself up, the KPA should develop itself into a revolutionary army that always emerges victorious by dint of ideology, train all its service personnel to be genuine patriots, most powerful in their spiritual strength, and in particular, dynamically conduct the ideological work aimed at fully equipping them with keen awareness of the enemy, an immutable outlook on the archenemy and firm will to fight a decisive battle with them.
In order to meet the demands and features of modern warfare and cope with the ever-changing enemy’s war scenario and execution mode, it should enhance its capabilities for fighting a war by intensifying research into our own style of tactics, giving an uninterrupted spur to the work of putting its operations command on an IT and modern basis and steadily studying and applying scientific forms and methods of training.
We should also push ahead with fully preparing the civil defence sector for a war.
Kim Jong Un clarified the strategic and tactical policies for more reliably guaranteeing the bolstering of war deterrence for self-defence through accelerated progress of defence science and technology and radical development of the defence industry to cope with the ever-increasing military provocations of the United States and its vassal forces against the DPRK, and set forth the tasks for their implementation.
Saying that next year’s struggle for successfully carrying out the decisions of the Eighth Congress of the WPK requires the Party organizations, the political staff of relevant sectors and units, to enhance their functions and activities more than ever before, he stressed that all Party organizations should dynamically conduct their organizational and political work to attain their struggle goals without fail by making sound preparations and redoubled efforts.
In particular, all Party officials should bear in mind once again the true meaning of the slogan "Everything for the people and everything by relying on them!" and devote their all to the work for the people, as intended by the Party Central Committee, he said, adding: The unprecedentedly harsh situation will persist in the future, too, but the invaluable experience and lessons, gained and drawn in this year’s intensive struggle for ushering in a new era of transformation unprecedented since the founding of the nation, and our confidence and internal force that have grown a hundredfold will surely encourage us to attain with credit the goals we have set.
He then ardently called on all the participants to remain true to their heavy duty and responsibility they have assumed for the times and revolution and the country and people, and wage a bolder struggle with higher confidence in the vanguard of the general offensive for a great victory and glory in 2025.
Raising cheers of "Hurrah!" and applause, all the participants expressed their full support to the General Secretary’s concluding speech that clearly specified the struggle tasks and ways for bringing the glory of 2024, achieved by self-reliance, based on the firm unity of all Party members and other people across the country under the banner of patriotism, to continuous development and successes in 2025, and dramatically accelerating the historic advance toward national rejuvenation.
The historic concluding speech ofKim Jong Un is a great action programme that makes it possible to scientifically guarantee the perfect attainment of the sacred fighting goal of the Party, which started a grand journey for the overall development of socialism based on the noble ideas of "The people are God", single-minded unity and self-reliance, and to expand it massively and steadily.
The plenary meeting discussed the second agenda item "On the Work of the Central Inspection Commission of the Party in 2024".
A report on the relevant agenda item was made.
It referred to the successes made in the work for implementing the line of building the Party discipline in the new era and for providing Party work and activities with a financial and material guarantee and strictly pointed to the deviations revealed by the Party inspection commissions at all levels.
The plenary meeting made a relevant evaluation of the work of the Central Inspection Commission of the Party in 2024.
It discussed the third agenda item "On the New Regional Development Policy of Our Party and Its Future Tasks".
Kim Jong Un said that the Regional Development 20×10 Policy, which our Party regards as a crucial political issue and the supreme task for fulfilling its cherished desire and is dynamically pushing forward as the top priority revolutionary task, is an eventful decision and unprecedentedly huge creative struggle, the first of its kind since the founding of the Party and the state, which is aimed at providing the people across the country with a new, affluent and civilized life in a matter of ten years and rapidly raising the level of development in all regions.
Despite the grave challenges and difficulties blocking our advance and the uphill tasks to be pushed forward and fulfilled in the remaining period of the implementation of the five-year plan, the medium- and long-term tasks for the regional transformation, which has only been an ideal for nearly 80 years, were made a policy and entered the full-scale stage of implementation without delay. This is a great revolution that creates a new history.
Saying that not minor consideration, courage and struggle were required to confirm such a great transformative line, the action programme for regional development, and translate it into an impeccable entity, the General Secretary stated that to develop all the regions of the country simultaneously and in a balanced way is an important strategic task for building Korean-style socialism oriented towards overall development and, at the same time, an urgent political task for more thoroughly applying and giving full play to the people-first principle, the basic political idea of the Party and the government.
He referred to the fact that the 19th enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held in January this year established the Regional Development 20×10 Policy for boosting the elementary material and cultural living standard of the people across the country a level higher with ten years as a term by building modern regional-industry factories in 20 cities and counties in succession every year, with the Party and the government taking full responsibility, and took concrete measures for its implementation.
The soldier-builders, who are standing at the vanguard of implementing the regional development policy, directed every effort to ensuring perfect quality of construction with an extraordinary sense of responsibility and conscience, for the sake of the dignity of the Party and on the honour of the army. As a result, they built new factories, the first creations in the efforts for regional rejuvenation, commensurate with the idea, national power and the level of civilization of our times. And workers, scientists and technicians in various fields in charge of the supply of materials and equipment and technology, including the machine-building and building-materials industries, also achieved precious successes in the fulfilment of their production tasks and research and development by displaying dogged perseverance and creativity.
Meanwhile, a modern offshore farm, a new model of offshore farming, was built in the city of Sinpho on the east coast, accelerating the work in every way for creating excellent experience for the coastal cities and counties to live on with their own efforts and for actively promoting and spurring the distinctive development and growth of the regional economy.
Noting that the first creations in the efforts for implementing the regional development policy are, indeed, the fruition of our honourable and worthwhile struggle and proof of our most valuable and proud prosperity, the General Secretary said with pride that although the Party and the government have shouldered double workloads and heavier burdens, our struggle for the promotion of the people's well-being has remarkably intensified and expanded and socialist construction has entered a new phase of epochal advance.
Referring to the intention of the Party Central Committee to additionally build public health facilities, cultural complexes and grain management facilities in the cities and counties across the country, considering that the construction of some regional-industry factories in each city and county is not enough to completely eliminate the centuries-old backwardness remaining in local areas and put them on a sustainable development track, he gave an overview of the significance of the construction of the three essential projects and the specific orientation of construction.
He said that only when the aforesaid construction projects are completed correctly and in a practicable way so that they can be operated smoothly at the present stage can we surely provide a firm basis for regional development and open up a dynamic phase in which cities and counties can simultaneously undergo a change and rejuvenation, and proposed to the plenary meeting that the Party's new regional development policy formally include the construction of advanced public health facilities, scientific, educational and leisure facilities and grain management facilities in parallel with that of regional-industry factories.
Speeches were made on the third agenda item.
Jo Yong Won, Secretary of the WPK Central Committee, Jong Kyong Thaek, Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army, and Ri Jong Nam, Chief secretary of the South Hamgyong Provincial Committee of the WPK, made speeches and senior officials in various sectors presented written speeches.
They expressed absolute support to and approval for the great programme for regional development that clearly indicates the special and practical measures for putting an end to the centuries-old backwardness of the regions and accelerating the historic cause of their rejuvenation.
They stressed that the Party’s new regional development policy on building advanced health facilities, cultural complexes and integrated grain management facilities essential to regional development in parallel with the construction of regional-industry factories is an important state affair and historic cause that can be settled only by the General Secretary, who regards the pains taken for the people as his duty and shoulders all that are for promoting their wellbeing.
They made a firm determination to fulfill their responsibility and mission as the leading personnel of the revolution, who are to vigorously lead the gigantic struggle for transforming the regions in a multi-stage, three-dimensional and offensive way, true to the noble intention of the Party Central Committee with single-minded efforts, and thus fully guarantee the perfect implementation of the regional development policy in the new era.
The plenary meeting discussed the fourth agenda item "On the Enforcement of a Series of Measures for Strengthening the Educational Foundations of the Country".
A report on the relevant agenda item was made.
The reporter said: In August last the General Secretary took a special measure of bringing all the schoolchildren in the flood-hit areas to Pyongyang for their studying, and visited the classrooms laid out temporarily at the April 25 Hostel to acquaint himself with the teaching preparations for a new term, saying that the educational work is the primary state affair which can never be given up even if the sky may fall in. His noble intention on the rising generation reminds us once again of what attitude and stand we should take on the issue of the education of students and the provision of educational conditions for them.
Stressing that the urgent issue for glorifying our country as a talent power and a socialist educational power at present is to further strengthen the overall educational foundations as required by the times, the reporter presented to the plenary meeting the problems to be tackled by the state.
Kim Jong Un made a concluding speech on the fourth agenda item.
Noting that education is the first state affair that should be given priority and that demands tremendous effort at any time and at any stage and the most important sector that has to make steady progress, he referred to the precedence, necessity and significance of its development.
He said that, according to the tasks set forth at the sixth and eighth plenary meetings of the Eighth Party Central Committee, practical measures have been taken to readjust the educational structure of the country for giving advanced education and improve the contents and methods of education more reasonably, and the socialist policy for the students is being consistently carried on together with the work of training reserve teachers on a long-term basis. Despite the proud qualitative changes brought about in this sector in recent years, the overall educational foundations are yet to respond to the requirements of the times and the revolution, he pointed out, and made a strict analysis of the present situation in the educational sector and indicated the immediate, medium- and long-range tasks to be fulfilled through the investment of the national efforts on the responsibility of the Party and the government in order to consolidate the foundations of education, saying: Now that we have set an aim of building a state which gives the most importance to education and is most advanced in education in the world, we should definitely take the direction of supplying school fittings, supplies and equipment and providing the educators and students with the best working and studying conditions on the full responsibility of the state.
He then indicated the intention of bringing up the above-said agenda item as a special one at the plenary meeting and the practical ways for putting the educational foundations of the country onto a new high in the shortest period possible.
Stressing the need to push forward the modernization of schools, which claims a lion’s share in strengthening the educational foundations, as a state undertaking, and set an ambitious goal to renovate all schools across the country within the next decade and push it forward persistently so as to carry it through to the end without fail, he set forth measures to this end.
The concluding speech advanced the tasks for making the educational sector fully discharge its purpose and mission, like steadily raising the intellectual level of all students by improving the quality of basic education at the general education sector, furthering the qualifications of educators to shore up the overall educational sector, reducing the difference between the town and country in the education level, and establishing a national educational aid system for persons with disabilities.
Kim Jong Un said that the educational work, which decides the destiny of the nation and has an important influence on the growth of the people, should be a matter of public concern, and that our present revolutionary practice demands that more efforts be made to help education. He stressed that officials, who are sincerely concerned about the prospects of the Party and the revolution and the future of the country and are ready to take responsibility for them, should always pay attention to the solution of the educational issue and take charge of solving it as a matter of their own concern irrespective of whether it is a big or small one.
Saying that the steady and promising comprehensive national rejuvenation, regional rejuvenation and rural development lie in the development of education, he affirmed that our Party would always place education above all else, prioritize it, further arouse public interest in it and keep increasing state support for and investment in it, as the scale of creation and transformation are expanded and revolutionary tasks become enormous.
In connection with the fifth agenda item, the plenary meeting decided to organize a state budget deliberation team for examining and reviewing the implementation of the state budget for 2024 and the draft state budget for 2025.
The plenary meeting discussed the sixth agenda item "On the Work for the Inner-Party Structure" and approved a relevant decision with unanimous approval.
The plenary meeting discussed the organizational matter as its seventh agenda item.
Members and alternate members of the WPK Central Committee were recalled or by-elected.
Jong Myong Su and Yun Jong Ho, alternate members of the Party Central Committee, were by-elected as its members, and No Kwang Chol, Ri Hi Yong, Song Jun Sol and Kang Myong Chol were directly by-elected as members of the Party Central Committee.
Kim Jo Guk, Kim Yong Bok, Kwon Song Hwan, Ri Man Su, Kim Song Bin, Jon Ryong Nam, Hwang Yong Gil, Ri Jong Sik, Sin Chang Gil, Yun Chi Gol and Hong Kil Ho were by-elected as alternate members of the Party Central Committee.
Members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee were recalled or by-elected.
Ri Yong Gil and Choe Son Hui, alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee, were by-elected as its members, and No Kwang Chol, Kim Jong Gwan, Ri Hi Yong and Choe Tong Myong were directly by-elected as its members.
Pang Tu Sop and Kim Chol Won were by-elected as alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.
Members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee were recalled or by-elected.
Pak Thae Song was by-elected as member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.
Secretaries of the WPK Central Committee were dismissed or elected.
Choe Tong Myong, Kim Tok Hun and Ri Hi Yong were elected as secretaries of the Party Central Committee.
A vice-chairman and members of the Central Military Commission of the WPK were recalled or by-elected.
No Kwang Chol, Pang Tu Sop and Kim Jong Sik were by-elected as members of the Party Central Military Commission.
Chairman, vice-chairmen and members of the WPK Central Inspection Commission were recalled or by-elected.
Ri Hi Yong was by-elected as Chairman of the Party Central Inspection Commission, Kim Jae Ryong and Kim Hyong Sik as its Vice-Chairmen and Kang Myong Chol as its member.
Department directors of the WPK Central Committee were dismissed or appointed.
Ri Hi Yong, Kim Tok Hun and Kim Jae Ryong were appointed as Department Directors of the Party Central Committee.
Chief secretary of a provincial Party committee was dismissed or appointed.
Kim Chol Sam was appointed as Chief Secretary of the North Phyongan Provincial Party Committee.
The premier and some senior officials of the Cabinet were dismissed or appointed.
Pak Thae Song was appointed as Premier of the Cabinet.
Kim Jong Gwan was appointed as Vice-Premier of the Cabinet, Kwon Song Hwan as Minister of Natural Resources Development and Kim Yong Sik as Minister of Commerce.
The plenary meeting had two-day panel study and consultative meetings to work out a thoroughgoing and correct plan for implementing the struggle tasks for 2025 on the basis of the ideas and spirit of the instructions given by the WPK General Secretary during the discussion of the agenda items and his concluding speeches.
Members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee presided over the panel study and consultative meetings.
The consultative meetings actively discussed the tasks for further consolidating and amplifying the achievements made in this year's struggle after an in-depth study of the draft decisions, and scientific and innovative suggestions were made in this course.
The 24th Meeting of the Political Bureau of the Eighth WPK Central Committee was convened on December 27.
The Political Bureau decided to examine the proposals put together at the panel study and consultative meetings and amend and supplement the draft decisions before submitting them to the plenary meeting.
It also decided to examine the state budget deliberation team’s review of the implementation of the state budget for 2024 and the draft state budget for 2025, and report the result to the plenary meeting.
Jo Yong Won reported the results of the Political Bureau meeting to the plenary meeting.
The plenary meeting adopted with unanimous approval the decisions "On Carrying Out the Tasks for 2025 of the Five-Year Plan Set Forth at the Eighth Party Congress", "On Hastening the Comprehensive Rejuvenation of the State by Vigorously Pushing Ahead with the Implementation of the New Regional Development Strategy" and "On Taking a Series of Measures for Strengthening the Educational Foundations of the Country".
It finally examined the implementation of the state budget for 2024 and the draft state budget for 2025 and approved the submission of the document on them to the Twelfth Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly.
Kim Jong Un concluded the plenary meeting.
Next year is a significant year marking the 80th founding anniversary of our Party and at the same time the year for the Eighth Party Central Committee to review its work before the times and the people, he said, pointing to the need to make 2025, the last year of its term, a historical watershed which occupies the most brilliant position in the history of leadership of our Party with extraordinary wisdom, courage, responsible efforts and strenuous exertion transcending the four years of pioneering and leap forward.
He ardently called upon the entire Party, the whole country and all the people to turn out in the sacred patriotic struggle for the comprehensive rejuvenation and development of our great state and achieve miraculous successes, thus greeting with honour the Ninth Party Congress as a glorious meeting of victors.
The 2024 December Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK wrapped up its responsible work amid high political awareness and burning enthusiasm of all the participants to remain faithful to their duty as the leading personnel of the revolution to the last in the first rank and vanguard in implementing the Party’s policies, cherishing the great trust of tens of millions of people.
Bearing in mind the importance of the revolutionary tasks which they pledged to fulfil unconditionally before the plenary meeting, the members of the Party central leadership body, who embarked on the straight course of important struggle for the implementation of the grand revolutionary programme set forth at the Eighth Party Congress, renewed their solemn will to glorify 2025 as a year of eye-opening event and a year of great turn to bring about an upward trend towards a higher development stage with immense courage, redoubled efforts, inexhaustible enthusiasm and devotion.
The Eleventh Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea will shine long in the history of our Party as a significant occasion as it boosted the optimism about the prospects and potential of our cause vigorously advancing with the most just ideal and lofty ambition and added a great spur to the historic advance for resolutely hastening an era of comprehensive prosperity of our state by dint of the irresistible force of self-respect and self-reliance.
The Party Central Committee solemnly declared in front of the glorious Party flag the commitment to repay with absolute devotion the heavy responsibility assigned by the times and the people at the start of 2024 when the victory in the implementation of the five-year plan would be confirmed. It turned this year into a year of change and leap forward full of expanded successes despite the severe ordeals, with clear-cut fighting policies, strategic decisions and power of perfect execution.
This year made the people actually sense the advent of a new heyday of socialist construction and the important change of the comprehensive development and rejuvenation both in the capital and the provinces. These glorious achievements serve as an inspiring cornerstone for the brilliant implementation of the fighting programme of the Eighth Congress of the Party and the victory to be achieved steadily.
While going through the innumerable challenges and the processes of fresh innovations, bold creation and steady progress with indomitable and persistent struggles and efforts, people have kept in their minds more deeply the unshakable faith and dignified self-confidence that our Party and system are the best in the world and an absolute trust and conviction that today's happiness and future glory are achieved and guaranteed only in the embrace of the Party.
Members of the whole Party and other people and service personnel of the whole country, who are clearly foreseeing the successful fruition of their cause and ideal, are eager for a dynamic advance and development toward a greater victory as they harden their confidence in and optimism about the invincibility and bright prospects of Korean-style socialism dynamically advancing along the road of independence in politics, self-sufficiency in the economy and self-reliance in national defence under the guidance of the great Party Central Committee.
The Enlarged Meeting of the Eleventh Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was held at the headquarters of the Party Central Committee, the General Staff of the revolution, from December 23 to 27 to review the remarkable achievements made in 2024 by dint of the irresistible might peculiar to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and its people, which is stronger than trials and challenges, and to decide on the development orientation of the Party and state affairs and policies for them in 2025, which will constitute another watershed in the history of the growth and development of our Party and the Republic.
When the General Secretary took the platform, all the participants broke into cheers for
Present there were members and alternate members of the Central Committee of the WPK and, as observers, officials of the departments of the Party Central Committee, leading officials of ministries, national agencies and provincial leadership bodies, chief secretaries of the Party committees and chairpersons of the people's committees in cities and counties, leading officials of the Party and administrative bodies of major industrial establishments and the relevant commanding officers of the Korean People's Army.
The General Secretary said that this year, too, significant events of opening up a new turning phase were brought about in the political, economic, cultural, defence, diplomatic and all other fields as in last year, and this is an indispensable and remarkable success in the advance of the Korean revolution.
He stressed that at this place of reviewing the results of the struggle for a year, it is the right and revolutionary attitude for the Party Central Committee to find out more defects, though they may be trifling and partial things, rather than successes and to find solutions to them.
Referring to the need for the plenary meeting to take positive measures to overcome the negative elements hindering the normal development of the state and work out a substantial plan for the struggle to successfully implement the decisions of the Party Congress in 2025, the final year of the eighth term of the Party Central Committee, he declared the plenary meeting open.
A presidium composed of the members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau and members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK was elected.
The following agenda items were brought up at the meeting:
1. On the Review of the Implementation of the Policies of the Party and the State in 2024 and the Orientation of Struggle in 2025
2. On the Work of the Central Inspection Commission of the Party in 2024
3. On the New Regional Development Policy of Our Party and Its Future Tasks
4. On the Enforcement of a Series of Measures for Strengthening the Educational Foundations of the Country
5. On the Implementation of the State Budget for 2024 and the Draft State Budget for 2025
6. On the Work for the Inner-Party Structure
7. Organizational Matter
The plenary meeting unanimously approved the proposed agenda items.
The plenary meeting discussed the first agenda item "On the Review of the Implementation of the Policies of the Party and the State in 2024 and the Orientation of Struggle in 2025".
The participants heard a report.
The report referred in detail to the achievements made through a dynamic struggle for implementing the important tasks set forth at the ninth and tenth plenary meetings of the Eighth Central Committee of the Party, the 19th and 22nd enlarged meetings of the Political Bureau of the Eighth Central Committee of the Party and other important Party meetings, and to the shortcomings revealed in the course of the work.
General Secretary
He gave an assessment by the Party Central Committee of the implementation of the policies of the Party and state in 2024, recorded as a year of fortitude and transformation for the Party and the people of the DPRK, and made a review of the major successes achieved this year.
This year, too, we have channelled continuous efforts into the development of the political and military fields, further raising the absolute prestige of the country and firmly guaranteeing the defence of its sovereignty and development of socialism.
An all-Party campaign has been intensified to develop the patriotic enthusiasm of all the people based on the single-minded unity unique to us into creating the Chollima spirit in the new era, and this process resulted in further increasing the politico-ideological might, with which we are working miracles by braving any difficulties.
This year another unprecedented record was made in our Party’s history of people-first politics.
When flood disaster occurred in some areas this year, the WPK launched a huge restoration project with its timely decision and, at the same time, put into operation an emergency system for bringing the flood victims to the capital city of Pyongyang to provide them with stable and convenient living conditions and giving education to the schoolchildren.
This important measure was an expression of the sincerity and devotion of the Party, which is faithful to its natural mission of serving the people and desirous of providing those in misfortune with more things than they have lost, as well as an expression of its policy of giving precedence to the training of the younger generation above all state affairs. It has resulted in further deepening the ties of kinship between the Party and the people and consolidating the support and trust of the masses in the Party’s policies.
The concluding speech stressed that the field of defence science and munitions industry of the country has played a great role in accomplishing the cause of building a powerful army, like firmly defending peace and stability with the overwhelming increase of combat strength while maintaining a resolute, tough posture of counteraction against the extremely worsening security environment in the region; and demonstrating to the world the entity of our new strategic deterrence and the infinite development potential and modernity of the defence science and technology, whose international position cannot be slighted.
The concluding speech noted that the overall national economy showed a firm growth trend and brought about substantial results directly related to the people’s well-being.
The 12 major goals of the national economic development including housing construction were successfully carried out; the production plans were carried out at 127 percent for rolled steel, 106 percent for nonferrous metals, 103 percent for nitrogenous fertilizer, 101 percent for electricity, 110 percent for coal, 101 percent for cement, 104 percent for timber, 101 percent for aquatic products, 108 percent for rail freight turnover, 101 percent for cloth and 107 percent for grain. The readjusting and reinforcing projects including the second-stage project for modernizing the Kumsong Tractor Factory and the installing of energy-saving oxygen blast furnace at the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex were successfully pushed forward, further strengthening the development motive force and potential of the self-supporting economy.
The agricultural sector reaped a bumper harvest again by actively introducing scientific farming methods and implemented the second-stage project for construction and restoration of the irrigation system by April, further consolidating the material foundations of its production.
The construction sector built again 10,000 flats of more refined and developed architectural beauty in the Hwasong area in the capital city, implemented the housing construction plan for this year in the Komdok area and completed the construction of modern rural villages in many cities and counties, bringing great pleasure and joy to the people across the country.
The large-scale rehabilitation projects were carried out in the flood-stricken North Phyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces, presenting new, transformed looks of cultured country towns. As a result, a new path for regional construction was opened up, the inexhaustible might of self-sustenance was demonstrated, and Party members, youth and service personnel were tempered in the patriotic and practical struggle.
The concluding speech noted that the scientific and cultural fields achieved successes that contributed to promoting the all-people creative struggle and the national prosperity and development and raising the country’s prestige.
The core, main tasks for developing science and technology were carried out, a stride was made in resolving the sci-tech problems urgently needed for increasing production in key industries and other economic sectors including light industry and agriculture and for improving the people’s living standards, and positive efforts were made to bring about innovations in the fields of education, public health, literature and the arts.
Our women footballers won in the Asian Cup and World Cup finals and won the Asian and world championships in various sports events including weightlifting, table tennis, boxing and Taekwon-Do. This is a success noteworthy in the review of this year.
On behalf of the Party Central Committee, he extended warm thanks to the Party members, working people, service personnel and youth across the country for having resolutely overcome the facing challenges and difficulties and faithfully implemented the Party’s decisions and thus filled this year, decisive of carrying out the five-year plan, with significant creative and innovative successes of strenuous efforts and patriotic devotion, remaining faithful to the ideas and leadership of the Party Central Committee with one mind.
The concluding speech pointed out a series of deviations and shortcomings hindering our advance and development, including the poor national disaster prevention capability and the failure to carry out construction on a scientific basis.
He said that the main efforts should be directed to putting spurs to the growth and development of the overall national economy, indicating the goals to be attained by the key industrial sectors including metal, chemical, electric-power, machine-building and coal-mining industries and rail transport.
The concluding speech stressed the need to wage a massive construction struggle in the new year, too, and, through this, make another leap forward to realize our ideals.
In 2025, building 50,000 flats in Pyongyang should be wound up through the fourth-stage housing construction in the Hwasong area, the construction of houses in the Komdok area completed, and housing construction in the rural communities pushed ahead without letup. In particular, efforts should be channelled into the construction of industrial and public facilities to accelerate the great cause of regional rejuvenation, and, on the basis of the experience gained in the construction of the Sinpho City Offshore Farm, an offshore farm should be successfully built in another area on a trial basis.
The concluding speech underscored the need to improve afforestation, land administration and ecological environment protection, establish a strict and unified command system and order related to disaster prevention by the state, make full preparations for coping with the danger of disaster including securing rescue equipment and relief materials and ensure the scientific accuracy, correctness and promptness of flood warning so as to minimize disaster.
It also stressed the need to successfully attain the expected economic growth goals by channeling efforts into resolving urgent methodological problems, like improving the system and method of unified management of the overall economy, planning and pricing in conformity with the economic structure and specific conditions of the country.
Noting that it is the main task set forth by the Eighth Party Congress to bring about a substantial change in the people’s living,
The task facing the agricultural sector in 2025 is to attain the goal of grain production set by the Party and lay the foundations for decisively increasing agricultural production during the new long-term plan period.
The concluding speech referred to the measures for putting the country’s agricultural production on a stable and sustainable track of development, including strengthening the material and technical foundations of the agricultural sector, attaching importance to scientific farming, training in a systematic way and in a large number the ranks of talents who will shoulder the implementation of the rural revolution programme in the new era and transformation of the socialist countryside.
It stressed that the light industry sector should raise the improvement of quality as the primary task and direct efforts to improving the quality of condiments and consumer goods and the socialist policy for the children and students should be implemented in a responsible manner. It also indicated the practical ways for strengthening the material foundations of the fishing sector.
It put forward the enhancement of the role of the scientific and cultural fronts as an important task in the new year’s advance to conclude the first-phase struggle for pioneering and transformation for the comprehensive socialist development.
The scientific circles should turn out as one to achieve successful results to fully support the victory of the final offensive for implementing the decisions of the Eighth Congress of the Party and lead it to a new stage of development.
The public health sector should steadily bring the preventive and curative treatment closer to reality, improve the quality of medical service for the working people, and lay solid foundations for anti-epidemic work to cope with any global public health crisis.
The concluding speech stressed the need for the fields of art and literature, media and sports to stir the times, shake the whole country and give a boost to its revolutionary spirit through the creation of excellent works of art and literature, powerful media offensive and successes in sports.
Noting that the working people’s organizations are the forces that should move vigorously in next year’s struggle, when a landmark for great victory and change will be set up in the history of the development of our Party and country,
He gave an outline of the remarkable successes achieved this year in enhancing the international position of our state and consolidating its external position and of the features of the present international situation, in which the growth and rapid progress of the circles of the independent forces are conspicuous and the position of the circles of supremacy-seeking forces is rapidly weakening and declining.
Our Republic reliably defended its inviolable sovereign rights and achieved successes of strategic significance from the viewpoint of prospective growth of the interests and enhancing the prestige of the state while responding promptly and smartly to the harsh regional situation and the unsteady structure of the international relations, and firmly maintained its principled foreign policy stand and orientation of struggle. In this way, it has firmly occupied the international position as a representative and powerful independent force that dynamically pushes forward the building of a righteous multi-polar world.
The concluding speech put forward the strategic and tactical tasks for bringing about a more favourable external phase for the Korean revolution through proactive and offensive external activities in line with the Party’s external strategic plan and intentions.
The United States is the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy, the alliance between the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea has expanded into a nuclear military bloc for aggression, and the ROK has turned into an out-and-out anti-communist outpost of the United States. This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how.
The concluding speech clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-US counteraction to be launched aggressively by the DPRK for its long-term national interests and security.
It indicated the tasks for the field of external affairs to wage a dynamic struggle for defending the national sovereign rights on the principle of enhancing the prestige and defending the interests of the state and to positively promote the development of relations with the friendly countries that respect the dignity and interests of the DPRK.
Holding fast to strengthening its politico-ideological might as its primary strategic task for building itself up, the KPA should develop itself into a revolutionary army that always emerges victorious by dint of ideology, train all its service personnel to be genuine patriots, most powerful in their spiritual strength, and in particular, dynamically conduct the ideological work aimed at fully equipping them with keen awareness of the enemy, an immutable outlook on the archenemy and firm will to fight a decisive battle with them.
In order to meet the demands and features of modern warfare and cope with the ever-changing enemy’s war scenario and execution mode, it should enhance its capabilities for fighting a war by intensifying research into our own style of tactics, giving an uninterrupted spur to the work of putting its operations command on an IT and modern basis and steadily studying and applying scientific forms and methods of training.
We should also push ahead with fully preparing the civil defence sector for a war.
Saying that next year’s struggle for successfully carrying out the decisions of the Eighth Congress of the WPK requires the Party organizations, the political staff of relevant sectors and units, to enhance their functions and activities more than ever before, he stressed that all Party organizations should dynamically conduct their organizational and political work to attain their struggle goals without fail by making sound preparations and redoubled efforts.
In particular, all Party officials should bear in mind once again the true meaning of the slogan "Everything for the people and everything by relying on them!" and devote their all to the work for the people, as intended by the Party Central Committee, he said, adding: The unprecedentedly harsh situation will persist in the future, too, but the invaluable experience and lessons, gained and drawn in this year’s intensive struggle for ushering in a new era of transformation unprecedented since the founding of the nation, and our confidence and internal force that have grown a hundredfold will surely encourage us to attain with credit the goals we have set.
He then ardently called on all the participants to remain true to their heavy duty and responsibility they have assumed for the times and revolution and the country and people, and wage a bolder struggle with higher confidence in the vanguard of the general offensive for a great victory and glory in 2025.
Raising cheers of "Hurrah!" and applause, all the participants expressed their full support to the General Secretary’s concluding speech that clearly specified the struggle tasks and ways for bringing the glory of 2024, achieved by self-reliance, based on the firm unity of all Party members and other people across the country under the banner of patriotism, to continuous development and successes in 2025, and dramatically accelerating the historic advance toward national rejuvenation.
The historic concluding speech of
The plenary meeting discussed the second agenda item "On the Work of the Central Inspection Commission of the Party in 2024".
A report on the relevant agenda item was made.
It referred to the successes made in the work for implementing the line of building the Party discipline in the new era and for providing Party work and activities with a financial and material guarantee and strictly pointed to the deviations revealed by the Party inspection commissions at all levels.
The plenary meeting made a relevant evaluation of the work of the Central Inspection Commission of the Party in 2024.
It discussed the third agenda item "On the New Regional Development Policy of Our Party and Its Future Tasks".
Despite the grave challenges and difficulties blocking our advance and the uphill tasks to be pushed forward and fulfilled in the remaining period of the implementation of the five-year plan, the medium- and long-term tasks for the regional transformation, which has only been an ideal for nearly 80 years, were made a policy and entered the full-scale stage of implementation without delay. This is a great revolution that creates a new history.
Saying that not minor consideration, courage and struggle were required to confirm such a great transformative line, the action programme for regional development, and translate it into an impeccable entity, the General Secretary stated that to develop all the regions of the country simultaneously and in a balanced way is an important strategic task for building Korean-style socialism oriented towards overall development and, at the same time, an urgent political task for more thoroughly applying and giving full play to the people-first principle, the basic political idea of the Party and the government.
He referred to the fact that the 19th enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held in January this year established the Regional Development 20×10 Policy for boosting the elementary material and cultural living standard of the people across the country a level higher with ten years as a term by building modern regional-industry factories in 20 cities and counties in succession every year, with the Party and the government taking full responsibility, and took concrete measures for its implementation.
The soldier-builders, who are standing at the vanguard of implementing the regional development policy, directed every effort to ensuring perfect quality of construction with an extraordinary sense of responsibility and conscience, for the sake of the dignity of the Party and on the honour of the army. As a result, they built new factories, the first creations in the efforts for regional rejuvenation, commensurate with the idea, national power and the level of civilization of our times. And workers, scientists and technicians in various fields in charge of the supply of materials and equipment and technology, including the machine-building and building-materials industries, also achieved precious successes in the fulfilment of their production tasks and research and development by displaying dogged perseverance and creativity.
Meanwhile, a modern offshore farm, a new model of offshore farming, was built in the city of Sinpho on the east coast, accelerating the work in every way for creating excellent experience for the coastal cities and counties to live on with their own efforts and for actively promoting and spurring the distinctive development and growth of the regional economy.
Noting that the first creations in the efforts for implementing the regional development policy are, indeed, the fruition of our honourable and worthwhile struggle and proof of our most valuable and proud prosperity, the General Secretary said with pride that although the Party and the government have shouldered double workloads and heavier burdens, our struggle for the promotion of the people's well-being has remarkably intensified and expanded and socialist construction has entered a new phase of epochal advance.
Referring to the intention of the Party Central Committee to additionally build public health facilities, cultural complexes and grain management facilities in the cities and counties across the country, considering that the construction of some regional-industry factories in each city and county is not enough to completely eliminate the centuries-old backwardness remaining in local areas and put them on a sustainable development track, he gave an overview of the significance of the construction of the three essential projects and the specific orientation of construction.
He said that only when the aforesaid construction projects are completed correctly and in a practicable way so that they can be operated smoothly at the present stage can we surely provide a firm basis for regional development and open up a dynamic phase in which cities and counties can simultaneously undergo a change and rejuvenation, and proposed to the plenary meeting that the Party's new regional development policy formally include the construction of advanced public health facilities, scientific, educational and leisure facilities and grain management facilities in parallel with that of regional-industry factories.
Speeches were made on the third agenda item.
Jo Yong Won, Secretary of the WPK Central Committee, Jong Kyong Thaek, Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army, and Ri Jong Nam, Chief secretary of the South Hamgyong Provincial Committee of the WPK, made speeches and senior officials in various sectors presented written speeches.
They expressed absolute support to and approval for the great programme for regional development that clearly indicates the special and practical measures for putting an end to the centuries-old backwardness of the regions and accelerating the historic cause of their rejuvenation.
They stressed that the Party’s new regional development policy on building advanced health facilities, cultural complexes and integrated grain management facilities essential to regional development in parallel with the construction of regional-industry factories is an important state affair and historic cause that can be settled only by the General Secretary, who regards the pains taken for the people as his duty and shoulders all that are for promoting their wellbeing.
They made a firm determination to fulfill their responsibility and mission as the leading personnel of the revolution, who are to vigorously lead the gigantic struggle for transforming the regions in a multi-stage, three-dimensional and offensive way, true to the noble intention of the Party Central Committee with single-minded efforts, and thus fully guarantee the perfect implementation of the regional development policy in the new era.
The plenary meeting discussed the fourth agenda item "On the Enforcement of a Series of Measures for Strengthening the Educational Foundations of the Country".
A report on the relevant agenda item was made.
The reporter said: In August last the General Secretary took a special measure of bringing all the schoolchildren in the flood-hit areas to Pyongyang for their studying, and visited the classrooms laid out temporarily at the April 25 Hostel to acquaint himself with the teaching preparations for a new term, saying that the educational work is the primary state affair which can never be given up even if the sky may fall in. His noble intention on the rising generation reminds us once again of what attitude and stand we should take on the issue of the education of students and the provision of educational conditions for them.
Stressing that the urgent issue for glorifying our country as a talent power and a socialist educational power at present is to further strengthen the overall educational foundations as required by the times, the reporter presented to the plenary meeting the problems to be tackled by the state.
Noting that education is the first state affair that should be given priority and that demands tremendous effort at any time and at any stage and the most important sector that has to make steady progress, he referred to the precedence, necessity and significance of its development.
He said that, according to the tasks set forth at the sixth and eighth plenary meetings of the Eighth Party Central Committee, practical measures have been taken to readjust the educational structure of the country for giving advanced education and improve the contents and methods of education more reasonably, and the socialist policy for the students is being consistently carried on together with the work of training reserve teachers on a long-term basis. Despite the proud qualitative changes brought about in this sector in recent years, the overall educational foundations are yet to respond to the requirements of the times and the revolution, he pointed out, and made a strict analysis of the present situation in the educational sector and indicated the immediate, medium- and long-range tasks to be fulfilled through the investment of the national efforts on the responsibility of the Party and the government in order to consolidate the foundations of education, saying: Now that we have set an aim of building a state which gives the most importance to education and is most advanced in education in the world, we should definitely take the direction of supplying school fittings, supplies and equipment and providing the educators and students with the best working and studying conditions on the full responsibility of the state.
He then indicated the intention of bringing up the above-said agenda item as a special one at the plenary meeting and the practical ways for putting the educational foundations of the country onto a new high in the shortest period possible.
Stressing the need to push forward the modernization of schools, which claims a lion’s share in strengthening the educational foundations, as a state undertaking, and set an ambitious goal to renovate all schools across the country within the next decade and push it forward persistently so as to carry it through to the end without fail, he set forth measures to this end.
The concluding speech advanced the tasks for making the educational sector fully discharge its purpose and mission, like steadily raising the intellectual level of all students by improving the quality of basic education at the general education sector, furthering the qualifications of educators to shore up the overall educational sector, reducing the difference between the town and country in the education level, and establishing a national educational aid system for persons with disabilities.
Saying that the steady and promising comprehensive national rejuvenation, regional rejuvenation and rural development lie in the development of education, he affirmed that our Party would always place education above all else, prioritize it, further arouse public interest in it and keep increasing state support for and investment in it, as the scale of creation and transformation are expanded and revolutionary tasks become enormous.
In connection with the fifth agenda item, the plenary meeting decided to organize a state budget deliberation team for examining and reviewing the implementation of the state budget for 2024 and the draft state budget for 2025.
The plenary meeting discussed the sixth agenda item "On the Work for the Inner-Party Structure" and approved a relevant decision with unanimous approval.
The plenary meeting discussed the organizational matter as its seventh agenda item.
Members and alternate members of the WPK Central Committee were recalled or by-elected.
Jong Myong Su and Yun Jong Ho, alternate members of the Party Central Committee, were by-elected as its members, and No Kwang Chol, Ri Hi Yong, Song Jun Sol and Kang Myong Chol were directly by-elected as members of the Party Central Committee.
Kim Jo Guk, Kim Yong Bok, Kwon Song Hwan, Ri Man Su, Kim Song Bin, Jon Ryong Nam, Hwang Yong Gil, Ri Jong Sik, Sin Chang Gil, Yun Chi Gol and Hong Kil Ho were by-elected as alternate members of the Party Central Committee.
Members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee were recalled or by-elected.
Ri Yong Gil and Choe Son Hui, alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee, were by-elected as its members, and No Kwang Chol, Kim Jong Gwan, Ri Hi Yong and Choe Tong Myong were directly by-elected as its members.
Pang Tu Sop and Kim Chol Won were by-elected as alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.
Members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee were recalled or by-elected.
Pak Thae Song was by-elected as member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.
Secretaries of the WPK Central Committee were dismissed or elected.
Choe Tong Myong, Kim Tok Hun and Ri Hi Yong were elected as secretaries of the Party Central Committee.
A vice-chairman and members of the Central Military Commission of the WPK were recalled or by-elected.
No Kwang Chol, Pang Tu Sop and Kim Jong Sik were by-elected as members of the Party Central Military Commission.
Chairman, vice-chairmen and members of the WPK Central Inspection Commission were recalled or by-elected.
Ri Hi Yong was by-elected as Chairman of the Party Central Inspection Commission, Kim Jae Ryong and Kim Hyong Sik as its Vice-Chairmen and Kang Myong Chol as its member.
Department directors of the WPK Central Committee were dismissed or appointed.
Ri Hi Yong, Kim Tok Hun and Kim Jae Ryong were appointed as Department Directors of the Party Central Committee.
Chief secretary of a provincial Party committee was dismissed or appointed.
Kim Chol Sam was appointed as Chief Secretary of the North Phyongan Provincial Party Committee.
The premier and some senior officials of the Cabinet were dismissed or appointed.
Pak Thae Song was appointed as Premier of the Cabinet.
Kim Jong Gwan was appointed as Vice-Premier of the Cabinet, Kwon Song Hwan as Minister of Natural Resources Development and Kim Yong Sik as Minister of Commerce.
The plenary meeting had two-day panel study and consultative meetings to work out a thoroughgoing and correct plan for implementing the struggle tasks for 2025 on the basis of the ideas and spirit of the instructions given by the WPK General Secretary during the discussion of the agenda items and his concluding speeches.
Members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee presided over the panel study and consultative meetings.
The consultative meetings actively discussed the tasks for further consolidating and amplifying the achievements made in this year's struggle after an in-depth study of the draft decisions, and scientific and innovative suggestions were made in this course.
The 24th Meeting of the Political Bureau of the Eighth WPK Central Committee was convened on December 27.
The Political Bureau decided to examine the proposals put together at the panel study and consultative meetings and amend and supplement the draft decisions before submitting them to the plenary meeting.
It also decided to examine the state budget deliberation team’s review of the implementation of the state budget for 2024 and the draft state budget for 2025, and report the result to the plenary meeting.
Jo Yong Won reported the results of the Political Bureau meeting to the plenary meeting.
The plenary meeting adopted with unanimous approval the decisions "On Carrying Out the Tasks for 2025 of the Five-Year Plan Set Forth at the Eighth Party Congress", "On Hastening the Comprehensive Rejuvenation of the State by Vigorously Pushing Ahead with the Implementation of the New Regional Development Strategy" and "On Taking a Series of Measures for Strengthening the Educational Foundations of the Country".
It finally examined the implementation of the state budget for 2024 and the draft state budget for 2025 and approved the submission of the document on them to the Twelfth Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly.
Next year is a significant year marking the 80th founding anniversary of our Party and at the same time the year for the Eighth Party Central Committee to review its work before the times and the people, he said, pointing to the need to make 2025, the last year of its term, a historical watershed which occupies the most brilliant position in the history of leadership of our Party with extraordinary wisdom, courage, responsible efforts and strenuous exertion transcending the four years of pioneering and leap forward.
He ardently called upon the entire Party, the whole country and all the people to turn out in the sacred patriotic struggle for the comprehensive rejuvenation and development of our great state and achieve miraculous successes, thus greeting with honour the Ninth Party Congress as a glorious meeting of victors.
The 2024 December Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK wrapped up its responsible work amid high political awareness and burning enthusiasm of all the participants to remain faithful to their duty as the leading personnel of the revolution to the last in the first rank and vanguard in implementing the Party’s policies, cherishing the great trust of tens of millions of people.
Bearing in mind the importance of the revolutionary tasks which they pledged to fulfil unconditionally before the plenary meeting, the members of the Party central leadership body, who embarked on the straight course of important struggle for the implementation of the grand revolutionary programme set forth at the Eighth Party Congress, renewed their solemn will to glorify 2025 as a year of eye-opening event and a year of great turn to bring about an upward trend towards a higher development stage with immense courage, redoubled efforts, inexhaustible enthusiasm and devotion.
The Eleventh Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea will shine long in the history of our Party as a significant occasion as it boosted the optimism about the prospects and potential of our cause vigorously advancing with the most just ideal and lofty ambition and added a great spur to the historic advance for resolutely hastening an era of comprehensive prosperity of our state by dint of the irresistible force of self-respect and self-reliance.