ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELECTION OF KIM JONG IL, AS THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE WPK

Kim Jong Il was elected the general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea on October 8, 1997.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was in a difficult situation that time.

The US- led imperialist forces were intensifying than ever before their political and military pressure, economic sanctions and blockade against socialist Korea, with a view to completely stamping out the existence of the globe after the collapse of socialism in the Eastern European countries in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. The Korean people suffered the greatest national loss on July 8, 1994—the death of Kim Il Sung who had led the country over half a century.

To make things worse, they encountered the worst economic difficulties and shortage of food caused by the natural calamities which hit the country for several consecutive years. The DPRK had to launch a severe struggle to defend socialism. Given the situation, Kim Jong Il unfolded the blueprint for the bright future for the Korean people---plan for building a great, prosperous and powerful socialist country whose national power is strong, and where everything prospers and the people live with nothing to envy in the world.

The successful launch in August 1997 of the artificial earth satellite, Kwangmyonsong No. 1, which was made entirely by its own efforts, was the solemn declaration which heralded the start of the building of a thriving nation. In order to crush the aggressive maneuvers of the imperialists by strengthening the politico-ideological might and military strength of the country, he formulated Songun politics as the basic political mode of socialism, and thoroughly applied it through his continuous field inspections of army units.

The WPK adopted measures to establish the atmosphere of attaching importance to military affairs throughout society and emulate the revolutionary soldier spirit. The Korean people responded to his Songun politics with all their heart. The army broke through the economic difficulties standing in the van and the civilians supported the army more sincerely in the course of which the traditional single-hearted unity of the Korean society has reached a new, higher plane.

The overall national power of the country has been strengthened remarkably, with the result that it came to possess a powerful nuclear deterrent. Under his leadership the WPK continued to put into effect the universal free medical care and free compulsory education systems at the end of the last century, too, when Korea was undergoing the worst hardship and difficulties amid the concentrated anti-socialist offensives of the imperialists.

The line of building a thriving nation is, in the final analysis, aimed at making people lead a happy life with nothing to envy in the world by radically improving the people’s standard of living. To solve the people’s food problem, the coal gasification is introduced into large fertilizer complexes. Modern fruit farms such as the Taedonggang Combined Fruit Farm with an area of over 1 000 hectares are built throughout the country, and the fruit processing and foodstuff factories constructed on a high standard are paying off handsomely.

The pig, poultry and fish farms and solar-heat energy greenhouses are being mushroomed, enriching the people’s dietary life. Introduction of the cutting-edge technology into the vinalon production lines based on the domestic raw materials is bringing about changes in fibre and other chemical goods production. Kim Jong Il paid a special attention to the WPK’s efforts to make the people lead a plentiful and civilized life to their heart’s content. He continued to give field guidance at the Kaeson Youth Park, Hana Music Information Centre, Kwangbok Area Supermarket and other places even in the last days of his life.

Apartment houses in the Masudae area, a dolphinarium, an outdoor ice rink and a health complex of the latest style are now under construction in Pyongyang. They are the gifts the WPK presents to the people on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung, as wished by Kim Jong Il. Though Kim Jong Il passed away, the WPK venerated him as its eternal General Secretary. His exploits made in Party building will shine forever along with the ever-victorious WPK.