The noble thought and mature leadership of the great Korean Labor Party, which is determined to bring the sacred revolutionary cause of Juche to its final completion sooner under the banner of the principle of "people first", are bringing about a great change and a vigorous leap forward in all areas of nation-building, making every year of this country a shining peak of success and victory in history.
The Party Central Committee, in front of the glorious Party flag, solemnly proclaimed its commitment to repay with absolute devotion the heavy responsibility that the times and the people have imposed on it at the beginning of 2024, when victory in the implementation of the five-year plan will be confirmed. He has turned this year into a year of change and leap forward full of widespread achievements in spite of difficult trials, with a clearly defined combat policy, strategic decisions and the power of perfect execution.
This year has truly made people feel the arrival of the new blossoming of socialist construction and the important change of comprehensive development and rejuvenation in both the capital and the provinces. These glorious achievements serve as an inspiring cornerstone for the brilliant implementation of the struggle program of the Eighth Party Congress and the victory to be achieved permanently.
While the people have gone through the countless challenges and processes of new innovations, bold creation and steady progress with indomitable and persistent struggle and effort, they have retained deep in their minds the unshakable faith and dignified self-confidence that our Party and system are the best in the world, and the absolute confidence and conviction that today's happiness and future glory can only be achieved and guaranteed within the embrace of the Party.
The members of the whole Party and other people and workers throughout the country, who clearly foresee the successful realization of their cause and ideal, are eager to advance and develop dynamically towards greater victory as they consolidate their confidence and optimism in the invincibility and bright prospects of Korean-type socialism, which, under the leadership of the great Party Central Committee, is advancing dynamically along the path of independence in politics, self-sufficiency in economics and independence in national defense.
The extended session of the Eleventh Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Korean Labor Party was held at the headquarters of the Party Central Committee, the General Staff of the Revolution, from 23 to 27. December to take stock of the remarkable achievements made in 2024 thanks to the irresistible strength inherent in the DPRK and its people, which is stronger than trials and challenges, and to decide on the direction of the development of Party and state affairs and policies for them in 2025, which will mark another turning point in the history of the growth and development of our Party and the Republic.
Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Korean Labour Party, attended the plenary session.
When the General Secretary took the podium, all the participants burst into cheers for Kim Jong-un, the great leader of the Party, the State and the people, and the great leader of the Juche Revolution, who with his extraordinary political sagacity and gigantic leadership is ushering in a new era of the fairest and most dignified prosperity.
Present were members and alternates of the WPK Central Committee and, as observers, officials of departments of the Party Central Committee, senior officials of ministries, national agencies and provincial leading bodies, chief secretaries of Party committees and chairmen of people's committees in cities and counties, senior officials of Party and administrative bodies of large industrial enterprises and relevant commanding officers of the Korean People's Army.
The plenary session was chaired by Kim Jong-un.
The Secretary-General said that this year, like last year, there have been significant events opening a new turning point in the political, economic, cultural, defense, diplomatic and all other fields, and this is a necessary and remarkable achievement in the progress of the Korean Revolution.
He stressed that at this point, where the results of the year's struggle are being evaluated, it is the correct and revolutionary attitude of the Party Central Committee to identify shortcomings, even though they may be minor and partial, rather than successes and seek solutions to them.
Referring to the need for the plenary session to take positive measures to overcome the negative elements hindering the normal development of the state and draw up a fundamental plan of struggle to successfully implement the decisions of the Party Congress in 2025, the last year of the eighth term of the Party Central Committee, he declared the plenary session open.
A Bureau was elected consisting of members of the Bureau of the Political Bureau and members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee.
The following agenda items were submitted to the meeting:
- On reviewing the implementation of Party and state policies in 2024 and the focus of the struggle in 2025.
- On the work of the Party's Central Audit Committee in 2024
- About our party's new regional development policy and its future tasks
- On promoting a range of measures to strengthen the educational foundations of the country
- On the implementation of the state budget for 2024 and the draft state budget for 2025
- About working for the intra-party structure
- Organisational matters
The Plenary unanimously approved the proposed agenda items.
The plenary discussed the first item on the agenda, "On the review of the implementation of the Party and State policies in 2024 and the focus of the struggle in 2025".
The participants listened to the report.
The report referred in detail to the achievements of the dynamic struggle to realize the important tasks set out at the 9th and 10th plenary sessions of the Party's 8th Central Committee, the 19th and 22nd extended sessions of the Political Bureau of the Party's 8th Central Committee and other important Party meetings, and the shortcomings revealed in the course of the work.
Secretary-General Kim Jong-un made a closing speech on the first item on the agenda.
He delivered the Party Central Committee's assessment of the implementation of Party and State policies in 2024, which was marked as a year of strength and transformation for the Party and the people of the DPRK, and reviewed the major achievements made in that year.
In this year, too, we directed continuous efforts into the development of the political and military spheres, which further raised the absolute prestige of the country and firmly guaranteed the defence of its sovereignty and the development of socialism.
A nationwide campaign was intensified to develop the patriotic enthusiasm of all the people based on a unity unique to us to create a Chollim spirit in the new era, and this process led to a further increase in the political-ideological strength with which we work miracles, bravely overcoming all difficulties.
This year has seen another unprecedented record in the history of our party's people-first policies.
When the flood disaster struck some areas this year, the WPK, through its timely decision, launched a large-scale reconstruction project and also put into operation an emergency system to transport flood victims to the capital Pyongyang to provide them with stable and comfortable living conditions and provide education for schoolchildren.
This important measure was an expression of the sincerity and devotion of a party true to its natural mission to serve the people, and desirous of providing more for those in misfortune than they had lost, and also an expression of its policy of giving priority to the education of the younger generation above all affairs of state. This has led to a further deepening of the kinship ties between the Party and the people and to the consolidation of the support and confidence of the masses in the Party's policies.
Kim Jong-un pointed to the epochal achievements in building a strong and self-sustaining defence capability, which is the fundamental guarantee of the people's defence and national sovereignty.
In his concluding speech, he stressed that the country's defence science and munitions industry has played a major role in fulfilling the objective of building a strong military such as firm defence of peace and stability with an overwhelming increase in combat power while maintaining a resolute, tough stance against the extremely deteriorating security environment in the region; and demonstrating to the world the entity of our new strategic deterrent and the endless development potential and modernity of defence science and technology, whose international stature cannot be downplayed.
In the closing speech, it was stated that the overall national economy was showing a solid growth trend and was delivering substantial results that were directly linked to the well-being of the people.
Twelve major national economic development targets, including housing, were successfully met; production plans were met at 127 percent for rolled steel, 106 percent for non-ferrous metals, 103 percent for nitrogen fertilizer, 101 percent for electricity, 110 percent for coal, 101 percent for cement, 104 percent for timber, 101 percent for water products, 108 percent for rail freight turnover, 101 percent for fabrics, and 107 percent for grain. Successfully pushed through the realignment and strengthening of projects, including the second phase of the Kumsong Tractor Factory Upgrading Project and the installation of an energy-saving oxygen blast furnace at the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex, further strengthening the development momentum and potential of a self-sustaining economy.
The agricultural sector once again reaped a bountiful harvest thanks to the active implementation of scientific farming methods, and by April had implemented the second phase of the irrigation system construction and rehabilitation project, further strengthening the material basis of its production.
The construction sector has once again built 10,000 apartments of more refined and developed architectural beauty in the Hwasong area of the capital, implemented the housing construction plan for this year in the Komdok area, and completed the construction of modern rural villages in many cities and districts, bringing great pleasure and joy to people across the country.
The construction sector has once again built 10,000 apartments with more elaborate and developed architectural beauty in the Hwasong area of the capital, implemented the housing construction plan for this year in the Komdok area, and completed the construction of modern rural villages in many cities and districts, bringing great pleasure and joy to people across the country.
Large-scale reconstruction projects have been implemented in the flood-affected provinces of North Pyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang, presenting a new, transformed look for cultivated rural towns. As a result, a new path for regional construction has been opened, the inexhaustible power of self-reliance has been demonstrated, and Party members, youth and service workers have been strengthened in patriotic and practical struggle.
In the concluding speech, it was stated that the scientific and cultural fields have achieved successes that have contributed to the promotion of the all-people creative struggle, to the prosperity and development of the country and to the enhancement of its prestige.
The basic, major tasks of the development of science and technology have been accomplished, progress has been made in solving scientific and technological problems that are urgently needed to increase production in key industries and other economic sectors, including light industry and agriculture, and to improve people's living standards, and positive efforts have been made to innovate in education, health, literature and the arts.
Our female footballers have won the Asia Cup and World Cup finals and have won Asian and World Championship titles in various sports disciplines including weightlifting, table tennis, boxing and taekwondo. This is a noteworthy achievement in the overview of this year.
Kim Jong-un proudly said that our Party, after establishing the 20×10 regional development policy for the simultaneous and balanced development of regions and the substantial improvement of the living standards of the people of the whole country and presenting its first perfect fruits, has infused the people of the whole country with hope and courage and doubled their creative enthusiasm and self-confidence.
On behalf of the Party's Central Committee, he warmly thanked Party members, workers, service workers and youth across the country for resolutely overcoming the challenges and difficulties they faced and faithfully implementing the Party's decisions, thus filling this crucial year for the implementation of the Five-Year Plan with significant creative and innovative achievements of hard work and patriotic devotion, and staying true to the Party Central Committee's ideas and unified leadership.
The concluding speech pointed to a number of deviations and shortcomings that have hampered our progress and development, including a weak national disaster prevention capability and an inability to conduct science-based construction.
Kim Jong-un set as the general orientation of work for 2025 to successfully complete the five-year plan and substantially advance preparations for the next stage of development, and clarified the policy-oriented tasks for its implementation.
He said that the main efforts should be directed towards jump-starting the growth and development of the entire national economy and outlined the targets to be achieved by key industries including metal, chemical, electricity, engineering and coal mining and rail transport.
The final speech emphasized the need to continue the massive struggle of building in the new year and to take another step forward towards the realization of our ideals.
In 2025, the construction of 50,000 housing units in Pyongyang is expected to be completed with the fourth phase of housing construction in the Hwasong area, the completion of housing construction in the Komdok area, and the continuation of housing construction in rural villages. In particular, efforts should be concentrated on the construction of industrial and public facilities to speed up the great cause of rejuvenating the region, and, on the basis of the experience gained in the construction of a sea farm in Sinpho, a sea farm should be successfully built on a trial basis in another area.
Kim Jong-un set it as the general orientation of work for 2025 to successfully complete the five-year plan and substantially advance preparations for the next stage of development, and specified policy-oriented tasks for its implementation.
He said that the main efforts should be directed towards jump-starting the growth and development of the entire national economy and outlined the targets to be achieved by key industries including metal, chemical, electricity, engineering and coal mining and rail transport.
The final speech emphasized the need to continue the massive struggle of building in the new year and to take another step forward towards the realization of our ideals.
In 2025, the construction of 50,000 housing units in Pyongyang is expected to be completed with the fourth phase of housing construction in the Hwasong area, the completion of housing construction in the Komdok area, and the continuation of housing construction in rural villages. Efforts should be focused in particular on the construction of industrial and public facilities to speed up the great cause of rejuvenating the region, and, on the basis of the experience gained in the construction of a sea farm in Sinpho, a sea farm should be successfully built on a trial basis in another area.
The concluding speech stressed the need to improve afforestation, land management and ecological environmental protection, establish a strict and unified command and order system related to disaster prevention by the state, fully prepare to cope with disaster hazards, including the provision of rescue facilities and relief materials, and ensure the scientific accuracy, precision and speed of flood warning to minimize the disaster.
It also stressed the need to successfully achieve the expected economic growth targets by focusing efforts on solving pressing methodological problems such as improving the system and method of unified economy-wide management, planning and pricing in line with the economic structure and specific conditions of the country.
Kim Jong-un noted that the main task set at the 8th Party Congress is to achieve fundamental change in the people's life, and stressed the need to more vigorously pursue the major political tasks that have been set and implemented for the people's life, and thus achieve more significant achievements in the coming year.
The challenge facing the agricultural sector in 2025 is to achieve the grain production target set by the Party and to lay the foundations for a decisive increase in agricultural production in the new long-term plan period.
The final speech spoke of measures to put the country's agricultural production on a stable and sustainable path of development, including strengthening the material and technical foundations of the agricultural sector, attaching importance to scientific farming, and systematically training a large number of talents who will shoulder the implementation of the program of the rural revolution in the new era and the transformation of the socialist countryside.
He stressed that the light industry sector should highlight quality improvement as a primary task and focus efforts on improving the quality of condiments and consumer goods and responsibly implement socialist policies for children and students. It also indicated practical ways to strengthen the material base of the fisheries sector.
It put forward the strengthening of the role of the scientific and cultural front as an important task in the run-up to the new year to conclude the first phase of the struggle for pioneering and transformation for all-round socialist development.
The scientific circles should appear as one unit to achieve successful results and fully support the victory of the final offensive for the implementation of the decisions of the Eighth Party Congress and lead the Party into a new stage of development.
The public health system should continuously bring preventive and curative care closer to reality, improve the quality of health services for working people, and lay a solid foundation for anti-epidemic work to deal with a possible global public health crisis.
The concluding speech emphasized the need for the fields of art and literature, media and sports to stir the times, shake the whole country and give impetus to its revolutionary spirit through the creation of outstanding works of art and literature, a massive media offensive and success in sports.
Kim Jong-un remarked that the working people's organizations are the forces that should vigorously advance the struggle in the coming year, when the landmark of great victory and change will be set in the history of the development of our Party and country, and stressed that the youth league organizations in particular should regard the meaning and purpose of the Party's policy of prioritizing the youth as their lifeblood and prepare the officials and members of the youth leagues as the true successors of the revolution.
He outlined the remarkable successes achieved this year in strengthening the international position of our State and consolidating its external position, and the features of the present international situation, in which the growth and rapid advance of the circles of independent forces is conspicuous, and the position of the circles of forces striving for supremacy is rapidly weakening and declining.
Our republic has reliably defended its inviolable sovereign rights and achieved successes of strategic importance in terms of prospective growth of interests and enhancement of national prestige, while promptly and cleverly responding to the complex regional situation and the unstable structure of international relations and firmly maintaining its principled foreign policy stance and combat orientation. In this way, it has firmly positioned itself internationally as a representative and powerful independent force that dynamically promotes the construction of a just multipolar world.
The final speech put forward strategic and tactical tasks for establishing a more favorable external phase of the Korean Revolution through proactive and offensive external activities in accordance with the Party's external strategic plan and intentions.
The US is the most reactionary state that considers anti-communism as its immutable state policy, the alliance between the US, Japan and the ROK has expanded into a nuclear military bloc for aggression, and the ROK has turned into an open anti-communist outpost of the US. This fact clearly shows what direction we should take and what we should do and how we should do it.
In the final speech, the strategy of the toughest counter-action against the US to be aggressively launched by the DPRK in the interest of its long-term national interests and security was explained.
He outlined the tasks for external relations to wage a dynamic struggle to defend national sovereign rights on the principle of strengthening the prestige and defending the interests of the state and to positively promote the development of relations with friendly countries that respect the dignity and interests of the DPRK.
Kim Jong-un pointed to the special importance of thoroughly preparing the People's Army as the Party's revolutionary army, boundlessly loyal to its leadership and strong in ideology and technique.
The KPA should hold fast to the strengthening of its political-ideological strength as the main strategic task of its building; it should develop itself into a revolutionary army that always wins through ideology; it should train all its service personnel into true patriots, the strongest in its spiritual strength, and above all, to carry out a dynamic ideological work aimed at equipping it fully with a keen awareness of the enemy, an unchanging view of the arch-enemy and a firm will to wage a decisive struggle with him.
In order to meet the requirements and features of modern warfare and cope with the ever-changing scenario and the enemy's way of conducting the war, it should enhance its ability to conduct the war by intensifying research on its own style of tactics, give continuous impetus to the work of putting its operational command on an informative and modern basis, and continuously study and apply scientific forms and methods of training.
We should also move forward in fully preparing civil defence for war.
Kim Jong-un clarified strategic and tactical principles for more reliably ensuring the strengthening of war deterrence for self-defense through the accelerated advancement of defense science and technology and the radical development of the defense industry to counter the ever-increasing military provocations of the US and its vassal forces against the DPRK, and set out tasks for their implementation.
He said that the struggle to successfully implement the decisions of the 8th DPRK Congress next year requires Party organizations, political workers of relevant sectors and units to strengthen their functions and activities more than ever before, and stressed that all Party organizations should dynamically conduct their organizational and political work to unconditionally achieve their struggle goals through thorough preparation and redoubled efforts.
In particular, all party officials should once again bear in mind the true meaning of the slogan "Everything for the people and everything with their help!" and devote themselves to working for the people as the Party Central Committee intended, he said, adding:
The unprecedentedly difficult situation will persist in the future, but the invaluable experience and lessons we have gained and absorbed in this year's intense struggle to usher in a new era of transformation unparalleled since the nation's inception, and our confidence and inner strength, which have grown a hundredfold, will surely encourage us to successfully achieve the goals we have set for ourselves.
He then fervently urged all participants to remain true to their heavy duty and responsibility they have taken on for the times and the revolution and for the country and the people, and to wage a bolder struggle with greater confidence in the vanguard of the general offensive for the great victory and glory in 2025.
For shouting "Hooray!" and applause, all participants expressed their full support for the General Secretary's closing speech, which clearly specified the tasks and ways of struggle to ensure that the glory of 2024, achieved through independence, backed by the firm unity of all Party members and other people throughout the country under the banner of patriotism, will continuously develop and bring success in 2025, and dramatically accelerate the historic progress towards national rejuvenation.
Kim Jong-un's historic final speech is a great program of action that makes it possible to scientifically guarantee the perfect achievement of the Party's sacred struggle goal, which has launched a grand journey for the overall development of socialism based on the noble ideas of "The People are God", purposeful unity and self-reliance, and to massively and permanently expand it.
The plenary discussed the second item on the agenda, "On the work of the Party's Central Auditing Commission in 2024".
A report was submitted on the relevant agenda item.
She pointed to the achievements made in the work to implement the line of building Party discipline in the new era and the financial and material support for Party work and activities, and sternly pointed out the deviations exposed by the Party's inspection committees at all levels.
The Plenary Session made a relevant assessment of the work of the Party Central Review Commission in 2024.
It discussed the third item on the agenda, "On our party's new regional development policy and its future tasks".
Kim Jong-un said that the 20×10 Regional Development Policy, which our Party regards as a key political issue and the supreme task for the fulfillment of its coveted wish and is dynamically pushing it forward as a paramount revolutionary task, is an eventful decision and an unprecedentedly huge creative struggle, the first of its kind since the founding of the Party and the state, which aims to provide a new, rich and civilized life for the people across the country within ten years and rapidly raise the level of development in all regions.
In spite of the serious problems and difficulties that have hindered our progress and the daunting tasks that need to be pushed through and accomplished in the remaining period of the implementation of the Five-Year Plan, the medium- and long-term tasks of regional transformation, which for almost 80 years were only an ideal, have become policy and entered the full-scale implementation phase without delay. This is a great revolution that is creating a new history.
The Secretary-General said that it would take a great deal of discernment, courage and struggle to confirm such a great transformation line, the Regional Development Action Programme, and to translate it into an impeccable form, stating, that developing all regions of the country simultaneously and in a balanced manner is an important strategic task for building a Korean-type socialism oriented towards overall development, and at the same time an urgent political task for the more consistent application and full implementation of the principle of "people first", which is the basic political idea of the Party and the Government.
He pointed out that the 19th expanded meeting of the Political Bureau of the 8th Central Committee of the Korean Labour Party held in January this year had set the 20×10 regional development policy to raise the basic material and cultural living standards of the people throughout the country by a level higher for a period of ten years through the construction of modern regional industrial plants in 20 cities and counties successively every year, with the Party and the Government taking full responsibility for it, and had taken concrete measures to implement it.
The soldier-builders, who are at the forefront of implementing the regional development policy, have concentrated all their efforts on ensuring excellence in construction with an exceptional sense of responsibility and conscience, for the sake of the dignity of the Party and the honour of the Army. The result was the construction of new factories, the first creations in the quest for regional rejuvenation, corresponding to the idea, national strength and civilizational level of our times. And workers, scientists and technicians in various fields in charge of supplying materials and equipment and technology, including the machinery and building materials industries, have also made valuable achievements in their production tasks and research and development by showing tenacious perseverance and creativity.
Meanwhile, a modern coastal farm, a new model of coastal agriculture, has been built in Sinpho on the east coast, which has accelerated the work of creating excellent experiences for coastal towns and districts in every way, so that they can live by their own efforts and actively support and stimulate the significant development and growth of the regional economy.
Noting that the first achievements in the efforts to implement the regional development policy are indeed the fruits of our worthy and valuable struggle and proof of our most valuable and proudest prosperity, the General Secretary said with pride that although the Party and the Government have taken on double the workload and heavier burdens, our struggle to promote the people's welfare has remarkably intensified and expanded, and socialist construction has entered a new stage of epochal progress.
Referring to the Party Central Committee's intention to additionally construct medical facilities, cultural complexes and grain management facilities in cities and districts across the country, and considering that the construction of some regional industrial plants in each city and district is not enough to completely eliminate the centuries-old backwardness persisting in local areas and put them on the track of sustainable development, he gave an overview of the significance of the construction of the three basic projects and the specific focus of the construction.
He said that only when the above construction projects are properly and practically completed so that they can be smoothly operated at the present stage can we surely provide a solid foundation for regional development and open a dynamic phase in which cities and districts can undergo change and rejuvenation at the same time, and proposed to the Plenum that the Party's new regional development policy should formally include the construction of modern public health, scientific, educational, recreational and grain management facilities in parallel with the construction of regional industrial plants.
Speeches were made on the third item on the agenda.
Speeches were made by 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, and written speeches were delivered by senior officials from various sectors.
They expressed their full support and agreement with the grand regional development programme, which clearly outlines specific and practical measures to end centuries of regional underdevelopment and accelerate the historic cause of regional rejuvenation.
They stressed that the Party's new regional development policy of building modern medical facilities, cultural complexes and integrated grain management facilities necessary for regional development in parallel with the construction of regional industrial plants is an important national issue and a historic matter that can only be resolved by the General Secretary, who considers the pain spent on the people as his duty and takes on his shoulders everything to promote their welfare.
They firmly resolved to fulfill their responsibility and mission as the leaders of the revolution to vigorously lead the gigantic struggle to transform the regions in a multi-stage, three-dimensional and offensive manner, true to the noble intention of the Party Central Committee with single-minded efforts, thus fully guaranteeing the perfect implementation of the regional development policy in the new era.
The Plenary discussed the fourth item on the agenda, "On the promotion of a series of measures to strengthen the educational foundation of the country".
A report was submitted on the relevant agenda item.
The reporter said:
In August last year, the Secretary-General made special arrangements for all schoolchildren from flood-affected areas to come to Pyongyang to study, and visited classes temporarily set up in a dormitory on April 25 to learn about teaching preparations for the new semester, saying that educational work is the state's primary concern, which cannot be abandoned even if the sky collapses. His noble intention for the rising generation reminds us once again of the attitude and position we should take on the issue of educating students and providing conditions for their education.
Emphasizing that the urgent issue for the glorification of our country as a power of talents and socialist education at the present time is to further strengthen the overall foundations of education as the times demand, the Rapporteur put before the plenum the problems that the State should address.
Kim Jong-un made a closing speech on the fourth item on the agenda.
He stated that education is the first national issue that should be given priority and requires tremendous efforts at every time and stage, and the most important sector that must make steady progress, and pointed out the priority, necessity and importance of its development.
He said that in accordance with the tasks set out at the Sixth and Eighth Plenary Sessions of the Eighth Party Central Committee, practical measures have been taken to realign the country's educational structure to provide advanced education and improve the content and methods of education more reasonably, and that the socialist policy for students is being consistently implemented along with work on the long-term training of reserve teachers. Despite the proud qualitative changes that have taken place in this sector in recent years, the overall foundations of education still do not meet the requirements of the times and the revolution, he stressed and made a rigorous analysis of the current situation in education, and outlined the immediate, medium-term and long-term tasks to be accomplished by investing national efforts on the responsibility of the Party and the government to consolidate the foundations of education:
Now that we have set ourselves the goal of building a state that attaches the greatest importance to education and is the most advanced in education in the world, we should definitely move in the direction of supplying schools with aids, supplies and equipment and providing the best possible working and learning conditions for teachers and students under the full responsibility of the state.
He then indicated his intention to present the above agenda item as a special item in plenary and practical ways to bring the educational foundation of the country to a new level in the shortest possible time.
Stressing the need to push for the modernisation of schools, which claims the lion's share in strengthening educational fundamentals, as a state enterprise, he set an ambitious target of renovating all schools across the country in the next decade and persistently pushed it to completion, setting out measures to that end.
In his concluding speech, he put forward the tasks for the education sector to fully fulfill its purpose and mission, such as continuously raising the intellectual level of all students through improving basic education in the general education sector, deepening the qualifications of teachers to strengthen the overall education sector, reducing the urban-rural gap in education levels, and creating a national system of educational assistance for persons with disabilities.
Kim Jong-un said that educational work, which decides the fate of the nation and has an important influence on the growth of the people, should be a matter of public concern and that our current revolutionary practice requires that more efforts be made to help education. He stressed that officials who are sincerely interested in the prospects of the Party and the revolution and the future of the country and are prepared to take responsibility for them should always pay attention to the solution of the education question and take its solution as a matter of their own interest, whether it is big or small.
He said that the stable and promising comprehensive national rejuvenation, regional rejuvenation and rural development lie in the development of education, and affirmed that our Party will always put education above all else, prioritize it, continue to arouse public interest in it, and continuously increase state support and investment in it as the scope of creation and transformation expands and revolutionary tasks become enormous.
In connection with the fifth item on the agenda, the plenary decided to organize a state budget advisory team to examine and review the implementation of the 2024 state budget and the 2025 draft state budget.
The Plenary discussed the sixth item on the agenda, "On work for the intra-party structure", and unanimously approved the relevant decision.
As the seventh item on the agenda, the plenary discussed an organizational matter.
Members and alternates of the WPK Central Committee were recalled or re-elected.
Alternate Party Central Committee members Jong Myong Su and Yun Jong Ho were additionally elected as Party Central Committee members, and No Kwang Chol, Ri Hi Yong, Song Jun Sol and Kang Myong Chol were directly elected as Party Central Committee members.
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 additionally elected as alternate members of the Party Central Committee.
The members and alternates of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee were recalled or additionally elected.
Ri Yong Gil and Choe Son Hui, alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee, were additionally elected as members, and No Kwang Chol, Kim Jong Gwan, Ri Hi Yong and Choe Tong Myong were directly elected as members.
Pang Tu Sop and Kim Chol Won were additionally elected as alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.
Members of the Bureau of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee were recalled or re-elected.
Pak Thae Song was re-elected as a member of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.
The consultation meetings actively discussed the tasks to further consolidate and strengthen the achievements made in this year's struggle after a thorough study of the draft decisions, and scientific and innovative proposals were put forward in the process.
On 27 December, the 24th meeting of the Political Bureau of the Eighth Central Committee of the WPK was convened.
The politburo decided to examine the proposals made at the panel study and consultation meetings and to amend and supplement the draft decisions before submitting them to the plenary.
It also decided to review the review of the implementation of the 2024 State Budget and the draft 2025 State Budget conducted by the State Budget Review Team and report the outcome to the Plenary.
Jo Yong Won reported to the plenary on the outcome of the Policy Bureau meeting.
The plenary unanimously approved the decisions "On fulfilling the tasks of the Five-Year Plan for 2025 set at the 8th Party Congress", "On accelerating the comprehensive rejuvenation of the state by vigorously pushing forward the implementation of the new regional development strategy" and "On taking a series of measures to strengthen the country's educational foundation".
Finally, it reviewed the implementation of the 2024 State budget and the draft 2025 State budget and approved the submission of a document on them to the 12th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly.
Kim Jong-un closed the plenary session.
Next year is a significant year for the 80th anniversary of the founding of our Party and also a year when the Eighth Party Central Committee will take stock of its work ahead of time and the people, he said, pointing to the need to make 2025, the last year of its term, a historic turning point that will occupy the brightest position in the history of our Party's leadership with extraordinary wisdom, courage, responsible efforts and diligent efforts surpassing four years of pioneering and leaping forward.
He made a fervent appeal to the whole Party, the whole country and all the people to join in the sacred patriotic struggle for the all-round rejuvenation and development of our great country and achieve miraculous successes, and thus hailed the 9th Party Congress with honour as a glorious meeting of victors.
The December 2024 Plenary Session of the WPK Central Committee concluded its responsible work under the high political consciousness and fervent enthusiasm of all participants to remain faithful to their duty as leaders of the revolution to the front line and vanguard in implementing the Party's policies, honoring the great trust of tens of millions of people.
Bearing in mind the importance of the revolutionary tasks which they had pledged to carry out unconditionally before the plenary session, the members of the Party's central leadership, who took the direct course of the important struggle for the realisation of the great revolutionary programme set out at the VIII. Party Congress, renewed their solemn will to celebrate 2025 as a year of eye-opening events and a year of great turning point to bring about an upward trend to a higher stage of development with immense courage, redoubled efforts, inexhaustible enthusiasm and devotion.
The Eleventh Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Korean Labor Party will long go down in the history of our Party as a momentous event, for it has strengthened optimism about the prospects and potential of our cause, which is vigorously advancing with the most righteous ideal and lofty ambition, and has given great impetus to the historic progress for decisively accelerating the era of all-round prosperity of our country through the irresistible power of self-respect and independence.
Embassy of the DPRK in the Czech Republic
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