The following report was received by our party from the Workers Party of Korea.
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The central committee of the Workers Party of Korea (WPK) extends friendly greetings to you and wishes to inform you of the success of the eighth congress of the party.
The congress was held at a critical juncture in the development of the WPK and the revolution.
Since the seventh congress of the party, the foreign relations of the country have deteriorated extremely, to a low unprecedented in the entire history of the DPR Korea, as a result of the frenzied pressure and blockade moves of hostile forces. Severe natural disasters that have struck the country every year and the global health crisis that began last year have also placed additional hurdles in our way.
Unfazed by these manifold and most severe challenges, the WPK has organised and waged a resolute offensive to implement its programme of struggle, thereby building a valuable foundation for real progress in socialist construction.
To meet the requirements of the developing situation in and around the country, and to cope with a series of unforeseen challenges, the central committee of the WPK convened the eighth congress from 5-12 January 2021 in Pyongyang. There the party rigorously reviewed its overall work, clearly redefined the orientation and tasks of its struggle to achieve greater victories in the socialist cause, and secured measures for substantive improvement.
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un made a historic report on the work of the seventh central committee of the party at the congress.
The gist of his report is that we must dauntlessly break through the existing threats and challenges and effect a new leap forward and clear progress in the building of the Korean-style socialism by increasing our own strength, our own driving force in every way possible.
Comrade Kim Jong Un, at the beginning of his report, made an assessment of the achievements made by the party and people during the period under review.
The achievements made by the WPK in the last five years can be characterised by having opened up a new era of development, the era of our state-first principle.
The report stated that overall state power has been consolidated in every dimension through the struggle to expand and increase politico-ideological power – the main driving force of the revolution – to maintain the fundamental structure of our socialist economy and to bolster the country’s nuclear deterrent and self-reliant defence capabilities. The international prestige of the republic has been remarkably raised by the dynamic external activities of the central committee of the party.
Comrade Kim Jong Un also assessed and analysed the work of building our economy and culture, national defence and state and social governance, as well as the performance of working people’s organisations during the period under review, with an emphasis on the shortcomings and lessons learned, and he put forward crucial tasks for the progress of socialist construction in the years to come.
Based on strict and detailed analysis of the implementation results of the five-year strategy for national economic development and the new future plan, the report confirmed the economic strategy for the next five years and clarified tasks, ways and means for every sector of the economy.
A new five-year plan
The WPK’s economic strategy at the present stage is one of readjustment and reinforcement; and the general orientation of the new five-year plan is to lay solid foundations for reenergising the overall national economy and improving the people’s standard of living by concentrating efforts on the main links in the chain of economic development.
The goal of the new five-year plan is to advance toward sustained economic growth and real improvement in the people’s standard of living on the basis of the present situation and the potential of the national economy; and the core elements and main themes of the plan are, as always, self-reliance and self-sufficiency.
It is the unshakable determination of the WPK to make a breakthrough in solving the people’s food, clothing and housing problems; to effect tangible changes and innovations that will bring substantive benefits to the people in the next five-year period.
The report solemnly clarified the revolutionary standpoint that the national defence capability which is the cornerstone for the existence of our state, and a reliable guarantee for defending the peace, dignity and security of the country and people, should continue to be strengthened.
In the report, Comrade Kim Jong Un mentioned important issues for the independent reunification of the country and the development of foreign relations.
The WPK’s principled stand is that it is necessary first to resolve the fundamental problems in inter-Korean relations, halt all hostile acts toward the other side, and to seriously approach and faithfully implement the north-south declarations.
The report stressed that at present we do not need to show goodwill toward the south Korean authorities unilaterally as we did in the past, and we should treat them according to how they respond to our just demands and how much effort they make to fulfil the north-south agreements.
The major conclusion of the assessment of the party’s external activities during the period under review is that the strategy of hardline for hardline should be consistently maintained with regard to those hostile forces that are unwarrantedly running amok, and toward the big powers that wield high-handed policies.
After affirming this strategy, the report set the general direction of foreign relations today: to expand and develop relations as befits the strategic position of our state and thus provide a reliable political and diplomatic guarantee for socialist construction, defining the principles to be maintained to this end.
Noting that whoever takes power in the US, its essence and the real intention of its policy toward the DPR Korea would never change. The report pointed out that the WPK should orient external political activities toward containing and overpowering the US, and should continue to deal with the US on the principle of hardline for hardline and goodwill for goodwill.
The report touched on the need for the field of external affairs to further expand and develop relations with socialist countries, strengthen unity and cooperation with revolutionary and progressive parties that aspire for independence, and launch a dynamic joint struggle against imperialism on a worldwide scale so as to make the external environment ever more favourable.
After mentioning the WPK’s steadfast will to defend peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the rest of the world, the report reaffirmed that the DPR Korea, as a responsible nuclear weapons state, will not misuse its nuclear weapons unless any aggressive hostile force uses their nuclear forces against it.
In the report, Comrade Kim Jong Un summed up the successes achieved in the efforts to strengthen and develop the WPK during the period under review and set forth tasks and ways to improve party work as required by the changing times.
While the party constantly improves its fighting efficiency and leadership ability, it will enjoy the absolute trust of the people and successfully lead the cause of building socialism to victory, unfazed by any obstacles and difficulties.
In the light of the new period development that the Korean revolution is entering, the report discussed the primary importance of intensifying the unitary leadership system of the central committee, and of carrying out internal party work effectively so as to cement the single-minded unity of the party and the revolutionary ranks and to improve the forms and methods of ideological education.
This report gave us an action programme that should be held fast to in the whole course of our struggle, which has entered a new stage aimed at achieving national prosperity and the people’s happiness.
The congress made amendments to the statute of the WPK to meet the new requirements of party building and revolutionary development.
The congress specified in the party statute that Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism will be held aloft as an eternal banner of the Korean revolution in reflection of the firm will of the party membership to maintain and add glory to the ideas and exploits of the great Comrade Kim Il Sung and Comrade Kim Jong Il, the eternal leaders of the WPK.
It also formally set the people-first politics as the main political mode of socialism as befits the people-oriented nature of the WPK, which regards serving the people as the starting point of all its activities and as an absolute and invariable principle.
The congress also elected the new leadership organ of the central committee.
In reflection of the unanimous will and wish of all the delegates, party members and other people across the country for the strengthening and development of the party and a new victorious advance in the revolutionary cause of Juche, the congress elected Comrade Kim Jong Un, who is opening up an era of unprecedented changes and miracles with his outstanding leadership and noble virtue, to the top post of the WPK’s general secretary – the head of the party who represents and leads the whole party.
Having invariably held Comrade Kim Jong Un in high esteem as the head of the WPK, this is an expression of the absolute trust of the WPK and the Korean people; it is an epoch-making political event that provides a decisive guarantee for the victory of Korean-style socialism and a promise of its rosy future.
The first plenary meeting of the eighth central committee of the WPK elected the political bureau and the presidium of the political bureau of the party’s central committee headed by Comrade General Secretary of the WPK, organised its secretariat, and held elections of the central military commission and the central inspection commission of the central committee.
The WPK general secretary Comrade Kim Jong Un, in his historic concluding speech, noted that the main idea and spirit of the eighth congress was to achieve fresh and great victories on all fronts by determinedly building up our own strength; building our internal forces for socialist construction. He particularly stressed the need for the entire party to adhere more strictly to the three ideals of ‘The people are God’, ‘single-hearted unity ‘and ‘self-reliance’.
Indeed, the eighth congress of the WPK, which was held at a crucial moment in the development of the revolution, set forth a correct orientation for the Korean people along with strategic and tactical policies, securing a powerful engine for their implementation and thereby fully demonstrating the revolutionary features and vigorous mettle of the WPK, which works tirelessly and innovatively as a strong and integral whole.
Though the situation remains tense and the trials and difficulties that face us are manifold, organisations and members of the whole party, and of the entire population, are filled with confidence and optimism that we can make new progress in building Korean-style socialism, more firmly united behind the general secretary of the WPK, and they have turned out as one in the struggle to carry out with credit the heavy tasks set forth at the party congress.
Taking this opportunity, the WPK firmly reaffirms that it will continue to maintain independence, peace and friendship as the key principles of its foreign policy, strengthening solidarity with your party and all other political parties that champion independence and justice, as well as with independent forces against imperialism, continuing its vigorous struggle for global independence and peace and for the development of the socialist movement throughout the world.
Expressing heartfelt gratitude to your party for the support and solidarity extended to the just cause of the WPK and the Korean people, the central committee of the WPK sincerely wishes your party greater success in its future activities.
Please accept the assurances of our highest consideration.
Pyongyang
24 March 2021 (Juche 110)
