A hopeful new year has started as the Korean people are confidently ushering in a new era of overall development of socialism and national prosperity under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea.

In 2024, they made strenuous efforts to implement the programme of the fourth year of the five-year plan for national economic development set forth at the Eighth Congress of the WPK, to achieve the far-reaching goal for national prosperity and public welfare.

The Ninth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the WPK held in December 2023 called for advancing more vigorously towards attaining the goals set at the Eighth Congress of the WPK by uniting on the strength of patriotism, an idea that fired all the people with enthusiasm and inspired them to create ceaseless miracles and win new victories last year.

There was no let-up in the construction for the people throughout the year.

House-moving events continued all year round as housing construction was conducted in Pyongyang and other parts of the country. Incomparably more decent villages sprang up in the city of Sinuiju and Uiju County of North Phyongan Province and in other flood-hit areas.

The WPK set forth a policy for regional development by which it will take on the construction of modern regional-industry factories in 20 counties every year, or in all cities and counties in ten years, in order to upgrade the basic material and cultural living standards of the whole population. Accordingly, modern regional-industry factories were inaugurated in Songchon County with others near to completion in 19 counties at the end of the year.

Different fields of economic construction showed a sustainable growth trend, opening up new horizons for the improvement of the people's standard of living.

Tanchon Power Station No. 1, the Kosong Army-People Power Station, the energy-saving oxygen blast furnace at the Hwanghae Iron and Steel Complex and the hydrometallurgical copper smeltery of the Sangnong Mine were built, the ore transport system at the Komdok Mining Complex was completed, and modernization projects such as those for the Onchon Tile Factory and the Jonchon Rock-drill Factory and the second-stage of the modernization project for the Kumsong Tractor Factory were successfully carried out. In addition, the projects for renovating the power system in the Yonbaek area of South Hwanghae Province and the calcination-sulfuric acid line at the Munphyong Smeltery were brought to completion.

Factories specializing in school uniforms and footwear were built in every province, and various goods shows took place all year round, playing their part in improving the people’s standard of living and the quality of consumer goods.

The agricultural sector reaped high yields, bringing delight to the people.

Exhibitions of products and departmental sci-tech shows, namely the advanced science and technology and products exhibition, the exhibition of IT products of the DPRK and Russia, the national sci-tech show of youth, were successfully held to give impetus to the country’s drive for development of science and technology.

Masterpieces of the times were created in the field of literature and the arts.

A revolutionary film 72 Hours was completed as a model outcome of the revolution in the cinematic art, followed by a feature film Days and Nights of Confrontation , a sequel of One Day and One Night . Dear Father , Song about Motherland and other hymns reflecting reverence for the leader and love of the motherland captured the imagination of the people.

Sportspersons achieved the world’s astonishing successes in major international competitions including the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, the 10th Asian Taekwon-Do Championships and the IWF World Cup.

As they have rung out a year with such remarkable achievements and welcomed a new year which will be decorated with greater miracles and changes, the Korean people are showing utmost reverence for and trust in the great WPK, the banner, organizer and guide of all their victories and glory.

They are also determined to bring earlier the future of prosperity by making constant innovations and leaps forward with great ambition and ideal.

Yang Ryon Hui