Library:Understanding Workers' Party of Korea

Understanding Workers' Party of Korea
Publisher	Foreign Languages Publishing House
First published	Pyongyang, Korea
Type	Book

Introduction

Early in May 2016 the Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea will be held.

The congress will mark a new milestone in the Korean people’s struggle to implement the cause of socialism and achieve their national reunification and in the world people’s struggle to realize global independence for justice and progress.

With this congress in the offing, interest in this ruling party of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is growing as never before.

What kind of party is it?

To give an answer to this question raised by many people in the world, the Editorial Board publishes Understanding Workers’ Party of Korea.

Editorial Board

Symbols of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Workers’ Party of Korea has as its symbols an emblem and a flag.

The WPK’s emblem has a hammer, a sickle and a writing brush intersecting at the central point.

It symbolizes that the WPK is the vanguard detachment of the working masses including workers, farmers and intellectuals that are rallied organizationally and ideologically with their leader at the centre and a revolutionary, mass-based party that struggles to realize the demands and interests of the masses of the people with its roots struck deep among them.

Its flag, red in colour, has the WPK’s emblem at its centre. It portrays the revolutionary and mass character, indomitable will and fighting spirit of the WPK which, guided by the great Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, carries forward the traditions of the Juche revolution in their pure form and struggles to bring to completion the cause of the Juche revolution by firmly rallying all the people around itself and the leader.

Nature of the Workers’ Party of Korea

In a word, the nature of the WPK is that it is a revolutionary, mass-based party.

It is a party of the working class and other working masses, which embraces the progressive elements selected from among the working masses including the workers, farmers and intellectuals, who are ready to dedicate their lives to the struggle for the victory of the cause of socialism, and which has struck its root deep among them.

It is the highest form of political organization among all political organizations of the working masses and the leading political organization of society, and is the General Staff of the revolution that guides the political, military, economic, cultural and all other fields in a unified manner.

It is the core and vanguard detachment of the working class and other working masses that are solidly united in an organizational and ideological way with Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as its eternal leaders and with Kim Jong Un at its centre.

It is the great party of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

Party of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il

Kim Il Sung was the founder of the WPK, an outstanding leader who guided it and the revolution along the road resplendent with victory and the eternal leader of the WPK and the Korean people.

He authored the immortal Juche idea, and founded the glorious WPK by relying on the organizational and ideological basis of party founding he had laid and the brilliant revolutionary traditions he had created in the crucible of the anti-Japanese revolution. He developed it into a party that is united ideologically and volitionally, into a steel-strong party that has a high sense of organization and discipline, into a powerful party that enjoys absolute support and trust of the masses of the people, and into an invincible party that steadfastly carries forward the lineage of the Juche revolution. He founded the revolutionary armed forces and people’s government, and remarkably strengthened the internal force of the Korean revolution. He achieved the historic cause of national liberation and class emancipation by leading to victory the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle, Fatherland Liberation War and democratic and socialist revolutions, and pushed ahead dynamically with socialist construction, thus building in Korea a people-centred socialist state that is independent in politics, self-sufficient in the economy and self-reliant in national defence. He made a great contribution to achieving the reunification of the Korean nation and accomplishing the cause of independence of humankind.

Kim Jong Il was a preeminent leader who developed the WPK into the party of Kim Il Sung and led the Songun revolution to victory. He is the eternal General Secretary of the WPK, and the eternal leader of the WPK and the Korean people.

He developed in a deep-going way the Juche idea into a great guiding ideology of the era of independence, and built the WPK into a body ideologically pure and organizationally integrated, a body which is fully equipped with a monolithic ideological system and a unified leadership system. He also built it into a motherly party that has formed a harmonious whole with the masses and takes care of their destiny with responsibility, into a veteran and seasoned party with sophisticated art of leadership, and into a promising party in which the inheritance of its leader’s leadership has been guaranteed. He set imbuing the whole society with Kimilsungism as the highest programme for the WPK and ushered in a new age of miraculous changes in all fields of the revolution and construction. Under the banner of Songun he reliably safeguarded the sovereignty of the country and nation, built Kim Il Sung’s Korea into a single-heartedly united politico-ideological power and an invincible military power, ushered in a heyday of great prosperity for the country, and brought a radical turn in implementing the cause of national reunification and the cause of global independence.

Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il were outstanding ideo-theoreticians, preeminent leaders and benevolent fathers of the people who, with far-sighted wisdom, uncommon leadership ability, indomitable willpower and ardent love for the people, devoted their whole life to strengthening and developing the WPK and to the happiness of the Korean people.

The WPK will add eternal brilliance to the noble revolutionary careers and valuable exploits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, whose names will shine forever along with its development.

Guiding Ideology of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The guiding ideology of the WPK is Kimilsungism- Kimjongilism whose quintessence is the Juche idea.

The Juche idea is the starting-point of its building and activities and the basis for its organizational and ideological consolidation. The Juche idea guides it in its leading the revolution and construction.

Guided by the idea, the WPK works out its lines, strategies and tactics for the revolution and construction and carries out its lines and policies by relying on the strength of the masses of the people and enlisting their creativity.

It has always advanced under the unfurled banner of the Juche idea. Amid the struggle to embody the Juche idea, it was founded and developed, and by embodying this idea it has led the revolution and construction to victory.

Fundamental Mission of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The WPK struggles for the victory of the cause of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the cause of the Juche revolution.

Immediate Goal of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The immediate goal of the WPK is to build a thriving socialist country in the northern half of Korea and carry out the tasks of national liberation and democratic revolution on a nationwide scale.

Ultimate Goal of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The ultimate goal of the WPK is to completely realize the independence of the masses of the people by modelling the whole society on Kimilsungism- Kimjongilism.

Supreme Principle in the Activities of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The supreme principle of the WPK in its activities is to steadily improve the people’s standard of living.

Essence of the Work of the Workers’ Party of Korea

Work with people constitutes the essence of the work of the WPK. It resolves all problems by holding fast to ideology and enlisting the mental strength of the masses.

Basic Principles in the Building of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The basic principles the WPK maintains in its building are: first, to establish a monolithic ideological system within it; second, to form an integral whole with the masses; and third, to ensure inheritance in its building.

Establishing a monolithic ideological system in the building of the working-class party means making one revolutionary ideology prevail across it and, on this basis, ensuring the unitary character of leadership. Only by establishing a monolithic ideological system within it can it maintain its revolutionary character, achieve the organizational and ideological unity of its ranks and perform its functions and role to the full as the General Staff of the revolution.

To form an integral whole with the masses is the intrinsic nature of the working-class party that struggles for them and conducts its activities by relying on them.

Only when it forms an integral whole with the masses can it become an invincible party.

The revolutionary movement and the cause of party building are long-term undertakings that continue down through the generations. What is fundamental in carrying forward the cause of the party is to properly solve the problem of the heir to the political leader, firmly lay the organizational and ideological foundations for realizing the heir’s leadership and thoroughly establish his leadership system. The working-class party must present as the heir the people’s leader who is boundlessly faithful to the party and the revolution and is endowed with personality and qualifications with which to fully materialize his political leadership over the whole society.

Paving a New Road for Building a Revolutionary Party

Led by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the WPK paved a new road for building a revolutionary party in the era of independence and created a brilliant example.

Travelling a glorious road of struggle spanning 90 years since it struck its root with the formation of the Down-with-Imperialism Union, it has made great achievements to be etched in golden letters in history and developed into a powerful revolutionary party that is united rock-solid and has accumulated rich experience.

Starting-Point of Party Founding

The Korean revolution, which had experienced turns and twists in the early-stage communist movement, urgently demanded a militant party that can lead the revolution to victory by braving out all kinds of difficulties. This historical demand was met by Kim Il Sung.

Having emerged in the vanguard of the Korean revolution in the grimmest days of Japanese colonial rule, he blazed the trail for the Korean revolution. In order to conduct the anti-Japanese national liberation struggle with a correct fighting programme and by relying on the masses, he formed the Down-with-Imperialism Union (DIU), an underground revolutionary organization, on October 17, 1926.

The formation of the DIU served as the starting-point of the struggle to found a party of new type that was different from the former parties founded in Korea, a Juche-type revolutionary party. The programme of the DIU became the basis of the programme of the WPK, the principle of independence put forward by the DIU was carried forward by the WPK in its building and activities, and the revolutionaries of a new generation reared by the DIU served as the backbone in founding the WPK.

Policy for Founding a Party Advanced at the Kalun Meeting

When putting forward the Juche-oriented line of the Korean revolution at the historic Kalun Meeting (June 30-July 2, 1930), Kim Il Sung advanced the unique policy of founding a revolutionary party.

What was of importance in this policy was, above all else, to found a party independently. This reflected the intrinsic requirement of the revolutionary movement.

The revolutionary movement in a country is the struggle to realize the independence of the masses of the country, and its undertakers, its masters are none other than the revolutionaries and the people of that country. Founding a working-class party should also be carried out, to all intents and purposes, by the revolutionaries of that country, by their own efforts.

Founding a party on the principle of independence fully conformed to the requirements of the movement of the world revolution that had entered a new stage of its development. As the revolutionary struggle of the working class and other masses of the people was waged on an extensive scale and in various forms across the world, the revolution of each country could advance along the right path only when the communists of that country waged it independently with a sense of responsibility. This was true of the undertaking to found a party.

The other important thing in the policy of founding a party was to organize basic party organizations first, found a party in the way of expanding and strengthening these basic organizations, and conduct the preparatory work for party founding in close combination with the anti-Japanese struggle.

This way of founding a party correctly reflected the concrete situation in Korea. At that time most of the self-styled communists in the country were factionalist sycophants who, engrossed in factional strife and looking up to other countries, had made a mess of their party. It was impossible to found a revolutionary party in the way of rebuilding the defunct party or by relying on the preceding generation who were steeped in the worship of big countries and factionalism. To found a revolutionary party it was essential to break relations with the erstwhile party and the preceding generation, rear fresh revolutionaries of a new generation, achieve the ideological and volitional unity of the revolutionary ranks and strengthen relationship with the masses. It was only when basic party organizations were organized first and they were steadily expanded and strengthened that it was possible to quickly train the new generation of revolutionaries of worker and peasant origin in the organizational and ideological life and the practical struggle, achieve the unity and purity in ideology, will and action of the revolutionary ranks and firmly lay the mass foundation of the party. And when the preparatory work for founding a party was conducted in close combination with the anti-Japanese struggle, it was possible to train fine hardcore elements who had been tempered and tested in the struggle and build the party into a militant detachment strong in fighting efficiency.

First Party Organization of the Revolutionaries of a New Generation

On July 3, 1930, Kim Il Sung formed in Kalun the Society for Rallying Comrades embracing the revolutionaries of a new generation.

This was the first party organization guided by the Juche idea. Its formation was a historic event that marked an epochal turning-point in the Korean revolution and the struggle for founding a party.

With it as a parent body, Kim Il Sung expanded party organizations throughout the country.

Significance of the Party Committee of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army

When the Anti-Japanese People’s Guerrilla Army organized by Kim Il Sung on April 25, 1932 was reorganized into the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army in March 1934, the Party Committee was set up in the KPRA. This was an event of great significance in the Korean revolutionary movement and the building of the WPK.

As the Party Committee of the KPRA was organized, a system for unified organizational guidance over the party organizations at all levels was established and the anti-Japanese armed struggle and the building of party organizations could be conducted more briskly by relying on the organized internal revolutionary forces.

Work of Building Party Organizations in the Period of the Anti-Japanese Armed Struggle

Based on the successes achieved in the first half of the 1930s, the work of building party organizations was conducted more vigorously in the second half of the 1930s.

At a meeting of military and political cadres of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army held in Nanhutou in February 1936, Kim Il Sung set forth the policy of laying firm organizational and ideological foundations by stepping up preparations for founding a party on a nationwide scale so that its founding could be proclaimed promptly as the circumstances permitted. According to this policy party organizations at all levels in the KPRA were built up, and those in the homeland and in the Korean settlements in Manchuria were expanded. For strengthened guidance over them, the Party Working Committee of East Manchuria was set up in March 1936, the Homeland Party Working Committee in late December that year and the Party Committee of Changbai County in February 1As party organizations were expanded on a nationwide scale and a unified guidance system was established from the Party Committee of the KPRA down to the local party organizations, it became possible to ensure Kim Il Sung’s leadership over the party organizations and the overall Korean revolutionary movement.

The forming of the Association for the Restoration of the Fatherland by Kim Il Sung on May 5, 1936 was an event of historic significance in rallying the broad sections of the people including workers and peasants under the anti-Japanese banner and strengthening the mass foundations of the party to be built. The party organizations and revolutionaries rallied the broad masses behind the ARF organizations and actively enlisted them in the struggle to implement the Juche-oriented lines and policies of the Korean revolution.

At meetings of party and Young Communist League cadres and of military and political cadres of the KPRA Kim Il Sung advanced correct lines, strategies and tactics to implement the Korean revolution in every period. This served as a sure guarantee for ensuring unity in ideology, purpose and action of the revolutionary ranks based on the Juche idea and enabling the Korean revolutionaries and people to fight at all times with definite guidelines even in difficult conditions. In the situation prevailing in those days these meetings reflected the organizational wish of the party to be built and served as important occasions for realizing its leadership.

Party organizations set up in the KPRA explained the lines and strategic and tactical policies to the party members and guerrillas and helped them to thoroughly carry them out, and those formed at home and abroad struck their roots deep among the masses and performed the role of educating and enlisting the people from all walks of life, including workers, peasants and youth and students, in the anti-Japanese struggle. As the Korean revolutionaries and people waged a struggle under the guidance of their party organizations even in the extremely difficult conditions, they could lead the anti-Japanese national liberation struggle to a steady upsurge and bring its final victory earlier.

Founding Day of the Workers’ Party of Korea

On the basis of the successes and experiences gained in party building in the period of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle, Kim Il Sung ensured that party organizations were set up without any delay in all parts of Korea immediately after its liberation, and formed the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea on October 10, 1945.

This was a historic event that brought to fruition the cause of party founding that had continued for a long period under the leadership of Kim Il Sung. It was a solemn declaration of the birth of a new type of revolutionary party which is guided by the Juche idea. With the completion of the historic cause of party founding, the working class and other working masses of Korea could have their ever-victorious party and accelerate the building of a new society with confidence under its leadership.

Building into a Mass-Based Party

Etched in the history of building the WPK, the ruling party, is its effort to expand its ranks and consolidate them in an organizational and ideological way. The matter of primary importance here was to develop itself into a mass-based party rapidly.

With keen insight into the prevailing situation and law-governed requirement of the development of the Communist Party of North Korea, Kim Il Sung set forth the organizational line of building it into a mass-based one, and in August 1946 ensured that the Workers’ Party, a unified party of the working masses, was formed by merging the Communist Party with another party of the working people. As the Communist Party merged itself with another party of the working people timely and admitted into it progressive elements from among peasants and intellectuals as well as the working class, it could achieve a firm unity of the working masses, further strengthen its relationship with them and enlist them in the revolution and construction.

Strengthening in the Period of the Fatherland Liberation War

For the WPK the Fatherland Liberation War (1950-against the US armed aggression was a severe trial.

Even in the trying wartime, Kim Il Sung convened plenary meetings of the Central Committee of the WPK in order to strengthen it organizationally and ideologically. The Third Plenary Meeting rendered services to removing the undisciplined practices revealed in the days of the strategic temporary retreat and establishing revolutionary discipline across the WPK. With the Fourth Plenary Meeting as the momentum “Leftist” deviations were overcome in the WPK’s organizational work and its ranks expanded and strengthened. The Fifth Plenary Meeting took measures aimed at strengthening the WPK organizationally and ideologically by enlisting all its organizations and members in the struggle to train their Party spirit, combat factionalism, strengthen their unity and cohesion and establish the Juche orientation in the ideological work of the WPK.

Thanks to these opportune measures, the WPK could tide over all sorts of difficulties and guarantee victory in the war.

Epochal Turn in Establishing the Juche Orientation and Strengthening the Unity and Cohesion after the Fatherland Liberation War

After the war the WPK brought about an epochal turn in establishing the Juche orientation and strengthening its unity and cohesion.

Its Third Congress, held in April 1956, set out the tasks for fighting against factionalism, maintaining its unity and cohesion and improving its organizational and ideological work. The August 1956 Plenary Meeting of its Central Committee exposed and shattered the attempts by the anti-Party, counterrevolutionary factionalists who dared to challenge the WPK. The Third Congress and the August 1956 Plenary Meeting served as a momentum for establishing the Juche orientation more thoroughly and further strengthening the unity and cohesion of the WPK.

As an advanced socialist system held undivided sway with the fulfilment of the tasks for basic construction of socialism, the socio-economic conditions of its activities changed fundamentally with the laying of firm foundations of the independent national economy, and the cause of liquidating factions that had done harm historically and of achieving the unity of the movement of the Korean revolution was accomplished through a tenacious struggle against the anti-Party, counterrevolutionary factionalists and their ideological aftereffects, the WPK convened its Fourth Congress in September 1961, and presented tasks for steadily strengthening it in an organizational and ideological way and further enhancing its leadership role. Through the struggle to implement these tasks its unity and cohesion was strengthened, its leadership role enhanced, and an epochal development made in improving its methods and style of work and rallying the masses around it by educating and remoulding them. The 15^th Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK held in May 1967 brought about a fresh turn in establishing the monolithic ideological system of the WPK.

A Fundamental Change in Its Building and Activities

In reflection of the unanimous wish of all the members of the WPK and other Korean people that Kim Jong Il inherit the cause of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il started working at the Central Committee of the WPK on June 19, 1964.

Since then a radical turn was brought about in its building and activities, and its leadership role was further strengthened in all the fields of politics, the economy, culture and military affairs.

With an eye to the future of the WPK and the developing revolution, Kim Jong Il set forth the strategic policy of modelling the whole society on Kimilsungism, and as a prerequisite to this end, he presented the policy of modelling the entire WPK on Kimilsungism, and led its implementation energetically. The results were that the entire WPK was fully equipped with the monolithic ideology, the Juche idea; the ideological and volitional unity of its ranks based on this idea was further cemented; cadre ranks and Party ranks were strengthened; the core force was firmly built up to bring the cause of the Juche revolution to completion; and a well-knit work system was established whereby the instructions of Kim Il Sung were transmitted to the lowest echelons in time and all the organizations and members of the WPK acted as one according to the discipline of centralism and thoroughly defended and implemented its lines and policies.

Leading the Revolution and Construction

The destiny of the revolution and construction entirely hinges upon the leadership role of the revolutionary party of the working class.

For over 70 years since the very day of its founding, the WPK, as the ruling party, has led the revolution and construction along the ever-victorious road. It put forth correct lines and policies at every stage and in every period of the revolutionary struggle and construction work and skilfully organized and led the efforts to implement them.

Question of Power Resolved

In the days of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle Kim Il Sung scientifically analyzed the tasks of the Korean revolution and the socio-class relations in Korea. On this basis he put forward the Juche-oriented line of setting up people’s government that is based on the worker-peasant alliance led by the working class and relies on the united front of the masses from all walks of life. This line was brilliantly applied in the guerrilla zone, proving its veracity in practice.

After Korea’s liberation, the WPK, on the basis of the line of building people’s government and the experiences gained in the struggle to this end, foiled all the obstructive schemes of the hostile forces at home and abroad and established a people’s government, thus brilliantly resolving the question of power.

With the establishment of the people’s government the Korean people became the genuine masters of the state and society with state power in their hands for the first time in their history and had a powerful weapon for waging the revolution and construction.

The WPK has strengthened the people’s government and steadily enhanced its functions and role to meet the demands of the developing revolution. Under its leadership the people’s power, which emerged as the people’s democratic dictatorship government, has fully performed its mission as the weapon of the revolution and construction and provides the masses of the people, masters of the state and society, with an independent and creative life.

Anti-Imperialist, Anti-Feudal Democratic Revolution Implemented

After Korea’s liberation the WPK advanced it as an immediate fighting programme to implement the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution, and organized and led the struggle to this end.

In 1946, one year after Korea’s liberation, it enforced the democratic reforms: it implemented in less than one month the agrarian reform, a historic task of primary importance in carrying out the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution; nationalized the major industries; and promulgated the Labour Law and the Law on Sex Equality aimed at providing the working people with comprehensive democratic rights and freedom. Thus, the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution was brilliantly implemented and the revolutionary and democratic base was firmly built in the northern half of Korea.

Socialist Revolution Implemented

Proceeding from the situation that prevailed after the Fatherland Liberation War, the WPK set forth the line of stepping up the socialist revolution on a full scale in the April 1955 Theses, and enlisted the masses in the effort to this end.

In view of the specific situation in the country, it put forward the original policy of carrying out socialist transformation of the management form of the rural economy before its technical transformation, and launched a dynamic movement for agricultural cooperativization. It ensured that the principle of voluntariness was strictly observed in guiding this movement, ideological education strengthened among the peasants, and the superiority of the cooperative economy was shown to the peasants by practical demonstration during the experimental stage. It also defined different forms of cooperatives and allowed the peasants to choose any one of them freely. Thanks to the WPK’s leadership the agricultural cooperativization movement was brought to completion in a short period of four to five years.

It also organized and led the socialist transformation of private commerce and industry. Taking the characteristics of the country’s capitalist commerce and industry into account, it set forth the policy of remoulding those engaged in capitalist commerce and industry without expropriating them, and applied the way of involving them in various forms of the cooperative economy, thus realizing successfully the socialist transformation of private commerce and industry.

As the socialist transformation of the outdated relations of production had been completed in the urban and rural areas, the socialist system was established in Korea in 1958.

Implementing the Three Revolutions

After the triumph of the socialist revolution and establishment of the socialist system in Korea, the WPK defined the three revolutions-ideological, technological and cultural-as the main contents of the revolution to be waged in socialist society, as the task of continuous revolution. In waging the three revolutions, it has adhered to the principle of giving definite precedence to the ideological revolution and pushing ahead with the technological and cultural revolutions dynamically.

The Korean people are advancing to achieve the complete victory of socialism under the unfurled banner of the three revolutions.

Guiding Economic Construction

Since the first day of seizing power, the WPK directed great efforts to developing the country’s economy rapidly and strengthening its might. By applying the Juche idea in building the economy, it advanced the line of building an independent national economy and adhered to the line in guiding the struggle to implement it. By so doing, it removed the debris of the devastating war, laid down solid foundations for an independent national economy in a short span of time, and turned the backward agricultural country into a powerful socialist industrial country. Having put forward the policy of putting the national economy on a Juche-oriented, modern and scientific basis, it is now striving to strengthen the might of the socialist independent national economy and build a socialist economic giant in line with the demands of the new century.

Solving the Problem of Economic Management

After establishing the socialist relations of production, the WPK paid close attention to improving economic management so as to step up economic construction.

By creating the Taean work system in conformity with the characteristics of the socialist society and the requirements of the developing realities, it found a brilliant solution to the problem of economic management. It also established a new agricultural guidance system and a system of scientific planning, and has ensured that all the economic guidance organs organize the political work to the minutest detail as required by the Taean work system and manage the economy in a scientific and rational way by utilizing the socialist economic law and various economic leverage in a proper manner.

Today the WPK is steadily improving the economic management system and methods in the direction of observing the socialist principles in a thoroughgoing way and, at the same time, reaping maximum profits as required by the new century.

Guiding the Military Work

The WPK adheres to the revolutionary principle of self-reliant defence, an embodiment of the Juche idea in the military field, and has guided the work of applying this principle.

After Korea’s liberation, the work of building regular revolutionary armed forces was promoted together with the work of founding a party and people’s government. Thus, the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army was developed into the regular armed forces, the Korean People’s Army, in February 1While further developing the KPA, the WPK channelled great efforts into putting all the people under arms. Its military line of self-reliant defence, the gist of which is to turn the entire army into an army of cadres, modernize it, put all the people under arms and fortify the whole country, developed the KPA into a-match-for-a-hundred revolutionary armed forces, armed all the people and turned the whole country into an impregnable fortress.

In order to implement the principle of self-reliant defence, the WPK put forward the policy of combining economic construction and defence upbuilding in a proper way. This policy of promoting economic construction and defence upbuilding simultaneously was advanced in the 1960s when the aggressive moves of the US imperialists became undisguised and the country was threatened by a danger of war.

In March 2013, in order to cope with the extreme nuclear threat by the United States, the WPK put forward the line of simultaneously promoting economic construction and building up the nuclear force, and has since directed great efforts to building up the nuclear force.

Struggling to Achieve National Reunification

Since the first day of national division, the WPK has waged an untiring struggle to achieve national reunification.

The basic policy it pursues consistently is to achieve reunification independently on the principle of democracy and in a peaceful way by the efforts of the Korean people themselves rejecting interference by foreign forces. In accordance with this policy it waged until the 1960s the struggle to reunify the country through holding free general elections in the north and south of Korea or enforcing federation of the north and south as a transitional measure. In the 1970s it strove to put into practice the three principles and five-point policy for national reunification advanced by Kim Il Sung, and since the 1980s it has been fighting to put into reality the proposal of founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo, a proposal Kim Il Sung put forward at the Sixth Congress of the WPK. In order to create an environment and conditions favourable for national reunification, it has strived to have the US forces withdrawn from south Korea by putting an end to the US colonial rule in south Korea, have the south Korean society democratized by abolishing the fascist rule in it, ease the tension on the Korean peninsula by removing the danger of war, and achieve multifaceted collaboration and exchange between the north and south in the political, military, diplomatic, economic, cultural and several other fields. It has maintained that the issue of the country’s reunification, an internal issue of the Korean nation, should be solved, to all intents and purposes, in a peaceful way through dialogue and negotiations, and made patient efforts to this end. In its effort to achieve the great unity of the entire nation, the motive force of the reunification movement, it has struggled to carry out the Ten-Point Programme of the Great Unity of the Whole Nation for the Reunification of the Country advanced by Kim Il Sung.

Entering the new millennium, Kim Jong Il advanced the ideal of By Our Nation Itself through the historic June 15 North-South Joint Declaration. True to this ideal, the WPK is fighting to achieve reconciliation, unity and reunification between the north and south.

The WPK’s lines and policies for national reunification enjoy ardent support and approval of the world people as well as the Korean people for their reasonable and fair character as they correctly reflect the demands of the development of the situation and the opinions of the Korean nation.

External Activities

The WPK has conducted external activities according to its external policy worked out by applying the ideals of independence, peace and friendship, and coordinated the external activities by state organs and social organizations.

It has always shown primary concern over consolidating the friendly relations with socialist countries, and resolved the problems arising in its relations with other Communist and Workers’ parties in the spirit of mutual understanding and comradely cooperation on the basis of the spirit of independence. It has made efforts to develop the non-aligned movement and the relations of friendship with the developing countries. It has also ensured that friendly relations are maintained with the capitalist countries which approach Korea in good faith, and that economic and cultural exchanges are realized with them.

Regarding it as its noble international obligation to render active support and encouragement to the peoples of the countries that are fighting for a just cause, it has rendered various kinds of support to the national liberation struggle of the oppressed peoples, and extended support to the working masses in the capitalist countries in their struggle for democratic freedom and class emancipation and to the peoples of all other countries in their struggle for anti-imperialist independence.

Main Contents of the Art of Leadership

In the course of leading the challenging and complicated revolutionary struggle and construction work of several stages from the first days of the revolution up until now, the WPK created a revolutionary and people-oriented art of leadership, and has applied it in its activities. At each stage of its building and the developing revolution it strived to create a proper art of leadership, thus establishing a revolutionary and people-oriented art of leadership. This has enabled it to get a fresh appearance, its work to become animated and lively and its ties with the masses to grow further cemented.

The WPK’s art of leadership is a Juche-oriented one in that it is based on the Juche idea and embodies a revolutionary mass line. Its main contents are the revolutionary system of Party work and the revolutionary and people-oriented methods and style of work.

System of Work

The work system of the WPK is a revolutionary one: first, the entire WPK moves as one under the unified guidance of its Central Committee; second, WPK organizations at all levels, as supreme leadership organs of relevant units, give a unified guidance over all the work of the units; and third, WPK organizations at all levels, including its Central Committee, grasp and guide the work of the organizations at lower echelons.

Methods of Work

Created by Kim Il Sung in the days of the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle, the traditional work methods of the WPK consist of giving definite precedence to political work over all other undertakings, the superiors helping their subordinates and leading officials always going among the masses to implement their own revolutionary tasks by relying on the latter, conducting the work of the WPK in a scientific and creative way as suited to the objective realities and concrete conditions and launching mass movements to achieve the fighting goals of the WPK.

Style of Work

What is important in the style of work of the WPK is to make uninterrupted innovations and uninterrupted advance, to work in the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and fortitude, to live and work full of passion and aspiration, to be principled and fair and square in work, to work in the spirit of serving the people to ensure that they regard the embrace of the WPK as a genuine motherly embrace, to work devotedly for the WPK and the revolution and set personal examples in work, and for the officials of the WPK and its members to possess modest and simple traits and lead an upright and honest life.

Party Founding Museum

The Party Founding Museum situated at the foot of Mt Haebang is a place where Kim Il Sung founded the WPK and led the Korean revolution immediately after Korea’s liberation.

It was the building of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea. In the two-storey building the rooms where Kim Il Sung did his office work and the adjoining waiting rooms and a conference hall are preserved in their original state; there are also rooms where materials related with the founding of the WPK and its development into a mass-based party are on display.

In these rooms and the hall furnished in a quite simple fashion with wooden desks and chairs, Kim Il Sung founded the WPK, and after its founding took various measures to strengthen it. In this building he presided over several meetings including the second and third enlarged executive committee meetings of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea, prepared for the speeches to be delivered in various places to indicate the road the Korean people should take after liberation and wrote draft ordinances for democratic reforms like the agrarian reform. He convened here the Eighth Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting, where he clarified the matters of principle arising in founding the Workers’ Party, and wrote many works including the report to the Inaugural Congress of the Workers’ Party. He also presided over several important meetings and events including consultations of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea, delivered the New Year Address for 1947, and met workers, peasants and prominent figures.

Beside the building is a house where Kim Il Sung stayed first after his triumphant return following the country’s liberation and which is preserved in its original state. Living a frugal life with his comrades-in-arms, he applied himself to founding a party and building a new country and met people from all walks of life.

On the nearby hill there stands a monument set up to hand down the exploits Kim Il Sung performed for the founding of the WPK.

Inaugural Congress of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea

In October 1945 the Inaugural Congress of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang.

At the congress Kim Il Sung delivered the report On Founding a Marxist-Leninist Party in Our Country and Its Immediate Tasks.

In the report he advanced the organizational line and political line of the Communist Party.

Saying that the Communist Party to be founded should be the true vanguard detachment of the Korean working class and a mighty political General Staff capable of steadily leading the Korean revolution to victory, he clarified the principles of its building-building up its organizational backbone, actively admitting progressive workers and peasants to its ranks to develop it into a mass-based political party with a strong proletarian foundation, achieving its unity in ideology, purpose and action based on the Juche idea, and observing the discipline of democratic centralism within it.

Pointing out that a democratic people’s republic should be founded for the country to be developed into a prosperous and democratic, independent and sovereign state, he set forth the immediate four major tasks to this end.

The Communist Party’s organizational line and political line won unanimous support of those attending the congress, and the congress agreed on founding the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea. Thus the committee was formed as the central leadership body, and the Communist Party made public its founding.

First Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea

The First Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea, held in Pyongyang in October 1945, discussed and adopted Decision on the Land Problem, worked out by Kim Il Sung.

The decision stipulates that all the land belonging to the Japanese imperialists and pro-Japanese reactionary landlords shall be confiscated and distributed to peasants to be tilled by their own labour; their other property-wooded areas, irrigation facilities, rivers and swamps-shall be confiscated and placed at the disposal of the local government organs as people’s property; about 30% of the yield from the land, formerly owned by the Japanese state and pro-Japanese reactionary landlords, shall be paid to the local government organs and less than 30% of the yield from the land, formerly owned by the Oriental Development Company, a tool for Japanese exploitation in Korea in the days of Japanese colonial rule, subject to agreement between the local people’s committees and relevant peasant committees.

The decision defines as pro-Japanese reactionary landlords the traitors to the nation and their inheritors who collaborated with Japan before its annexation of Korea (August 1910), those who collaborated viciously with the organs of the Japanese imperialists after the annexation and those who collaborated directly or indirectly with the aggressive wars of the Japanese imperialists.

The decision stipulates that the land shall be distributed, in principle, to the hired and poor peasants with the priority given to the national and class movement champions, national liberation movement champions, anti-Japanese guerrillas and their bereaved families, and the bereaved families of those killed owing to the aggressive wars of the Japanese imperialists on condition that they wish to engage in farming, and that the tenants can also have the prior claim on the land they had rented so far.

The decision also points out the need to survey the land owned by the pro-Japanese reactionary landlords-not only the location and area of their land but their past and present acts in reality.

The meeting unanimously approved the decision, which was significant in resolving the peasant problem, the agricultural problem, in the stage of the anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution.

Second Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea

The Second Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang in November 1945.

Convened in the days when the factionalists and provincialists who had wormed their way into the Communist Party were intentionally distorting its political line and hindering its implementation, the meeting waged a strong ideological struggle against them over the implementation of the political line like the problems concerning power, national united front and the building of mass organizations.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the speech For the Establishment of a Genuine People’s Government. In the speech he pointed out that advocation by certain people for a “people’s republic,” an anti-popular, bourgeois regime for a handful of privileged classes, was a stand intended to relinquish the Communist Party’s leadership over political power and to hand political power over to the reactionaries, and that the assertion that a proletarian dictatorship should be set up in Korea and the socialist revolution carried out at once was an ultra-“Leftist” move taking no account of the objective requirements of the development of the Korean society and the preparedness of the masses, an extremely dangerous move divorcing the masses from the Communist Party. Stressing the need to direct all efforts to setting up a democratic people’s republic, a genuine people’s power, he said that to this end the masses of the people should be rallied and, on this basis, a conference of a national united front comprising democratic political parties and mass organizations under the guidance of the Communist Party should be held to organize a central organ of power. He continued that the Communist Party’s policy was to form a solid democratic national united front to build a mass foundation for people’s power, adding that mass organizations embracing the masses from all walks of life should be formed as early as possible for the democratic national united front and that the Communist Party should enhance its role in forming the united front. He also stressed that preparations for setting up a unified democratic government should be stepped up in north Korea, where favourable conditions had been created for the building of a new country, clarifying the concrete ways to this end.

The meeting was of great significance in frustrating the schemes of the “Leftist” and Rightist opportunists in building people’s power and defending and implementing the political line of the Communist Party.

Third Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea

The Third Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang in December 1945, with an aim to overcome the moves of factionalists and provincialists against the organizational line of the Communist Party and bring about a fundamental turn in its work.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the report On the Work of the Organizations at All Levels of the Communist Party of North Korea and the concluding speech For the Consolidation of the Party.

In the report he pointed out the successes and grave shortcomings in the work of the Communist Party, and set forth concrete tasks for implementing its organizational line.

He made an in-depth analysis of the reason of the small proportion of workers in the composition of the membership of the Communist Party, and said that the course of recruiting new members should be put to rights so that the progressive working people could join its ranks and its composition be improved. He also touched on several other problems-striving with all might to strengthen discipline in the Communist Party and preserve its unity; going among the masses, listening to their opinions, teaching them and also learning from them and thus strengthening ties with the masses by means of such revolutionary methods and style of work; intensifying the Communist Party’s guidance over the trade unions so that they can fulfil their basic tasks; training the cadres and assigning them fittingly; keeping accurate statistics of the members of the Communist Party and issuing uniform Party membership cards; and improving the united front work.

In the concluding speech he emphasized some questions; consolidating the Communist Party organizationally, strengthening its unity in ideology and purpose, strengthening its discipline, training its cadres not only at school but also through practical work, establishing a system whereby the provincial committees report regularly to the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party on their work, and reorganizing the Young Communist League into the Democratic Youth League without delay in all local areas.

The meeting took the resolute measure of applying severe Party punishment to the factionalists for going against the resolutions of the Party centre and violating Party discipline.

The meeting constituted an important occasion for establishing the unified leadership of Kim Il Sung over overall work of the Communist Party, strengthening its unity and cohesion based on the monolithic ideology and bringing about a turn in its building and activities.

Fifth Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea

Having put forward the solution of the land problem as a priority in enforcing democratic reforms after Korea’s liberation and led its preparation, Kim Il Sung convened the Fifth Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea in Pyongyang in March 1946.

At the meeting he clarified all the problems arising in enforcing the agrarian reform: enforcing the agrarian reform on the principle of free confiscation and free distribution by regarding it as the basic principle to make the peasants masters of the land under the slogan Land to the tillers!; transferring the confiscated land to the private ownership of the peasants, not to state ownership; confiscating all the land rented out regardless of size and distributing it to the farmhands and peasants with little or no land according to family size and manpower strength; explaining to the peasants that they have no right to sell, mortgage or rent out the distributed land; and adhering to the class policy of firmly relying on the poor and hired peasants, allying with the middle peasants and isolating the rich peasants in the struggle of liquidating landlords.

The meeting adopted a decision on immediately enforcing the agrarian reform.

Seventh Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea

The Seventh Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea, held in Pyongyang in June 1946, discussed enforcing the Labour Law and the related tasks facing the organizations of the Communist Party, reviewed the year’s spring sowing and deliberated on the preparations for autumn harvest.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung pointed out the great significance of the draft Labour Law, adopted at the Eighth Session of the Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea on June 20, in the improvement of people’s livelihood, the tasks facing the organizations of the Communist Party in enforcing the law and the ways for carrying out the tasks.

The meeting stressed that the Labour Law was a genuinely democratic law that would bring democratic liberation to the blue- and white-collar workers, improve their labour conditions and material life, and enable them to create a new, happy life. The meeting noted that it was an essential law for building a democratic country, a prerequisite for democratic construction, adding that it was of great significance in resolving the historic task facing the working class. It advised provincial, city and county committees of the Communist Party to hold their respective conferences of activists, and the cells their general membership meetings to take concrete measures for enforcing the Labour Law. It also called on the organizations of the Communist Party to render help to the trade union organizations, officials to convene meetings at various enterprises and local cities to hold mass rallies, all aimed at enforcing the Labour Law. It set forth tasks of industrial enterprises and office organs for making blue- and white-collar workers study the law outside their working hours to have a correct understanding of it, and noted that members of the Central Committee would be dispatched to this end.

The meeting rendered a great contribution to providing the working people with comprehensive democratic rights and freedom.

Eighth Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea

The Eighth Enlarged Executive Committee Meeting of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang in July 1946.

The meeting discussed matters of principle related to the merger of the Communist Party and the New Democratic Party, like the procedure of the merger, the draft programme and rules of the merged party and training of its core force.

After pointing out the need to merge the parties and the programmes and rules of the party to be founded after the merge, Kim Il Sung gave answers to the questions raised by those attending the meeting. As to the question why the Communist Party must be merged with only the New Democratic Party and whether it can be merged with the Chongu Party and Democratic Party, he said that the question proceeded from a misunderstanding of the class character of those parties. To the question of why the merged party must be called a workers’ party, he said: When you say workers, you have in mind those working at factories and mines; this is misguided; not only workers but also peasants and office employees engage in labour, both physical and mental; the party to be founded after merging the two parties will be an organization embracing the advanced elements from among the workers, peasants and intellectuals, who all engage in labour, and so it should be named the workers’ party. When a question was raised as to the qualifications and age for the admission into the party, he told the attendants to express their opinions, and then said: Among workers, peasants and intellectuals, those who are ready to stand in the vanguard of the struggle to promote the democratic development of the country should all be admitted into the party and the age should be set to 20 or over in view of the country’s situation and the necessity for consolidating other mass organizations. He gave clear-cut answers to other questions, stressing that the core role of the communists in the workers’ party should be expressed in working in the vanguard and in a self-sacrificing way and in educating and enlisting the masses as required by the developing revolution at each stage.

When the factionalists asked whether the merger of the two parties would lead the Communist Party to the road of petty bourgeoisie, to the Rightist road, he reprimanded them, saying their opinion was an expression of petty-bourgeois heroism and chauvinism, and continuing that it was a misguided view to think that as the Communist Party would become the workers’ party its guiding ideology should be changed into another one.

The work plan of merging the two parties worked out by Kim Il Sung received unanimous approval of those attending the meeting.

The meeting set up a milestone in developing the Communist Party into a united party of the working masses.

Inaugural Congress of the Workers’ Party of North Korea

The Inaugural Congress of the Workers’ Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang in August 1946.

At the congress Kim Il Sung delivered the report For the Establishment of a United Party of the Working Masses.

After clarifying the character and basic duty of the Workers’ Party to be founded, he said that its immediate tasks were to sweep away all the pro-Japanese and feudal forces standing in the way of the democratic independence of the country, struggle to further strengthen the Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea and transfer all power in Korea to the people’s committee, and launch a struggle to consolidate the gains of the democratic reforms carried out in north Korea and enforce them throughout the country. For the victorious accomplishment of these fighting tasks, he continued, it was important above all else to turn the Workers’ Party into a powerful combat unit by devoting utmost attention to getting to know, training and promoting cadres and by bringing the programme of the Workers’ Party and its policies and decisions home to the masses of the people to ensure that they voluntarily mobilize themselves to put them into effect.

In the concluding speech On the Immediate Tasks of the Workers’ Party he delivered at the congress, Kim Il Sung said that the immediate central task of the Workers’ Party was to achieve as soon as possible the complete independence and sovereignty of Korea along democratic lines, and the Workers’ Party should be expanded and strengthened in order to carry out this historic task properly.

The congress proclaimed the founding of the Workers’ Party of North Korea and adopted its Programme and Rules. It also decided to rename Jongno, the organ of its Central Committee, Rodong Sinmun and launch Kulloja as its politico-theoretical magazine.

The congress elected the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea headed by Kim Il Sung, and adopted an appeal to all the Korean people.

From then on, the Workers’ Party struck its roots deeper among the broad sections of the masses.

Second Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea in September 1946

The Second Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, convened in Pyongyang in September 1946, discussed the first-ever democratic elections to be held on November 3 of the same year and the tasks of the Workers’ Party.

In the report On Elections to the People’s Committees, Kim Il Sung noted the significance of the first-ever democratic elections in the history of Korea and the progressive contents of the election system. As for the tasks of Party members prior to the elections, he said: First, they should themselves have a correct understanding of the elections and vigorously conduct the information campaign for the elections; second, they should, through the election campaign, educate the masses to have a deep understanding of the Provisional People’s Committee of North Korea; third, they should make every effort to ensure that true workers in the service of the people are elected to the people’s committees; fourth, they should, through the election campaign, further strengthen the democratic national united front, enhance the influence of the Workers’ Party on friendly parties, and at the same time strive to enhance the prestige of the Workers’ Party; fifth, they should skilfully conduct the work of defining pro-Japanese elements and traitors to the nation; sixth, they should, taking advantage of the election campaign, educate the masses extensively in democracy; and seventh, they should look out for the plots of the reactionaries who are seeking to obstruct the elections, giving them no chance to infiltrate.

The meeting adopted a resolution aimed at ensuring the elections a success.

The meeting gave an impetus to ensuring the first-ever democratic elections a success and further enhancing the combat efficiency of the Workers’ Party.

Sixth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea in March 1947

The Sixth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, held in Pyongyang in March 1947, discussed the tasks for putting to rights the errors and faults revealed in the work of some organizations of the Workers’ Party, reviewed the elections to the people’s committees, and put forward the tasks of the organizations of the Workers’ Party for strengthening the people’s government and successfully implementing the national economic plan for 1947.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the report On Correcting Errors and Shortcomings in the Work of Some Party Organizations. In the report he noted the decisive role the Workers’ Party played in the struggle for democratic construction in the previous one year, pointed out the errors and shortcomings shown up in some organizations of the Workers’ Party in carrying out its policy with regard to the democratic national united front, in the style and methods of their work and in expanding the enrolment of the Workers’ Party, analyzed the main causes of these errors and shortcomings, and then advanced the tasks for improving the work of the Workers’ Party radically.

In the concluding speech On Improving the Method of Guiding the Masses and Ensuring the Fulfilment of the Current Year’s National Economic Plan, he set out the tasks for improving the method of guiding the masses: those members of the Workers’ Party who have committed errors in working among the masses must be properly educated; work with the social organizations should be conducted proficiently; guidance over the activities of the people’s committees should be improved; work with the friendly parties should be carried on cleverly; extra-tax burdens should not be imposed on the people; and members of the Workers’ Party should have a correct understanding of the struggle to build a new country. For the successful fulfilment of the national economic plan for 1947, he stressed, organizations of the Workers’ Party should properly organize shock force movement and ensure the active participation of all their members, and mobilize the social organizations in this movement through their members working in these organizations. He added that members of the Workers’ Party should call forth the working people’s patriotic zeal, struggle against the wasteful use of materials and money, and ensure that the workers strictly observe discipline at work and raise their productivity.

The meeting brought about a turn in improving the work of the Workers’ Party as demanded by the prevailing new circumstances and in carrying out the first-ever national economic plan by enhancing its leadership role.

Tenth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea in October 1947

The Tenth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, held in Pyongyang in October 1947, discussed the tasks for strengthening the guidance of the Workers’ Party to social organizations so as to rally the broad sections of the masses firmly behind the Workers’ Party and enlist them in promoting the building of a new society.

In the concluding speech On Strengthening Guidance to Social Organizations, Kim Il Sung stressed the importance of strengthening the work of social organizations, and pointed out the cause of their work not yet being conducted as it should. He then set out the tasks for bringing about a radical change in their work: first, to strengthen the work of the primary bodies of social organizations, their basic structures; second, to give them a work orientation which suits their specific characteristics and give regular guidance and assistance; third, to ensure that they conduct the proper ideological education of their members; and fourth, to direct Party-oriented attention to radically improving the style of work of their officials, the prerequisite of which is to eliminate the domineering style of work once and for all and adopt a popular style.

The meeting brought about a fundamental change in the work of social organizations, thus contributing to rallying the broad sections of the masses around the Workers’ Party and propelling the building of a new society.

Twelfth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea in February 1948

The Twelfth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang in February 1948.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the report Tasks before Party Organizations in the Struggle to Carry Out This Year’s National Economic Plan. In the report he reviewed the successes and experiences gained by organizations of the Workers’ Party and their members in successfully carrying out the national economic plan for 1947 and the shortcomings revealed. As for the tasks facing these organizations in fulfilling the national economic plan for 1948, he said: In order to increase labour productivity, they should pay special attention to constantly developing technology, improving the workers’ skills, organizing labour rationally and tightening work discipline; in order to operate the business-accounting system properly, they should establish a planned management system and allocate funds and carry out production in a planned way so as to save materials and funds and produce better goods in greater quantities with less expenditure; they should survey mineral resources to ascertain their deposits, and on this basis extract ore and coal in a planned and prospective way; in order to develop agriculture, they should bring idle land under cultivation, utilize land more intensively, carry out good irrigation projects and prevent floods and drought, distribute crops properly on the principle of the right crop on the right soil, apply chemical fertilizer at the right moment and scientifically to suit the specific features of every crop and the soil of every locality, and use more compost. He also advanced the tasks for developing animal husbandry, management of forests, fisheries, rail transport, commodity distribution, foreign trade and education.

The meeting deliberated on the provisional Constitution of Korea, and adopted a relevant resolution.

The meeting proved significant for further improving the leadership role of the Workers’ Party and enlisting all its members and other people in fulfilling the national economic plan.

Second Congress of the Workers’ Party of North Korea

The Second Congress of the Workers’ Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang in March 1948.

In the report on the work of the Central Committee, Kim Il Sung clarified the stand of resolutely rejecting the holding of separate elections and the rigging up of a puppet government in south Korea by the United States, and advanced the policy of reunifying the country peacefully on the principle of independence and democracy. He continued: The Workers’ Party holds that a supreme legislative body for all Korea should be elected by secret ballot on the principle of universal, equal and direct suffrage; to this end, a joint conference of democratic political parties and social organizations in north and south Korea should be held to discuss a concrete programme and measures to expedite the establishment of a unified country. He put forward detailed tasks for consolidating the revolutionary democratic base in the northern half of Korea, improving the leadership role of the Workers’ Party organizations at all levels in economic construction, and the tasks of people’s power organs for developing the national economy. For the building of the Workers’ Party, he said, it should strengthen cells, its organizations at the lowest echelon, train its hard core and enhance their role, conduct effective inspection and guidance of the work of its organizations at lower levels in implementing its policies, strengthen guidance over social organizations, improve personnel administration, and intensify ideological education and struggle aimed at equipping its members and other people with its lines and policies and enhancing their class consciousness.

In the concluding speech Every Effort for the Consolidation of the Democratic Base and the Reunification and Independence of the Country he delivered at the congress, Kim Il Sung laid particular stress on the need to wage a vigorous struggle against factionalism. After pointing out the errors committed by factionalists, their methods and the ideological root cause of factionalism, he said that the members of the Workers’ Party should uncompromisingly combat the expressions of factionalism, however trifling they might be, so as to root out the remnants of factionalism and consolidate its unity and cohesion.

The congress elected the Central Committee headed by Kim Il Sung.

The congress brought about a fresh change in further consolidating the unity and cohesion of the Workers’ Party, and developing it in terms of quality. It encouraged the people to carry on the tasks of the initial period of transition to socialism and wage a nationwide struggle for national reunification.

Second Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea in July 1948

The Second Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang in July 1948.

In the concluding speech Kim Il Sung said that the Workers’ Party should be consolidated organizationally and ideologically in the lead-up to the election to the Supreme People’s Assembly, the election should be greeted with high political enthusiasm and feats of labour, criticism should be intensified within the Workers’ Party and its lines should be adhered to. He reaffirmed that the unified central government to be established after the general election to the SPA would serve as an unfurled banner for the Korean people in their struggle for national reunification, democracy and independence, token of their faith and hope and basis of their victory. Stressing that the ideological unity and organizational cohesion of the Workers’ Party had become all the more important at the time when the historic cause of establishing a unified central government was about to be achieved, he called on all organizations and members of the Workers’ Party to turn out in the struggle for consolidating the Workers’ Party, continuing that they should wage the struggle for ensuring the forthcoming election a success in close combination with the struggle to carry out the national economic plan for 1948 with confidence in victory and special vigilance.

The meeting adopted a resolution on enforcing the Constitution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and on the tasks of the organizations of the Workers’ Party related to the election to the SPA.

Third Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea in September 1948

The Third Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang in September 1948.

The meeting first reviewed the successful election of deputies to the Supreme People’s Assembly, and the establishment of a central government. In north Korea 99.97 per cent of the entire electorate participated in the election, 98.49 per cent of whom cast for the candidates recommended by the democratic national united front. In south Korea 77.52 per cent of the entire electorate took part in the election and returned people’s representatives, who later held the people’s representative conference of south Korea. The election ushered in a new era of development in the Korean people’s struggle for the construction of an independent and sovereign state. The meeting advanced the immediate tasks facing the Workers’ Party after the establishment of the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea-enhancing the prestige of the government and enlisting the entire Workers’ Party in the struggle to make the government and the Constitution take effect throughout Korea, realize the Political Programme of the government, build up the successes achieved in democratic construction, strengthen the democratic national united front and rectify the mistakes revealed by the Workers’ Party organizations in the method of guidance during the election. Next the meeting discussed the measures for collecting tax in kind for late crops and providing for the increased agricultural production in 1949, and advanced the immediate tasks facing the Workers’ Party organizations.

The meeting rendered a great contribution to implementing the Political Programme of the government of the DPRK worked out by Kim Il Sung and increasing the agricultural output in 1949.

Fifth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea in February 1949

The Fifth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, held in Pyongyang in February 1949, reviewed the work of the Workers’ Party organizations at all levels for implementing the resolution of the Second Congress of the Workers’ Party and discussed the tasks for improving the role of the Workers’ Party organizations in carrying out the Two-Year National Economic Plan.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech On Improving and Strengthening the Work of Party Organizations. In the speech he reviewed the successes achieved in the work of the Workers’ Party for nine months after its Second Congress, and set out the tasks for improving and strengthening the work of its organizations. For strengthening its organizational work, he said, organizations of the Workers’ Party should increase their membership thoroughly on the Party and class principles, all the members should be induced to participate wholeheartedly in Party life, iron discipline should be established within the Workers’ Party, all leadership bodies should be built up, cells of the Workers’ Party should be strengthened in particular, guidance and inspection of its organizations should be intensified, and its officials’ style of leadership should be improved. He continued that for strengthening its ideological work, its organizations should work well to firmly imbue their members and other working people with the lines and policies of the Workers’ Party, intensify class education among them, improve the methods of ideological education, make effective use of the means of information and motivation work and properly manage the information and motivation work system. He added that what was important in tightening the guidance of the Workers’ Party in economic construction was to arouse the political zeal of the working masses by explaining to them the economic policy of the Workers’ Party and the importance of their economic tasks, assign its forces appropriately to all fields of production and enhance the vanguard role of its members there, boldly promote its outstanding members as administrative and economic officials and assist them in satisfactorily carrying out the work of economic organization and direction of production, and help its officials to acquire knowledge of economics and methods of industrial management. After advancing the central task of the Two-Year National Economic Plan, he said that the organizations of the Workers’ Party at all levels should adopt measures for guaranteeing the successful implementation of the plan and enlist all the forces to fulfil and surpass the plan. Last, he stressed that the work of the united front should be improved and guidance to social organizations strengthened.

The meeting proved an important occasion in remarkably enhancing the combat efficiency of the Workers’ Party organizations and improving its overall work.

Sixth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea in June 1949

The Sixth Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea was held in Pyongyang in June 1949.

In the report On the Formation of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea, Kim Il Sung said that the grave political situation prevailing in the country owing to the US imperialists’ colonial enslavement policy and the Syngman Rhee puppet clique’s treacheries against the country and nation demanded that the Korean people perform the historic task of opposing the US aggressive moves, driving US troops out of south Korea, overthrowing the traitor Syngman Rhee and his puppet clique, and rescuing the people in the southern half of Korea. He continued: In order to carry out this task successfully, all patriotic forces must rally together and the whole nation must rise in unison as one body; in order to rally into a single democratic force all patriots of the Korean nation who are intent on reunification, the progressive political parties and social organizations in the north and south of Korea in particular, it is imperative to form the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea; the DFRK should be a setup in which patriotic, democratic political parties and social organizations struggling for territorial integrity and national reunification will be affiliated on a voluntary basis; all the political parties and social organizations affiliated with the DFRK should unite firmly and closely cooperate with one another to attain our common goal, while working independently; the DFRK should strive to attain as its goal the achievement of the reunification and complete independence of the country by eliminating the remnants of Japanese imperialism and feudalism, ensuring the democratic progress of the country, revitalizing and developing the national economy and culture and raising the people’s standard of living; the DFRK must enlist the whole nation in the struggle to drive US troops out of south Korea and expel the UN Commission on Korea, US imperialism’s tool of aggression; meanwhile, it must wage a resolute struggle to overthrow the Syngman Rhee puppet clique and other traitors to the nation; it should fight for the release of the patriotic democrats arrested and imprisoned by the US imperialists and the Syngman Rhee puppets; it should also fight for the free activities of democratic political parties and social organizations in south Korea; it should endeavour to consolidate the successes of the democratic reforms achieved in the northern half of Korea and aim towards carrying out these reforms in south Korea; the Workers’ Party must play a leading and active role in consolidating and developing the DFRK; while maintaining independence within the DFRK, the Workers’ Party must unite and cooperate closely with other political parties and social organizations to reach their common goal; for the present, it must enhance the role of its members on the preparatory committee for the formation of the DFRK so that the DFRK’s programme and declaration will be drawn up to conform with the people’s interests and that the preparatory work for the inaugural conference will go smoothly; the Workers’ Party organizations at all levels must fully acquaint all of their members and the people with the importance of the formation of the DFRK and thus encourage them to strive to make it a success.

The meeting made it possible to successfully form the DFRK on the basis of the line on united front advanced by Kim Il Sung and improve the leadership role of the Workers’ Party in the work of the DFRK.

Second Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Second Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in December 1949.

In the concluding speech delivered at the meeting Kim Il Sung clarified the principled stand communists and other revolutionary people should maintain in their struggle for preventing war and defending peace by frustrating the moves of the US imperialists to ignite an aggressive war. He said that should imperialists unleash a third world war, it would be their deathbed and, convinced of victory, communists and other revolutionary people should step up the struggle against the imperialists, the warmongers. As for the tasks for strengthening the revolutionary democratic base in the northern half of Korea, he said: All the obstructive moves of the reactionaries should be squashed, and the unity and cohesion of the working masses further strengthened; the Ministry of Industry and organizations of the WPK at all levels should pay close attention to developing industry, and improve their guidance of factories and enterprises; distribution of goods should be improved, and employment of hired labour be restricted in the countryside. He also set out the tasks for reinforcing the Korean People’s Army.

The meeting proved an important occasion for crushing the moves of the US imperialists hell-bent on igniting a new war, defending global peace and consolidating the democratic base set up in the northern half of Korea.

Third Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Third Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK was held in December 1950 in Kanggye (the then Hyangha-ri, Janggang County) in Jagang Province in the northern part of the country. At that time the Fatherland Liberation War had assumed a protracted nature owing to the new adventurous military schemes of the US aggressors. The prevailing military and political situation demanded that the front and the rear be further reinforced, the confusion created during the period of strategic temporary retreat cleared away as soon as possible, revolutionary discipline established in all sectors, and more thoroughgoing preparations made for a decisive attack on the enemy.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the report The Present Situation and the Immediate Tasks and the concluding speech. In the report and the concluding speech he reviewed the six-month-long Fatherland Liberation War, and advanced the immediate tasks for expediting the final victory in the war. Emphasizing the need to consolidate the victory achieved in counterattack, further intensify offensive against the fleeing enemy and establish the Juche orientation in the military field, he said: Tendencies of dogmatism and worship of big countries should be eliminated; battles should be organized flexibly by employing various tactics as suited to the natural and topographical features and concrete realties of the country; night and mountain warfare should be organized skilfully; infantry should organize effective coordinated operations with artillery; training of reserve units should depend not on the existing combat regulations alone, but on the life experience of this war. Raising the establishment of thoroughgoing discipline in the WPK and the strengthening of its ideological and volitional unity and cohesion as another important task, he said that it was necessary to wage a merciless struggle against all the practices that might weaken Party discipline, and that the greater the difficulties were, the more the revolutionary discipline should be strengthened and the more firmly the unity and cohesion of the WPK be defended. The most important tasks in the liberated areas, he said, were to restore the organizations of the WPK, people’s government bodies and social organizations rapidly, rehabilitate the shattered economy, stabilize the people’s livelihood and strive to satisfy the needs of the front. As for the principle of struggle aimed at eliminating the political and ideological aftereffects caused by the enemy in the areas they had temporarily occupied and the measures for dealing with those who had been involved in the reactionary organizations, he said: If a person had been forced by threat or blackmail to join a reactionary organization but did not commit heinous acts, we should pardon him generously and re-educate him; even in the case of vile elements, we should subject them to due legal procedures and ensure that people themselves try them according to their opinions. He stressed the need to give full play to the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance.

Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in November 1951.

Around those days the US imperialists, despite their defeat in the “summer and autumn offensive” by the positive military actions of the Korean People’s Army, were scheming to launch a new adventurous military attack behind the scene of truce talks, and “Leftist” deviations had been revealed in the course of clearing away the aftereffects in the WPK caused by the enemy during the strategic temporary retreat and rebuilding and readjusting the organizations of the WPK.

In the report On Some Defects in the Organizational Work of Party Organizations and the concluding speech On Improving the Party’s Organizational Work delivered at the meeting, Kim Il Sung criticized the error of closed-doorism in recruiting new members for the WPK and said that the best elements from among the workers, peasants, service personnel and intellectuals, who were fighting valiantly on the front and in the rear, should be recruited into the WPK. Criticizing the view that if a great number of toiling peasants were admitted to the WPK it may become a peasant party, he stressed that its character could not be changed even though peasants made up a large part of its membership. He also said that the “penalty-first” tendency should be rectified, voluntary discipline be established in it, the work of personnel administration and the style of work be improved, and the united front work be intensified as demanded by the wartime situation.

Fifth Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Fifth Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in December 1952.

The meeting was convened amid a very tense situation. Despite the defeat they had sustained, the US imperialists were making a large-scale “new offensive” in their last-ditch attempt by enlisting colossal amounts of combat and technical equipment and troops. Meanwhile, it posed as an urgent demand to temper the Party spirit of the members of the WPK, and the Pak Hon Yong-led spy group was scheming to overthrow the WPK and the government.

In the report The Organizational and Ideological Consolidation of the Party Is the Basis for Our Victory and the concluding speech The Present Military Situation and Some Problems in Strengthening the Party, Organs of Power and the People’s Army, Kim Il Sung reviewed the successes and shortcomings in the past work of the WPK, and advanced tasks for strengthening it organizationally and ideologically and building up power organs and the Korean People’s Army. Pointing out the cases where some of the members of the WPK lacked Party spirit, he said all its members should reject all manner of undisciplined practices and strive to improve their Party spirit, combining it with the struggle to oppose factionalism and defend the unity and cohesion of the WPK. As for the work of strengthening its ideological work, he said the fundamental thing in it was to arm its members and other working people with the revolutionary ideology of the working class. He continued that the work should be conducted effectively in the direction of overcoming dogmatism, formalism and national nihilism and resolving the practical problems arising in the Korean revolution in conformity with the concrete situation in the country, and that the national cultural heritage should be inherited in a proper way.

The meeting constituted an important occasion for exposing and purging the anti-Party, counterrevolutionary spy group lurking in the WPK, consolidating it organizationally and ideologically and hastening final victory for the Fatherland Liberation War.

Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

As the Fatherland Liberation War was over, the WPK and the Korean people were faced with the urgent tasks for maintaining keyed-up attitude in view of the US manoeuvres to ignite a new war, and for rehabilitating the destroyed national economy and stabilizing the deteriorated people’s livelihood.

The Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK, held in Pyongyang in August 1953, discussed the basic line of economic construction and the tasks for rehabilitating and developing the national economy.

In the report Everything for the Postwar Rehabilitation and Development of the National Economy, Kim Il Sung first clarified the WPK’s stand toward ceasefire and criticized both the view that peaceful construction could not be undertaken because armistice did not mean a lasting peace and the tendency to be indolent, lax and self-conceited, thinking that an end had been put to war and complete peace had been achieved. He said that all efforts should be directed to further consolidating the revolutionary base in the northern half of Korea politically, economically and militarily by stepping up postwar rehabilitation of the national economy and to achieving national reunification. As for postwar economic construction, he advanced the basic line of giving priority to the rehabilitation and development of heavy industry and simultaneously developing light industry and agriculture. He also clarified directions for the rehabilitation and development of different branches of the national economy, including the basic direction for industry, and the detailed tasks and methods for their successful implementation.

The meeting enabled all the members of the WPK and other working people to rise up in postwar rehabilitation and development of the national economy with a clear understanding of the prospects and with firm confidence.

Seventh Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Seventh Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in December 1953, when it was urgently needed to enlist the broad sections of the masses in postwar rehabilitation of the national economy.

In the concluding speech On Strengthening United Front Work, Kim Il Sung first pointed out the need to improve united front work, and then advanced the tasks to this end-establishing close ties with the grass roots and preserving well the unity with the top echelons in the work with the friendly parties and their members, forming a solid united front with the entrepreneurs and merchants, conducting the work among Christians properly, and working efficiently with public figures from friendly parties and independent democrats who were serving in government bodies.

March 1954 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

With the preparations for overall rehabilitation of the national economy having been made successfully and with the Three-Year Plan for Rehabilitation and Development of the National Economy for 1954-56 ahead, it was urgently needed to raise the level of leadership of the officials in industry and transport, the vanguard sectors of the national economy, in line with the changed circumstances so as to give full play to the creativeness of the broad sections of the masses.

At this juncture a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea was held in Pyongyang in March 1954.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the report On Shortcomings Revealed in the Industrial and Transport Spheres and Measures to Rectify Them and the concluding speech. After reviewing the shortcomings revealed in the guidance of the different branches of the national economy in the report and the concluding speech, he set out tasks for eliminating the bureaucratic methods in work among leading officials and establishing among them a living, analytical leadership style, strengthening their sense of responsibility towards their work, organizing systematic inspection of the execution of work, setting up order and discipline in work, improving the role of officials of ministries and management bureaus and managers of enterprises, selecting and allocating cadres correctly, improving the organization of labour, improving enterprise management, drafting the plans properly and executing them to the letter, and other tasks facing the industrial and transport spheres. He also stressed that guidance by the WPK should be intensified in these spheres.

November 1954 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

In November 1954 the WPK convened a plenary meeting of its Central Committee to review the success achieved in agricultural cooperativization in the experimental stage and discuss measures for encouraging peasants to be enlisted in the agricultural cooperativization movement on an extensive scale and on the principle of voluntariness so as to ensure that the rural economy kept pace with industry which was developing rapidly after the Fatherland Liberation War.

In the concluding speech On Our Party’s Policy for the Future Development of Agriculture, Kim Il Sung said that leadership in agriculture should be improved to make it keep pace with the rapidly developing overall national economy and agricultural production should be increased for the improvement of the people’s standard of living and the securing of industrial raw materials. After analyzing the economic structure of the country, he set out the tasks for developing the agricultural cooperativization movement into a mass movement.

First, he explained the three forms of cooperatives, and then stressed that peasants should be allowed to choose one of the three forms according to the degree of preparedness and political consciousness. He also clarified the principles the WPK should adhere to in this movement, including the principle of voluntariness.

April 1955 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The WPK convened a plenary meeting of its Central Committee in April 1955, when it was urgently needed to clarify the nature and tasks of the overall Korean revolution and the general task of the revolution to be carried on in the northern half of Korea.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung made public the theses on the nature and tasks of the Korean revolution, titled, Every Effort for the Country’s Reunification and Independence and for Socialist Construction in the Northern Half of Korea. In the theses he made a profound analysis of the then realities in which the Korean revolution had assumed a complex and protracted nature owing to the US imperialist occupation of the southern half of Korea, the revolutionary situation in its northern half and the social relations prevailing in the country. On the basis of this, he defined the nature and tasks of the Korean revolution and the strategic and tactical policies of the WPK. He also analyzed the economic forms and class relations existing in the northern half of Korea, and advanced the unique policy on laying the foundations of socialism and detailed measures to this end.

At the meeting he delivered the reports On Intensifying Class Education for Party Members and On Eliminating Bureaucracy and the concluding speech On Some Questions Concerning Party and State Work in the Present Stage of the Socialist Revolution. In these speeches he stressed the need to intensify class education in the WPK, dwelling on its basic direction and measures for conducting it, the essence of bureaucracy and the forms it manifested itself, its source and the practical measures to root it out, the tasks for eliminating the elements of factionalism and strengthening the unity and cohesion of the WPK and a series of tasks for successfully implementing the immediate national economic plan.

Third Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Third Congress of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in April 1956, when it posed as an urgent need to strive to achieve the comprehensive completion of socialist transformation of the production relations in the northern half of Korea and the independent and peaceful reunification of the nation, frustrate the schemes of the US-led imperialists to ignite a new war, overcome revisionism that had appeared in the international communist movement and advance the world revolution vigorously.

In the report on the work of the Central Committee of the WPK and the concluding speech, Kim Il Sung analyzed the situation at home and abroad, reviewed the achievements and experiences the WPK had gained in the period under review, and advanced tasks for enlisting it and the people in a struggle for a fresh victory. Saying that the country was to launch a struggle to implement the first-ever Five-Year Plan for the Development of the National Economy (1957-1961), he clarified its task to complete the socialist transformation of production relations, lay solid foundations for socialist industrialization, and resolve in the main the food, clothing and housing problems for the people. He then defined the directions of the development of the different sectors of the national economy and their tasks. He also said that the state and social system should be steadily developed by strengthening the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea and the people’s government. After making a comprehensive analysis of the developments in south Korea he reaffirmed the policy for reunifying the country independently and advanced detailed proposals to this end. As for the struggle to consolidate the WPK, he said that although the Pak Hon Yong-Ri Sung Yop clique and other anti-Party, counterrevolutionary factionalists had been purged, their ideological influence had not been wiped out entirely and the lingering effect of the M-L group and Tuesday group had not yet completely disappeared, and so it was necessary to intensify the struggle against factionalism and cement the unity and cohesion of the WPK steel-strong. As for its organizational leadership, he put forward tasks for intensifying Party life of its members, training their Party spirit, establishing a revolutionary view of the masses among cadres and other members of the WPK and improving their methods and style of Party work. He also touched on personnel administration and the work of the working people’s organizations. In its ideological work, he said, dogmatism and formalism should be done away with and the Juche orientation established.

The congress adopted the declaration For the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, which contained the policy for independent reunification of the country and the detailed measures to this end, all put forward by Kim Il Sung.

The congress re-elected Kim Il Sung Chairman of the Central Committee of the WPK.

The congress was of historic significance in propelling the revolution and construction more forcefully, establishing the Juche orientation in the work of the WPK and raising its international profile.

August 1956 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The WPK convened a plenary meeting of its Central Committee in August 1956.

In the days, when the meeting was held, the internal and external situations were very complicated and the WPK and the Korean people were faced with manifold difficulties and trials. The schemes of the revisionists, who had appeared in the international communist movement, became aggravated, and the US imperialists, who were occupying south Korea, and their stooges were intensifying reactionary offensives more than ever before. Availing themselves of the complicated situation at home and abroad, Choe Chang Ik-led anti-Party, counterrevolutionary factionalists in the WPK were scheming to achieve their factionalist aims with the backing of outside forces.

The meeting discussed two items on the agenda: first, on the review of the visit to the friendly countries by the government delegation of the DPRK and some immediate tasks of the WPK; and second, on improving public health service. Making a speech on the first agenda item, Kim Il Sung reviewed the visit to the friendly countries by the government delegation, and clarified the immediate tasks arising in economic construction and the building of the WPK.

While the meeting was proceeding, the factionalists led by Choe Chang Ik suddenly raised a challenge to the WPK. The meeting dealt an immediate blow to them.

Kim Il Sung said that factionalist acts must be banned unconditionally in the future, that such an act, however trifling it might be and for whatever it might be committed, must be frustrated resolutely, and that the struggle to sweep away the still remaining factionalist remnants must be waged with all vigour.

December 1956 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The country’s internal and external situations were very tense when the December 1956 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK was held. The US imperialists and their puppets were growing frantic in their attempts at “northward expedition” and the revisionists were running amuck. The shortage of materials and funds was hindering the nationwide struggle to carry out the gigantic tasks of the Five-Year Plan, and the people’s standard of living was still low. Some officials vacillated in the face of the trials and difficulties, hesitating to speed up the revolution and construction.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech For a Great Revolutionary Upswing in Socialist Construction, in which he set forth a policy of bringing about a new upsurge in socialist economic construction by braving all obstacles and difficulties. He stressed that the state was planning to increase the total industrial output value in 1957 by 21 per cent over the estimated figure for 1956, adding that it must make greater progress than other countries. He specified ways to carry out the National Economic Plan for 1He underlined that all sectors and all units of the national economy must uphold the slogan of increased production and economy and raise the fierce flames of innovation so as to overfulfil the plan daily, monthly and quarterly without fail from the very first day of 1957.

With the meeting as a momentum, the WPK could frustrate the pernicious moves by the enemies at home and abroad and inspire the people with great enthusiasm for socialist construction.

It marked a historic milestone in effecting a great upsurge in socialist construction and launching the Chollima movement to make world-startling achievements at all sectors and all units of the national economy.

December 1957 Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The December 1957 Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK was held at a time when the US-led imperialist nations’ aggressive moves and the revisionists’ counterrevolutionary schemes were getting undisguised in the international arena, giving rise to complicated issues in the world revolutionary movement and the international communist movement.

The meeting discussed the work of the delegation which had represented the WPK and the government of the DPRK at the celebration of the 40^th anniversary of the October Socialist Revolution in Russia and the conference of representatives of the Communist and Workers’ parties of several countries, held in Moscow.

Kim Il Sung delivered the report to the meeting Unity of the Socialist Camp and the New Stage of the International Communist Movement.

In his report he gave clear-cut answers to the pressing matters of principle arising in the international communist movement and the world revolution on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the international situation, and clarified the stand of the WPK on the anti-imperialist, anti-US struggle, the international communist movement and unity between socialist countries. Then he gave an analysis of the situation in the country and set forth specific tasks to be tackled in hastening its independent and peaceful reunification. He underlined that rallying all patriotic forces behind the united front against the US imperialists and their stooges was of paramount importance in reunifying the country peacefully, adding that it was necessary to join hands with those who advocated national independence and peaceful reunification, irrespective of their past records. He stressed the need to accelerate socialist construction in the northern half of Korea and thus strengthen the revolutionary democratic base. He also specified the principles to be maintained in consolidating unity between socialist countries and promoting solidarity in the international communist movement.

The meeting made a positive contribution to dealing a serious blow at the US and other imperialists, opposing revisionism and dogmatism, and strengthening unity between socialist countries and in the international communist movement.

First Conference of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The First Conference of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in March 1958.

At that time the WPK was faced with some urgent

tasks-keeping up the revolutionary spirit of the people after the fulfilment of the National Economic Plan for 1957, reviewing its all-out campaign to smash the group of factionalists with deep historical roots and consolidating its unity and cohesion.

At the conference Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech For the Successful Implementation of the First Five-Year Plan. In his speech he set laying the foundations of socialist industrialization and basically solving the problems of clothing, food and housing for the people as the main tasks of the Five-Year Plan. He said that during the Five-Year Plan it was important to continue to adhere to the WPK’s basic line of economic construction, the line of laying the main emphasis on heavy industry while, at the same time, developing light industry and agriculture, and to keep the balance between accumulation and consumption and find rational solutions to the issues of economic construction and the people’s standard of living. Then he summed up the results of the WPK-wide campaign to smash the factionalists and set out tasks to be tackled in strengthening the unity and cohesion of the WPK and improving its work.

The conference was of great historical significance in developing the WPK and the Korean revolution. It was a new landmark in developing the WPK and the revolution by removing the group of factionalists with deep historical roots and its remnants and consolidating the unity and cohesion of the WPK with Kim Il Sung as its centre. It also presented urgent tasks for the Five-Year Plan and realistic measures for their implementation to accelerate socialist construction.

September 1958 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The September 1958 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK was held when it was urgent to spur the great revolutionary upsurge on all fronts for socialist construction by giving full play to the advantages of the socialist system that was established after the socialist transformation of the relations of production in urban and rural areas.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung defined irrigation as the central, pressing task of the technological revolution in the countryside and advanced the slogan Make every effort to expand the irrigated area by one million hectares! He stressed that it was important to basically complete the country’s irrigation networks in the near future by launching an all-people campaign to establish a non-paddy field irrigation system and expand the area of paddy fields under irrigation. He also presented tasks for the rapid development of metallurgical and machine-building industries. He advanced the slogan Iron and machine are the king of industry! and appealed to all the members of the WPK and other working people to make redoubled efforts to accelerate the development of metallurgical and machine-building industries.

He ensured that the meeting adopted a letter to all the members of the WPK in the name of its Central Committee, calling upon them to wipe out conservatism and passivism and spur the great upsurge of socialist construction.

The meeting was an important occasion for eliminating conservatism and passivism, spurring the great revolutionary upsurge and promoting the Chollima movement in all sectors of socialist construction, for developing metallurgical and machine-building industries and establishing a country-wide irrigation system, and for accelerating the technological revolution in industrial and agricultural sectors.

August 1960 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The August 1960 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK was held with an objective of rousing the whole WPK and all the people to the full-scale technological revolution.

At that time preparations were being stepped up for a switch-over to the First Seven-Year Plan, a grand plan for socialist industrialization, and the full-scale technological revolution presented itself as a mature requirement for the development of the national economy.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech On the Successful Accomplishment of the Technological Revolution. He said that the technological revolution was an important revolution to emancipate the people, who had already been freed from oppression and exploitation, from hard and toilsome work, so that they could create more wealth with less effort, and to make their life wealthier and more cultured. He continued that it was necessary to enlist the wisdom and initiative of the masses to carry out the technological revolution. Then he specified ways for effecting a technical innovation in all the sectors of the national economy including heavy industry, machine-building industry in particular-specializing the production of castings and spare parts and introducing presses on an extensive scale in the sector of machine-building industry; improving the work of designing, an urgent task in the technical innovation drive; placing emphasis on coal gasification and chemicalization; developing an electronics industry in the near future to open up a new phase in technical innovation. He also underlined the need to realize the mechanization of agriculture and local industry, upgrade the technical equipment in the sectors of construction, transport and fishing, and complete the mechanization of central industry and effect a gradual switch-over to its automation. He advanced a policy of training technical personnel needed for the full-scale technical innovation. He stressed that it was essential to set up many technical colleges in which the working people could study while on the job, develop correspondence courses and evening schools, launch a WPK-wide, all-people movement aimed at equipping all the working people with more than one technical skill, and intensify ideological education of technicians.

The meeting was significant in developing the national economy, particularly raising the technological revolution onto a new, higher stage in line with the requirements of socialist industrialization.

Fourth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea

At the historic Fourth Congress of the WPK held in Pyongyang in September 1961 Kim Il Sung summed up the successful results achieved in the socialist revolution and socialist construction during the period under review and advanced the First Seven-Year Plan aimed at attaining the high peak of socialism.

He delivered the report on the work of the Central Committee of the WPK and the concluding speech.

Noting that an advanced socialist system was established in the country and the tasks of completing socialist transformation in the sectors of industry and agriculture and building up the foundations of an independent national economy were carried out, he advanced the First Seven-Year Plan for overall socialist construction. He said that the fundamental tasks of the plan were to carry out a comprehensive technological reconstruction and the cultural revolution and make radical improvements in the people’s living conditions by relying on the triumphant socialist system. Then he specified the tasks to be tackled by the sectors of the national economy in implementing the plan. He also clarified the character of the revolution in south Korea and its basic requirements, stressed the need to found an independent workers’ and farmers’ revolutionary party and reaffirmed the independent reunification policy. He summed up the successes and experiences gained in the building of the WPK during the period under review and presented tasks for strengthening it organizationally and ideologically and enhancing its leadership role. He stressed that it was urgent in strengthening the WPK to reinforce the ranks of cadres and decisively improve their leadership ability, make continued efforts to consolidate primary organizations of the WPK, and build up the committees of the WPK at all levels and enhance their functions and role. He added that in order to strengthen the WPK and enhance its leadership role it was indispensable for the state organs and working people’s organizations to fulfil their functions under its unified leadership, and for the committees of the WPK at all levels to implement the revolutionary mass line to the letter, continue to apply the revolutionary methods and style of work, and educate the masses to unite them rock-solid around the WPK. Noting that the most important task in strengthening the WPK was to consolidate the unity and cohesion of the WPK in ideology and purpose, he said that it was necessary to equip all the members of the WPK with its ideology and combat all opportunistic tendencies such as revisionism, dogmatism, factionalism, parochialism and nepotism. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the international situation, he presented tasks to be tackled in intensifying the anti-imperialist, anti-US struggle and implementing the WPK’s independent external policy.

The congress re-elected Kim Il Sung to the chairmanship of the Central Committee of the WPK in reflection of the unanimous will of all its members.

It was a meeting of victors who carried out the laying of the foundations of socialism and achieved solid unity around Kim Il Sung; it marked a new, higher stage in the development of the WPK and the revolution.

Third Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Third Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in March 1962.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung made the concluding speech On Improving and Strengthening the Organizational and Ideological Work of the Party. In the speech he reaffirmed the essence and contents of the work of the WPK and gave a detailed account of the ways for applying the Chongsanri spirit and Chongsanri method in the work. With regard to the organizational life in the WPK, he said, “Organizational life in the Party means the Party member’s activities in fulfilling the assignments the Party gives him. It means the political life and revolutionary activities of the Party member.”

He underlined the significance of the thoroughgoing implementation of the duties as stipulated in the Party Rules and specified tasks for developing the organizational life of the WPK members. He also stressed the need to wage a relentless class struggle to isolate the tiny number of hostile elements, build up the revolutionary forces in the countryside and combat revisionism.

The meeting was of significance in strengthening the organizational life of the WPK members, applying the Chongsanri spirit and Chongsanri method in the work of the WPK, enhancing its fighting efficiency and establishing its monolithic ideological system across itself as demanded by the new circumstances.

The Chongsanri spirit and Chongsanri method constitute the WPK’s idea and method of mass leadership which embody the Juche idea and the revolutionary mass line.

Fifth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Fifth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in December 1962, when the internal and external situations took an abrupt turn owing to the US imperialists’ new aggressive schemes. In October 1962 they orchestrated the Cuban Missile Crisis and sought to rearm the Japanese militarists and form a tie-up between them and the south Korean military fascists. The prevailing situation urgently demanded that the DPRK take decisive measures to strengthen its defence capability to cope with the US imperialists’ undisguised moves for unleashing a new war.

The meeting discussed two items-strengthening the country’s defence capability in view of the prevailing situation, and reviewing the implementation of the National Economic Plan for 1962 and discussing the tasks of the National Economic Plan for 1963.

Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech Let Us Further Consolidate and Develop the Achievements Gained in the Struggle to Attain the Six Goals. In the speech he summed up the results of the National Economic Plan for 1962 and advanced the main tasks of the National Economic Plan for 1963 and the ways and means for their implementation. For the successful implementation of the National Economic Plan for 1963 he presented ten tasks-applying the Taean work system, the Chongsanri spirit and Chongsanri method; improving the collective leadership by the committees of the WPK at all levels; raising the level of planning; properly organizing and ensuring efficiency in cooperative production; increasing the equipment utilization rate; accelerating the technical innovation drive; improving labour administration; making innovations in capital construction; improving supply services; intensifying political and technical study among officials.

On the basis of a scientific analysis of the prevailing situation he set forth a new strategic line of simultaneously developing economic construction and defence building.

As he advanced the strategic line in time in view of the changed situation and specified tasks of the National Economic Plan, the members of the WPK and other working people could make full preparations to cope with the US imperialists’ aggressive schemes and consolidate the country’s economic strength and defence capability in every way possible.

Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in May 1963.

At that time it presented itself as an urgent requirement to decisively improve the work of the WPK in all the sectors of the national economy and further develop the Chollima Workteam Movement so as to maintain a steady substantial upsurge in the building of socialism.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech On Strengthening the Work of Factory Party Committees and Further Developing the Chollima Workteam Movement. In his speech he referred to the need to improve the work of factory committees of the WPK. Noting that the most important aspect of the work was to guarantee proper collective leadership, he stressed that it was necessary to build up the factory committees of the WPK, raise the qualifications of their members and assign appropriate tasks to them. Saying that the organizations of the WPK at all levels should get a good grasp of the Chollima Workteam Movement and guide it in a responsible manner, he set out specific tasks for its development. He pointed out some pressing problems arising in several sectors of the national economy, underlining that it was urgent to carry out the First Seven-Year Plan with credit.

The meeting served as an important occasion for maintaining a steady substantial upsurge in the building of socialism by decisively improving the work of the WPK in all sectors of the national economy and further developing the Chollima Workteam Movement in line with the requirements of the developing realities.

Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in February 1964.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung made public Theses on the Socialist Rural Question in Our Country and delivered the concluding speech Let Us Strengthen the Revolutionary Forces in Every Way so as to Achieve the Cause of Reunification of the Country.

In the rural theses he elucidated the essence and contents of the rural question under socialism, and the basic principles and ways for its final solution. He said that for the successful solution of the peasant and agricultural questions under socialism it was imperative to adhere firmly to three basic principles-thoroughly carrying out the technological, cultural and ideological revolutions in the rural areas; strengthening in every way the working-class leadership of the peasantry, the assistance of industry to agriculture, and the support of the towns to the countryside; continually bringing the guidance and management of the rural economy closer to the advanced level of enterprise management of industry; strengthening the bonds between all-people property and cooperative property, and steadily bringing cooperative property closer to all-people property.

In the concluding speech he set out the task of strengthening the revolutionary forces in the north and south of Korea and the international revolutionary forces, as well as specific ways for achieving national reunification.

The rural theses, adopted at the meeting as the WPK’s programme for the construction of a socialist countryside, illuminated the way for the members of the WPK and other working people to follow in their struggle to this end. The meeting was of historic significance in their making full preparations for greeting the great event of national reunification on their own initiative.

Ninth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Ninth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK, held in Pyongyang in June 1964, discussed two items-forming the Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea and improving the work of the trade unions.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech On Improving and Strengthening the Work of the Working People’s Organizations.

In the speech he clarified the necessity and significance of the formation of the Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea and its basic duty.

Noting that the basic duty of the UAWK was to carry out educational work among the masses of farmers and organize and mobilize their revolutionary enthusiasm for the successful promotion of the ideological, technological and cultural revolutions in the countryside, he said that it was a working people’s organization embracing all the masses of farmers, a peripheral organization of the WPK to ensure the success of rural work, and it should work hard to carry out the tasks set out in the rural theses. He went on to set out the principles to be maintained in forming the UAWK.

As for the work of the trade unions he said that their principal duty in socialist society, in which the working class have taken state power, was to equip all the workers, technicians and office employees with the ideology of the WPK, with communist ideology, so that they would participate, with the attitude becoming masters, in the construction and economic management of socialism. Then he clarified the important tasks facing the trade unions in a comprehensive way.

As it took radical measures to form the UAWK and improve the work of the trade unions, the meeting was of great importance in developing the work of the working people’s organizations in keeping with the new, changed environment of socialist society and rallying all the working people more firmly around the WPK to strengthen the Juche-oriented revolutionary forces.

Tenth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Tenth Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in December 1964.

At that time full-scale socialist construction was being pushed forward and the Taean work system and the new agricultural guidance system had been established in the country. This demanded that a radical improvement be brought about in the officials’ ideological viewpoint, attitude towards work and methods and style of work and in the management of the national economy.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech On Enhancing the Party Spirit, Working-Class Spirit and Serve-the-People Spirit of Leading Officials and Improving the Management of the National Economy.

He said that leading officials should temper their Party spirit and improve their methods of work. He continued that in order to become true members of the WPK and loyal officials of state and economic institutions, they should defend and carry through the policies of the WPK in everything they were doing and work with devotion for the interests of the people, adding that they should demonstrate their Party spirit in their efforts for the execution of the policies and in the results of their practical work for the workers, farmers and working intellectuals. He pointed out some instances of the lack of the Party spirit, working-class spirit and serve-the-people spirit, stressing that officials should intensify their organizational life to rectify their shortcomings. He also dwelt on what needed to be done to improve the management of the national economy: raising the level of planning further; forcefully developing the technological revolution; improving labour administration; carefully managing the country’s economy.

The meeting was significant in remedying the officials’ shortcomings, enhancing their Party spirit, working-class spirit and serve-the-people spirit, and improving guidance over all the sectors of the national economy to spur socialist construction.

13^th Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The 13^th Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang between late March and early April in 1966.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech On Improving the Work Method of Senior Officials and Raising Their Level of Guidance.

He said that political work, the work with people, should be conducted well, stressing that senior officials of central organs in particular should rectify the shortcomings of their work method and give priority to political work, the work with people.

Next, he underlined the need to establish a revolutionary habit of studying among officials. He continued to point out some urgent problems in economic work and said that they should be resolved by the finish-one-by-one method.

The meeting served as an important occasion in enhancing the WPK’s leadership role by improving the work method of senior officials and raising their level of guidance in line with the requirements of the developing reality.

Second Conference of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Second Conference of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in October 1At that time the US imperialists were getting more desperate in their aggressive schemes against socialist countries, disturbing peace around the world. On the other hand, many complicated problems arose owing to the “Leftist” and Rightist opportunists’ moves in socialist countries and the international communist movement.

The items of the agenda of the conference were: first, the prevailing situation and the tasks facing the WPK; second, the immediate tasks for socialist economic construction; and third, the adoption of a statement of the Conference of the WPK on the Vietnam issue.

Kim Il Sung delivered a historic report The Present Situation and the Tasks of Our Party.

Based on a scientific analysis of the prevailing world situation and the problems arising in the international communist movement, he put forward important policies to develop the Korean revolution, world revolution and international communist movement. He said that the basic strategy of the world revolution was to direct its main spearhead at US imperialism, adding that a vigorous struggle should be waged against the US imperialists and their allies.

He also specified the principles and ways for overcoming “Leftist” and Rightist opportunism and achieving unity between socialist countries and in the international communist movement.

Then he underlined the need to implement to the letter the line of carrying on the building of the economy and defences in parallel. He said that it was of paramount importance in the ongoing revolutionary struggle and construction work to reorganize the whole work of socialist construction in line with the requirements of the prevailing situation and, especially, to carry on the building of the economy and defences in parallel so as to further increase the country’s defence capability to cope with the enemy’s aggressive manoeuvres. He added that this was the basic strategic line of the WPK which it had carried on for several years in view of the changed situation.

He shed a new light on such problems as developing the work of consolidating the politico-ideological unity of the revolutionary ranks in proper combination with the class struggle and transforming the whole society on a revolutionary and working-class pattern. The conference adopted unanimously the resolutions concerning the first and second items of the agenda, and a statement of the Conference of the WPK on the Vietnam issue.

It demonstrated the firm unity of the WPK around Kim Il Sung and verified the viability of its independent lines and policies based on the Juche idea. It also reaffirmed the stand of the WPK to wage a resolute struggle against the US and other imperialists and remain faithful to the revolutionary cause of the working class. It rendered a contribution to accelerating the revolution and construction in the northern half of Korea, hastening the ultimate victory of the Korean revolution, dealing a fatal blow at the US and other imperialists and opportunists, and developing the world revolution and the international communist movement.

14^th Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The 14^th Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in October 1966.

First of all, the meeting deliberated and approved unanimously the resolutions of the Conference of the WPK The Present Situation and the Tasks of Our Party and The Immediate Tasks for Socialist Economic Construction. In order to have regular consultations about the affairs of the WPK and the state it adopted a resolution to establish a Presidium of the Political Committee of the Central Committee of the WPK.

Then it formed the Presidium headed by Kim Il Sung.

It also adopted a resolution to reorganize the offices of chairman and vice-chairmen of the Central Committee of the WPK into those of general secretary and secretaries, and establish a secretariat.

It elected Kim Il Sung, the founder and leader of the WPK, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK.

It was a landmark in establishing Kim Il Sung’s leadership system more firmly and developing the WPK organizationally and ideologically.

15^th Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The 15^th Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in May 1967.

At that time the international environment for the

Korean revolution was getting complicated and the bourgeois elements and revisionists lurking in the WPK were resorting to vicious schemes. The work of establishing the WPK’s monolithic ideological system presented itself as a pressing requirement.

The meeting exposed and criticized the crimes of the bourgeois elements and revisionists. They distorted the lines and policies of the WPK, slung mud at its revolutionary traditions and opposed education of its members and other working people in the revolutionary traditions, and disseminated in it such anti-Party and counterrevolutionary ideas as bourgeois ideology, revisionist ideology and feudal-Confucian ideas in an attempt to disarm the WPK and the people ideologically. They also distorted the WPK’s class line and mass line and sought to undermine its class position in a bid to divide and destroy the revolutionary forces and compromise with the class enemy. They even made covert schemes to raise the remnants of the overthrown exploiting class to prominence and encourage their counterrevolutionary moves, and adopted a Rightist capitulationist stand towards the revolution in south Korea and national reunification. In addition, they laid obstacles in the way of the Chollima movement to hinder the socialist economic construction, sought to revive the reactionary and revisionist economic “theories,” and falsified the WPK’s economic policy.

Kim Il Sung took a resolute measure to frustrate the anti-Party, counterrevolutionary schemes by the bourgeois elements and revisionists and presented the tasks of waging a WPK-wide campaign to eradicate the aftereffects of those alien elements and establish the WPK’s monolithic ideological system, and of tightening organizational discipline in it.

The meeting was of great importance in strengthening the WPK and establishing its monolithic ideological system. It brought about a new turn in consolidating the unity of the WPK around Kim Il Sung and imbuing the entire WPK and the whole society with the Juche idea.

20^th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The 20^th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the Fourth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in December 1969.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech Some Questions on Communist Education of Youths and Children.

In the speech he gave scientific solutions to the matters of principle that arose in developing socialist education, such as the one of perfecting socialist pedagogy. He said that the main thing in socialist pedagogy was to transform all the younger generation on a revolutionary and working-class pattern and thus arm all of them with the revolutionary ideas of the working class, and educate and train them to possess the traits and qualifications of a genuine communist, an ardent revolutionary, who would fight devotedly for the victory of the socialist and communist cause.

He also specified some tasks for enhancing the functions and role of the then League of Socialist Working Youth, such as making the LSWY a revolutionary and living body, improving the work of the LSWY and Children’s Union organizations in schools, working efficiently among the young people of different classes and sections, and educating youths and children by means of revolutionary works of art and literature.

The meeting adopted a resolution to convene the Fifth Congress of the WPK in November 1970 and a letter to all the members of the WPK, calling upon them to greet the congress with great achievements in the revolution and construction.

It was of significance in training youths and children into the reserve force of the revolution with unfailing loyalty to Kim Il Sung by presenting important tasks for improving the work of the then LSWY and the education of the younger generation and intensifying the WPK’s guidance over the educational work. It rendered services to inspiring all the members of the WPK and other working people to greet the Fifth Congress of the WPK with lofty political enthusiasm and labour feats and thus attaining all the goals of the First Seven-Year Plan.

Fifth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Fifth Congress of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in November 1970.

At the congress Kim Il Sung delivered the report on the work of the Central Committee of the WPK and the concluding speech.

He summed up the great results the Korean people had achieved in the revolution and construction under the WPK’s leadership during the period under review and presented tasks for hastening the complete victory of socialism and ultimate victory of the revolution and developing the work of the WPK and its activities.

He presented the gigantic Six-Year Plan and clarified its major tasks-cementing the material and technical foundations of socialism and freeing the working people from hard labour in all fields of the national economy by developing the successes gained in industrialization and advancing the technological revolution to a new, higher stage. Then he set out the three major tasks of the technological revolution-narrowing the distinctions between heavy and light labour, and between agricultural and industrial work, and freeing women from the heavy burden of household chores. He also specified tasks for the development of the south Korean revolution, set forth a policy for national reunification and clarified the state’s independent external policy.

He reviewed the successes and experiences gained in the building and work of the WPK during the period under review and set out the task of strengthening the WPK organizationally and ideologically and enhancing its leadership role.

He then defined the general task of the work of the WPK-establishing the monolithic ideological system more thoroughly in the WPK with the Juche idea as the unshakeable guiding ideology and, on this basis, strengthening the singleness of ideology and purpose within the ranks of the WPK. Noting that it was urgent to develop the work of the WPK in depth, he said that the essence of the work of the WPK was work with people, i.e. political work with people needed to arm cadres, members of the WPK and the masses with a single ideology and will so that they could be rallied closely around the WPK and mobilized to implement its policies. He stressed the need to oppose any deviation towards reducing the work of the WPK to a technical or business affair and put constant emphasis on the work with people. He underlined that the central task facing the officials in the field of the WPK’s ideological work was to continue to go ahead with the thorough establishment of the monolithic ideological system throughout the WPK, and specified tasks to this end. He also pointed out what had to be done for the improvement of the WPK’s leadership role in the revolution and construction.

The congress re-elected Kim Il Sung General Secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK in reflection of the unanimous will and aspirations of all its members.

It was a meeting of victors that summed up the great successes achieved in the revolution and construction under the banner of the Juche idea and the brilliant victory of socialist industrialization, and demonstrated the firm unity of the whole WPK and all the people around Kim Il Sung. It opened up a new, higher stage of development of the revolution by illuminating a new road for their struggle.

Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in July 1972.

The items of the agenda of the meeting were: the results of and measures necessary for the implementation of The Policy of the Workers’ Party of Korea for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, which was adopted as a resolution at the Third Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the WPK; and introduction of the universal ten-year compulsory education including senior middle-school training.

Kim Il Sung delivered the report on the first item. He gave an analysis of the WPK’s activities for national reunification following the Third Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the WPK and specified what needed to be done in subsequent years. He clarified the principles to be maintained in the inter-Korean contacts and dialogue and underlined the need to keep a sharp vigilance against the double-dealing tactics employed by the US imperialists and their stooges and make full preparations to cope with their acts of provocation in a positive manner. It was stated at the meeting that the publication of the North-South Joint Statement based on the three principles for national reunification, which were advanced by the leader, was the proud outcome of the WPK’s policy for national reunification.

Kim Il Sung made the concluding speech Tasks in Introducing Universal Ten-Year Compulsory Education Which Includes Senior Middle-School Training. He said that in order to give universal ten-year compulsory education successfully it was necessary to build a large number of school buildings, solve the problem of teachers and provide adequate amounts of school requisites. Noting that it was by no means easy to provide all the conditions necessary for ten-year compulsory education, he said that the state would have to bear an enormous financial burden for it but it must introduce it without fail. He continued that the introduction of ten-year compulsory education was a colossal and difficult project and the state would not be able to effect it all at once, adding that it should develop it gradually, as the circumstances permitted. He underlined that all the organizations of the WPK must clearly understand the importance of ten-year compulsory education and press ahead with it, and that the chief secretaries of the provincial and county committees of the WPK in particular must directly supervise and push forward the preparations for it.

The meeting opened up bright vistas for waging a more vigorous struggle to achieve national reunification on the basis of the three principles for national reunification, and it contributed to consolidating the socialist education system by taking specific measures for the introduction of universal ten-year compulsory education.

Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the WPK, held in Pyongyang in December 1972, adopted a resolution to submit the Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, drafted by Kim Il Sung, to the Supreme People’s Assembly for its deliberation.

The meeting was convened at a time when it presented itself as an urgent requirement to enact a new Constitution in line with the demands of socialist construction.

Speakers stressed the theoretical and practical significance of the Socialist Constitution, the originality and advantages of its system and contents, and the principles of loyalty to the revolution and people. They described it as an original constitution entirely different from other constitutions of foreign countries, a democratic constitution safeguarding the interests of the people and a great constitution embodying the Juche idea. They said that it legislatively affirms the achievements made by the Korean people in the revolution and construction and stipulates the principles in political, economic, cultural and all other realms of social life, thus providing a legal guarantee for bringing earlier the complete victory of socialism and national reunification.

Those attending the meeting unanimously approved the Socialist Constitution.

Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in February 1974.

The meeting acclaimed Kim Jong Il as the heir to Kim Il Sung, the outstanding leader of the WPK and the Korean people, in reflection of the unanimous desire and aspirations of all its members and other people.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered a report, in which he stressed the need to consolidate the country’s defence capability and at the same time make ceaseless innovations in economic construction and attain all the goals of the Six-Year Plan ahead of schedule, so as to achieve the ten long-term objectives of socialist economic construction in the near future. The meeting adopted a letter of the Central Committee of the WPK to all its members, calling for an all-out struggle for grand socialist construction.

It also adopted resolutions to submit the issue of completely abolishing taxation to the Supreme People’s Assembly and the issue of sharply reducing the prices of industrial goods to the then Central People’s Committee, both for deliberation.

It was of historic significance in providing a sure guarantee for carrying forward and accomplishing the cause of the Juche revolution, and rendered services to effecting a sweeping upsurge in socialist construction and giving full play to the advantages of the country’s socialist system.

Tenth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Tenth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the WPK, held in Pyongyang in February 1975, discussed two items: one was the results of the work of guidance over the implementation of the three revolutions-ideological, technological and cultural-initiated by Kim Il Sung; and the other was the slogans of the Central Committee of the WPK on the occasion of its 30^th anniversary.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech Let Us Meet a Revolutionary Upheaval Victoriously by Strengthening the Party, Government Organs and People’s Army and Carrying Out Great Socialist Construction More Efficiently.

In his speech he underlined the significance of celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the WPK as a grand festival of victors. Based on an analysis of the prevailing situation, he specified tasks to be tackled in

strengthening the WPK and government organs and the Korean People’s Army and pushing forward socialist construction to meet the upcoming revolutionary upheaval victoriously.

Noting that building up the WPK was the top priority in this regard, he referred to the need to firmly equip cadres and other members of the WPK with the Juche idea. He said that it was also important to intensify the organizational life of the WPK, firmly arm cadres and other members of the WPK with the revolutionary outlook on the world, tighten discipline in the WPK, improve the methods of its work, enhance guidance over the working people’s organizations and strengthen the committees of the WPK at all levels.

The meeting adopted the slogans of the Central Committee of the WPK to mark its 30^th anniversary.

It was an important occasion for strengthening the country’s internal revolutionary forces in view of the prevailing situation and effecting another revolutionary upsurge in grand socialist construction.

14^th Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The 14^th Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in September 1977, when it was urgent to develop socialist education in line with the requirements of the reality. The three revolutions-ideological, technological and cultural-were being stepped up in the country.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung made public his work Theses on Socialist Education. In the theses he clarified the purpose and mission of socialist education and defined the fundamental principle of socialist pedagogy. He said: The fundamental principle of socialist pedagogy is to make people revolutionary, working-class and communist; in other words, it is to equip people with the revolutionary ideas of communism and, on the basis of this, ensure that they acquire sound scientific knowledge and are in good physical condition; in order to apply this fundamental principle it is necessary to embody loyalty to the WPK and the working class and establish the Juche orientation in education, combine education with revolutionary practice, and maintain the principle of the state taking responsibility for organizing and conducting education. He dwelt on the content and methods of socialist education and elucidated the essence and advantages of the DPRK’s socialist education system and tasks for its development. He stressed that for socialist education to run smoothly, the functions of educational institutions and the role of educational workers should be enhanced and the WPK’s guidance, state support and social assistance in educational work should be carried out in full. Noting that strengthening the WPK’s guidance over education was a decisive guarantee for developing socialist education fully into that of the WPK and the working class and for resolving all the problems in educational work, he clarified the essence of the WPK’s guidance over education and other relevant matters of principle.

Amid the enthusiastic support and approval by all those attending the meeting the theses was adopted as the WPK’s guideline in socialist education.

16^th Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The 16^th Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in January 1978, when all the resources of the country had to be enlisted in implementing the Second Seven-Year Plan.

The meeting discussed a letter of the Central Committee of the WPK to be sent to all its members.

Kim Il Sung made the speech Let Us Mobilize Party Members and Other Working People in Carrying Out the Second Seven-Year Plan Ahead of Schedule. He said that just as the WPK had made great advances in the revolutionary struggle and construction work by sending letters to its whole membership, so it must rouse its members and other working people in an energetic struggle to attain the ambitious targets of the Second Seven-Year Plan, the grand programme of socialist construction, by sending a letter to all its members once again. He stressed the importance of leading officials’ performance, saying that the officials in charge of economic affairs must organize their work according to a careful plan, the senior officials of provincial, city and county committees of the WPK must give efficient guidance to the factories and other enterprises, and the chairpersons of the provincial, city and county people’s committees must work properly as faithful servants of the people.

The meeting adopted a letter of the Central Committee of the WPK to all its members by unanimous approval, calling upon them and other working people to strive to implement the Second Seven-Year Plan ahead of schedule.

Sixth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Sixth Congress of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in October 1980, when the Korean revolution was entering a new phase of development under Kim Il Sung’s and Kim Jong Il’s leadership.

Kim Il Sung delivered the report on the work of the Central Committee of the WPK. He summed up the brilliant results achieved in the revolution and construction under the WPK’s leadership following its Fifth Congress and set out tasks to be tackled by the WPK and the people in modelling the whole society on the Juche idea, accelerating the Korean revolution and the world revolution, and building up the WPK. Noting that the WPK and the people were faced with the important task of modelling the whole society on the Juche idea by speeding up the revolutionary struggle and construction work, he stressed that modelling the whole society on the Juche idea was the general task of the Korean revolution. He said that in order to model the whole society on the Juche idea it was necessary to maintain independent and creative stands and carry out the line of the ideological, technological and cultural revolutions. He specified what needed to be done to make all members of society revolutionary, working-class and intellectual and to put the national economy on a Juche-oriented, modern and scientific footing. He stressed that the basic tasks of socialist economic construction in the 1980s were to establish solid material and technical foundations suited to a completely victorious socialist society, and to improve the people’s material and cultural standards radically. Then he set ten long-term objectives for socialist economic construction the country should attain in the 1980s.

He advanced a new reunification plan of founding the Democratic Federal Republic of Koryo and clarified ten policies to be pursued by a reunified state. He also reaffirmed the independent external policy of the WPK and defined independence, friendship and peace as the basic principles of the policy.

He continued to say that the major success achieved in the work of the WPK during the period under review was that solid organizational and ideological foundations had been laid for carrying the revolutionary cause through to completion and for developing the WPK into an ever-lasting, Juche party. He added that it was important in the work of the WPK to establish the monolithic ideological system more thoroughly throughout the WPK, improve its work with people and so consolidate the ranks of the WPK and the revolution, carry forward the WPK’s glorious revolutionary traditions by intensifying ideological work, strengthen the WPK’s leadership of the revolution and construction, and steadily improve the WPK’s work methods.

In reflection of the unanimous will and desire of all the members of the WPK the congress re-elected Kim Il Sung

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK, and elected Kim Jong Il member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK, member of the Central Military Commission of the WPK and secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK.

It was a meeting of victors that demonstrated to the world the brilliant victory of the Juche idea and the invincible might of the WPK, and a historic meeting that provided a sure guarantee for the victorious advance of the Korean revolution and accomplishment of the cause of Juche. It was an important occasion for achieving the complete victory of socialism and pushing forward the cause of modelling the entire WPK and the whole society on the Juche idea.

Third Plenary Meeting of the Sixth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Third Plenary Meeting of the Sixth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang in April 1981, when it was critical to improve the management of factories according to the Taean work system so as to carry out the resolution of the Sixth Congress of the WPK and the gigantic Second Seven-Year Plan.

At the meeting Kim Il Sung delivered the concluding speech Let Us Thoroughly Implement the Taean Work System and Improve the Management of Factories. In this speech he set out tasks for bringing about a fresh turn in the management of factories.

Based on a detailed analysis of how the factories were being managed, he said that it was of foremost importance in effecting a fresh turn in the management of factories to implement the Taean work system to the letter. Underlining the significance of enhancing the role of the factory committees of the WPK, he said that the collective guidance by the committees should be improved as it was an essential component of the Taean work system. He went on to stress that the organizations of the WPK at all levels should enhance the sense of responsibility and role of economic officials, intensify its education among them and train them in a revolutionary manner, and improve their sense of organization and level of qualifications. He referred to the need to improve the management of equipment, materials and labour, as well as financial administration, manage enterprises according to the regulations and enhance the role of the three-revolution teams.

The meeting rendered a substantial contribution to accelerating socialist economic construction by enhancing the role of the factory committees of the WPK and its organizations at all levels in applying the Taean work system and thus bringing about a decisive improvement in the management of factories.

Ninth Plenary Meeting of the Sixth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Ninth Plenary Meeting of the Sixth Central Committee of the WPK was held in July 1984 in Chongjin in the northeastern part of the country.

The meeting reviewed the successful results of the visit to the former Soviet Union and other socialist countries in Europe by the WPK and state delegation headed by Kim Il Sung, and discussed the tasks for the implementation of the WPK’s external policy.

It affirmed that the historic visit verified the advantages and vitality of socialism and demonstrated the unity and cohesion of socialist countries and the international communist movement. It also noted that the visit rendered great services to preventing and frustrating the imperialists’ manoeuvres for war and aggression and safeguarding peace and security in Asia, Europe and the rest of the world, adding that it marked a milestone in promoting international solidarity with the Korean people in their efforts to carry out their revolutionary cause. It underlined that the visit contributed to laying solid foundations for expanding and developing exchange and cooperation with socialist countries in the fields of the economy and science and technology.

The meeting was of great significance in propelling the socialist cause as a whole, defending global peace and effecting an upsurge in the Korean revolution and construction.

19^th Plenary Meeting of the Sixth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The 19^th Plenary Meeting of the Sixth Central Committee of the WPK was held in Pyongyang on December 24, 1991.

It adopted a decision on appointing Kim Jong Il, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and secretary of the Central Committee of the WPK, as Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army.

It highly appreciated the fact that at the fifth round of the inter-Korean high-level talks held after sincere discussions of one year and three months from the first round in 1990, the Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression, Cooperation and Exchange between the North and the South was adopted as a comprehensive agreement for removing political and military confrontation and promoting many-sided cooperation and exchange between the north and south of Korea and it was agreed to hold contacts with a view to finding prompt solutions to the Korean peninsula nuclear issue. It noted that the historic agreement, a new landmark for peace and peaceful reunification, was a brilliant result of Kim Il Sung’s reasonable and realistic peace programme and reunification line and Kim Jong Il’s wise guidance in the efforts for their implementation. Stressing the importance of treasuring the long-sought-after agreement and implementing it with sincerity, it underlined that both sides must strive to guarantee peace in the Korean peninsula, achieve national reconciliation and unity, and develop cooperation and exchange in many fields. It reaffirmed the consistent stand of the WPK to achieve national reunification by rejecting interference by outside forces and through a concerted effort of the nation itself.

It presented such measures and tasks as establishing sectional committees for the implementation of the agreement.

It provided a sure guarantee for accomplishing the cause of the Juche revolution by adopting a decision on appointing Kim Jong Il as Supreme Commander of the country’s revolutionary armed forces and contributed to effecting a turnaround in the Korean people’s struggle for peace and peaceful reunification of the country.

21^st Plenary Meeting of the Sixth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

At the 21^st Plenary Meeting of the Sixth Central Committee of the WPK, held in Pyongyang in December 1993, Kim Il Sung summed up the results of the implementation of the Third Seven-Year Plan and set the direction of economic construction for the immediate period ahead.

He delivered the concluding speech at the meeting.

As for the implementation of the Third Seven-Year Plan, the meeting noted that thanks to the heroic struggle of the people united with a single mind around the WPK and the leader and the might and vitality of the socialist independent national economy, great successes had been made in speeding up socialist economic construction and improving the people’s living standards despite the complex and difficult situation. It stressed that rapid progress had been made in industry, and the technological revolution stepped up in the countryside to complete the irrigation and electrification of agriculture at a high level and effect a turnaround in mechanization and the project involving the extensive use of chemicals. It added that big strides had been taken towards developing science, education, culture and public health and an improvement brought about in the people’s living conditions.

It set the following two to three years as the adjustment period for socialist economic construction and advanced a strategic policy of prioritizing agriculture, light industry and foreign trade for this period. It underlined the need to implement the new policy to the letter so as to realize the age-long desires of the Korean people of living in tile-roofed houses, eating rice and meat soup and dressed in silk clothes and to consolidate the foundations of the country’s independent economy in the near future.

It served as an important occasion for safeguarding and adding brilliance to the people-centred socialism and accomplishing the cause of the Juche revolution.

Monument to Party Founding

The Monument to Party Founding was erected to convey down through the generations the great exploits performed by Kim Il Sung in developing the WPK into the Juche-oriented revolutionary party. It is located in Munsu Street in Taedonggang District, Pyongyang. It stands on the opposite side of the Grand Monument on Mansu Hill with the bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

It was unveiled on October 10, 1995, to mark the 50^th founding anniversary of the WPK.

Covering a total area of more than 250 000 sq m, it consists of three 50m-high structures depicting a hammer, a sickle and a writing brush held up by a worker, a farmer and an intellectual, a circular structure bearing on its girdle the slogan “Long live the Workers’ Party of Korea, which organizes and guides all the victories of the Korean people!” a pedestal symbolizing the long history of the WPK with its roots in the Down-with-Imperialism Union and a bronze relievo showing the glorious history of the WPK and its reputation.

The monument with a hammer, a sickle and a writing brush held vertically by three hands, encircled by a girdle, symbolizes the character of the WPK, the Juche-oriented mass party of a new type in the era of independence, that is composed of workers, farmers and intellectuals, and its great achievements in setting an example for the implementation of the cause of independence and blazing the trail for the building of a revolutionary party through a long, sacred struggle. It also epitomizes the invincible might and high authority of the WPK united with a single mind around the leader, and reflects the steadfast determination of the WPK and the people to carry forward the ideology and cause of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

Special Announcement by the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea

On October 8, 1997, in Pyongyang, the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the WPK issued a special announcement. It reads in part: The Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the WPK solemnly declare that Comrade Kim Jong Il, the great leader of our Party and people, has been officially elected General Secretary of our Party as desired by the whole Party, as he has strengthened and developed our Party to be an invincible, veteran revolutionary party which enjoys full support and trust from all the people, has trained our people to be an independent people with indomitable faith and will and has ushered in a new era of the prosperity of Kim Il Sung’s nation, through tireless revolutionary activities over the past 30-odd years.

This was an expression of the WPK members’ and all other people’s trust in and reverence for the leader who, since the early days of his revolutionary activities, had regarded accomplishing Kim Il Sung’s cause as his lifelong mission and worked with devotion for the people while assisting Kim Il Sung, enjoying absolute authority for his great ideology, extraordinary leadership ability, ennobling virtues and imperishable exploits.

It was a landmark in reaffirming the centre of unity and leadership for the Korean revolution, consolidating the single-hearted unity of the revolutionary ranks around the leader and propelling the cause of socialism and national reunification and the world socialist movement.

Indeed, it was of great historical significance in developing the WPK and the revolution and achieving prosperity of socialist Korea and the Korean nation.

Third Conference of the Workers’ Party of Korea

Held in Pyongyang in September 2010, the Third Conference of the WPK declared in reflection of the unanimous will and desire of all its members, service personnel and other people that Kim Il Sung, who had founded the WPK and led it and the revolution along the road resplendent with victory, will be permanently at the supreme leadership organ of the WPK.

It also adopted a resolution on re-electing Kim Jong Il General Secretary of the WPK, by unanimous approval and amid enthusiastic cheers of all the attendants. And in reflection of the unshakeable determination of all the WPK members and other people to carry forward and accomplish the cause of the Juche revolution, it elected Kim Jong Un vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK.

It was of cardinal importance in adding eternal glory to the great history and traditions of the WPK and increasing its might.

Fourth Conference of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The Fourth Conference of the WPK was held in Pyongyang on April 11, 2012, at a historical time when a turnaround was being effected in carrying out the Songun-based revolutionary cause of Juche and building a thriving socialist country and a new century of Kim Il Sung’s Korea started.

By reflecting the unanimous will and desire of all the members of the WPK, service personnel and other people, the conference adopted a resolution on revering Kim Jong Il as General Secretary of the WPK forever and glorifying his revolutionary career and undying exploits down through the generations.

The resolution stressed: The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in their lifetime appearances, will be more splendidly laid out as befits the holiest sanctuary of Juche, and bronze statues of Kim Jong Il, mosaic portraits bearing his beaming image and towers to his immortality built across the country with utmost sincerity; all sectors and all units will make strenuous efforts to champion and glorify his imperishable leadership exploits; the WPK will develop the work of imbuing itself and the whole society with his ideology onto a higher level, holding high the banner of the great Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, and carry out all undertakings the way Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il did; it will thoroughly implement Kim Jong Il’s instructions without any concession and without any deflection and invariably follow the road of independence, Songun and socialism; true to his instructions, it will strengthen the single-hearted unity of itself and the revolutionary ranks centred on Kim Jong Un and support his ideology and leadership with loyalty; it will carry out the historic task of laying solid foundations for building an economic giant while consolidating the country’s position as a politico-ideological and military power, so as to enter a new, higher stage of building a thriving socialist nation in an all-round way; it will make a great leap forward in all economic and cultural sectors to turn the country into a knowledge-driven economy and into a civilized socialist nation; it will carry out the cause of national reunification without fail as wished by Kim Jong Il and strive for the victorious advance of the cause of global independence.

The conference elected Kim Jong Un First Secretary of the WPK, true to Kim Jong Il’s instructions.

Having elected Kim Jong Un to the helm of the WPK was of historic significance in developing the WPK which organizes and guides all the victories of the Korean people.

March 2013 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

Kim Jong Un delivered a historic report and a concluding speech at the March 2013 Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the WPK.

The meeting advanced a strategic line of carrying on the economic construction and the upbuilding of the nuclear forces simultaneously in line with the requirements of the times and the developing revolution. It was an option of justice and resolute political measure that the WPK decided to strengthen the country’s nuclear forces both qualitatively and quantitatively as the US seriously threatens its sovereignty and right to existence by wielding the nuclear stick. The main spirit of the meeting was to win final victory in the anti-US showdown and in building a thriving socialist country through resolute attack.

It gave a strong impetus to the struggle of the Korean service personnel and people who are vigorously advancing along the road of independence, Songun and socialism under the unfurled banner of the great Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, and marked a milestone in building a thriving nation and hastening the great revolutionary event of national reunification.

February 2015 Enlarged Meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea

The February 2015 Enlarged Meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK adopted a resolution On Carrying Through the Instructions of the Great Kim Jong Il by Holding Fast to Them as the Eternal Guidelines of Our Party and Revolution.

The resolution referred to the need to give top priority to the implementation of Kim Jong Il’s instructions and carry them out unconditionally without any concession and without any deflection and intensify the struggle against the abuse of power, bureaucratism and corruption. It called on the organizations of the WPK and political organs at all levels to scrupulously arrange organizational and political work to carry out the resolution of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and control and direct the implementation of the resolution on a regular basis to fully discharge the tasks set in the resolution, and the Cabinet and relevant organs to take administrative and practical measures to fulfil the tasks.

Kim Jong Un made a concluding speech.

The meeting rendered a contribution to hastening the final victory of the cause of the Juche revolution by holding up Kim Jong Il as the eternal leader and carrying out his instructions with credit.

Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea

Over the past 70-odd years the WPK has performed with credit its role as the political organization that organizes and guides all the victories of the Korean people under the leadership of its founder Kim Il Sung and its eternal General Secretary Kim Jong Il.

At present it is faced with a heavy yet sacred revolutionary task of effecting an upsurge in building a thriving socialist nation under Kim Jong Un’s leadership by holding fast to the instructions of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as its permanent guidelines, developing itself into the great party of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and enhancing its leadership role to hasten the final victory of the cause of the Juche revolution.

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK decided to convene the Seventh Congress of the WPK in early May 2016 in view of the requirements of the WPK and the developing revolution as epochal changes are being effected in implementing the cause of the Juche revolution and the cause of building a thriving socialist nation.

As a historic watershed in the implementation of the cause of the Juche revolution, the congress will sum up the successful results the WPK has achieved in the revolution and construction under the wise leadership of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and present an ambitious blueprint for hastening the final victory of the Korean revolution.