Kim Jong Un addresses an expanded meeting of the WPK Political Bureau in Pyongyang on February 18, 2014 (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).
Kim Jong Un’s last observed appearance was his visit to Ku’msusan at midnight on February 16
An expanded meeting of the Worker’s Party of Korea [WPK] Central Committee Political Bureau was held at the WPK Central Committee #1 Office Building in Pyongyang on February 18 (Wednesday). It was the second meeting of the WPK’s top decision making body this month (a meeting of WPK Political Bureau members and alternates was held on February 10). In contrast to last week’s meeting, Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) attended. Also in attendance were presidium, regular and alternate (candidate) members of the WPK Political Bureau. Present as observers were DPRK Cabinet Vice Premiers, WPK Central Committee Department Directors and Senior Deputy (1st Vice) Directors, WPK Central Committee Department and DPRK Government section chiefs, Chief Secretaries of WPK Provincial Committees, chief functionaries and “leading officials of commissions, ministries, national institutions, working people’s organizations and armed forces organs.”
View of the platform at the WPK Central Committee #1 Office Building in Pyongyang, the venue for the February 18, 2015 expanded meeting of the WPK Political Bureau (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).
View of participants of the expanded meeting of the WPK Political Bureau in Pyongyang on February 18, 2015 (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).
On the platform for the meeting were: (first row) VMar Ri Yong Mu; Choe Tae Bok; Kim Ki Nam; Choe Ryong Hae; Kim Jong Un; VMar Hwang Pyong So; Pak Pong Ju; Pak To Chun; Kang Sok Ju, and (second row) Jo Yon Jun; Kim Yang Gon; VMar Hyon Chol Hae; Choe Yong Rim; Yang Hyong Sop; Gen. Kim Won Hong; Kwak Pom Gi; O Su Yong.
The Political Bureau meeting had two agenda items: a status report with speeches on the implementation of late DPRK leader Kim Jong Il’s (Kim Cho’ng-il) “behests,” and an “organizational matter.” Choe Tae Bok (WPK Secretary for Science and Education and Chairman of the Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA]) opened the meeting.
WPK Secretary and SPA Chairman Choe Tae Bok begins the meeting (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).
Choe Ryong Hae (member of the WPK Political Bureau Presidium, WPK Secretary and Chairman of the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission) delivered a report about the first agenda item, addressing “the work done for the past three years to implement the behests of Kim Jong Il.”
WPK Secretary and WPK Political Bureau Presidium Member Choe Ryong Hae delivers the meeting report (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).
According to KCNA, Choe said, in part, that:
The past three years were a period in which the army and people of the DPRK waged a dynamic struggle to thoroughly implement the behests of Kim Jong Il under the leadership of Kim Jong Un and years of victories and changes that demonstrated the great attraction and vitality of Kim Jong Il’s idea and cause all over the world.
The eternity and invincibility of Kim Il Sung’s (Kim Il-so’ng) nation and Kim Jong Il’s Korea were demonstrated to the whole world and signal achievements assuring the bright future of the great Paektusan nation were achieved. These are entirely ascribable to the wise guidance provided by Kim Jong Un who is unconditionally implementing to the letter without an inch of deflection or a step of concession the behests of Kim Jong Il, regarding them as important guidelines.
Shortcomings were manifested in the work for implementing the behests of Kim Jong Il over the past three years, let us bring about a radical turn in implementing the behests of Kim Jong Il by improving their ideological viewpoint and work style and manner.
DPRK Premier Pak Pong Ju (left), WPK Propaganda and Agitation Department Senior Deputy Director Ri Jae Il (center) and Minister of the People’s Armed Forces Gen. Hyon Yong Chol (right) address the expanded WPK Political Bureau meeting (Photos: Rodong Sinmun).
Jagang WPK Provincial Committee Chief Secretary Kim Chun Sop (left), North P’yo’ngan WPK Provincial Committee Chief Secretary Ri Man Gon (center), and KIS Youth League Central Committee Chairman Jon Yong Nam (right) address the expanded WPK Political Bureau meeting (Photos: Rodong Sinmun).
Choe’s report was followed by speeches from Pak Pong Ju (DPRK Premier), Ri Jae Il (Senior Deputy Director of the WPK Propaganda and Agitation Department), Gen. Hyon Yong Chol (Minister of the People’s Armed Forces), Kim Chun Sop (Chief Secretary of the Jagang WPK Provincial Committee), Ri Man Gon (Chief Secretary of the North P’yo’ngan WPK Provincial Committee) and Jon Yong Nam (First Chairman of the Kim Il-so’ng Youth League Central Committee). According to KCNA, these speakers “made analysis of the achievements and shortcomings made in their own sectors and units and lessons drawn from them in the work to implement the behests of Kim Jong Il over the last three years.”
Participants at the expanded WPK Political Bureau meeting (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).
The Political Bureau passed a resolution titled “On Holding Fast to Behests of the Great Comrade Kim Jong Il as Eternal Guidelines for Our Party and Revolution and Carrying Them out to the Last.” According to KCNA:
The behests of Kim Jong Il, great image of the powerful Paektusan nation and eternal leader of the WPK and the Korean people, serve as a textbook of the Korean revolution and scientific and encyclopedic important guidelines that indicate the way of building a thriving socialist nation and winning the final victory of the Juche revolution.
Kim Jong Un is showing in practice how the behests of Kim Jong Il should be upheld and translated into reality.
Reflecting the revolutionary faith and will and ardent desire of the army and people of the DPRK, Kim Jong Un made sure that Kim Jong Il was held forever in high esteem at the top post of the WPK and the state and the Ku’msusan Palace of the Sun was remodeled on the noblest level as the sacred temple of Chuch’e and that statues of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il were erected on Mansu Hill and in provincial seats and major units, thus making their beaming images shine all over the country.
Kim Jong Un resolutely laid bare and foiled the moves of the modern-day factional elements who challenged the monolithic leadership of the party, thus putting the ideological oneness of the entire party and the whole society on the highest level and bringing the flower garden of the single-minded unity into full bloom by carrying forward Kim Il Sung’s and Kim Jong Il’s noble outlook on the people and the rising generation.
While putting forward the KPA as the reliable pioneers party and strong buttress upholding the Songun revolutionary cause of the party in the van, Kim Jong Un developed it into the powerful Paektusan revolutionary army capable of defeating enemy’s provocation at a single stroke, built world-class edifices through army-people coordinated operations and brought about a shining victory in the struggle for building an economic power and improving the standard of people’s living.
The resolution called for conducting the work for implementing the behests of Kim Jong Il as the primary tasks and unconditionally carrying out them to the last without an inch of deflection and a single step of concession.
It underscored the need for the party organizations to conduct an intensive political and ideological offensive for giving full play to the mental power of the masses in implementing the behests of Kim Jong Il.
The resolution called for making sure that all efforts are channeled into the implementation of his behests to thoroughly establish the monolithic leadership system of Kim Jong Un and uphold and preserve the leadership exploits of the party and add brilliance to them.
It underlined the need to unconditionally carry out the behests of Kim Jong Il to the letter by tenaciously pushing forward the work till their vitality is displayed in practice.
It called on the officials, commanding cadres of the revolution, to be standard bearers and vanguard fighters in the all-out charge for devotedly implementing the behests of Kim Jong Il.
The resolution stressed the need to wage an all-party intensive campaign against abuse of power, bureaucratism, irregularities and corruption.
It underscored the need for the officials to dedicate themselves to the party and revolution, society and the collective and take it as due revolutionary ethics and revolutionary party discipline to work and live simple-mindedly, uprightly and honestly as intended by Kim Jong Il.
It underlined the need for the officials to devote their blood and sweat to solving knotty problems in the people’s living and difficult problems of people, deeply aware of the noble intention of Kim Jong Un who is dedicating himself to the people.
The resolution called on the party organizations and political bodies at all levels, the Cabinet and the relevant organs to conduct organizational and political work and take administrative and working measures to implement the above-said resolution.
After the WPK Political Bureau “adopted” this resolution, it turned to “the organizational matter” about which KCNA did not elaborate. However, it most likely involved the dismissal and appointment of members of the WPK Central Committee’s power organizations (i.e. Political Bureau, Secretariat, department directors) and possibly revising the function and role of the power organizations.
Kim Jong Un delivers a closing speech at the WPK Political Bureau expanded meeting in Pyongyang on February 18, 2015 (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).
The meeting ended with a speech by Kim Jong Un, described by KCNA as a “historic conclusion.” According to KCNA, Kim Jong Un said:
The meeting which was held at the important historic period of the Korean revolution reviewed the achievements, experience and shortcomings made in the struggle to carry out the behests of Kim Jong Il and lessons drawn from them and discussed and decided on important issues arising in successfully carrying out his behests.
Through the past three-year-long struggle to carry out the behests of Kim Jong Il we deeply cherished the unshakable faith that the lines and policies set forth by him and his teachings are textbooks of revolution and if we work as taught by him, there is nothing impossible and the final victory belongs to us.
It is the fixed will of the WPK and the army and people of the DPRK to implement to the letter Kim Jong Il’s behests without an inch of deflection and without a step of concession and translate his plan and desire into a reality on this land.
We should wage a dynamic struggle to build a thriving socialist nation and accomplish the historic cause of national reunification under the unfurled banner of great Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism.
We should do all work as intended by Kim Jong Il and as he did, regarding his behests as the important guidelines as befitting his faithful soldiers and disciples.
Party organizations should conduct the organizational and political work in a fresh and viable manner so that the officials, party members and working people may turn out as one with the revolutionary faith, fighting spirit and revolutionary pluck to devotedly carry out the teachings of Kim Jong Il and the party’s policies under any condition.
All party organizations should put on record without omission all the teachings and instructions Kim Jong Il gave to their domains and units, bring them home to officials and other working people and thus help them deeply grasp his behests.
The party organizations should wage unique and dynamic political work pulsating with the breath of the times and motivate the people so that the revolutionary spirit of Mt. Paektu, the spirit of blizzards of Paektu prevail throughout the country and a high-pitched drive for creation and innovation is waged in all worksites.
Units associated with the leadership of Kim Jong Il should take the lead in implementing his behests to the letter.
It was the most important behest sand lifetime desire of Kim Jong Il to provide the people with an affluent and happy life. President Kim Il Sung’s and Kim Jong Il’s behests concerning the problems of food and clothing essential for the living should be carried out before any other behests.
The leading officials of the party and the state and all other officials should look back with conscience whether they have worked as required by the revolution and in its interests true to the intention of Kim Jong Il at the important posts entrusted to them by the party, and work with their sleeves rolled up to thoroughly carry out his behests and party policies with extraordinary resolution and enthusiasm.
Not a few officials including those of economic guidance organs lack responsibilities in their work and fail to fulfill their role as masters.
I urge these officials to conceive from a fresh angle and wage in an innovative way all work with their feet planted in reality and looking at the world. These officials should work and live simple-mindedly, uprightly and honestly with conscience.
All domains and units should judge well whether any work is contrary to the people’s demand and interests and do the work without their burden and inconvenience.
Nothing is impossible and no fortress is insurmountable as long as there is the bright blueprint for building a rich and powerful country indicated by Kim Jong Il and the revolutionary enthusiasm and great strength of all service personnel and people who are turning out as one in the revolutionary spirit of Paektu true to the call of the party.
The U.S. imperialists and their followers are making desperate efforts to block our advance but the Korean revolution is dynamically advancing along the landmark of victory set by the party
I call on all the people to uphold the spirit of the enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and bring about a revolutionary turn in the struggle to implement the behests of Kim Jong Il, confident of victory.
Filed under: Central Committee, central party life, Choe Ryong Hae, Choe Tae Bok, DPRK Cabinet, Events Management Section, Gen. Hyon Yong Chol, General Affairs, Guard Command, Hwang Pyong So (GPD; KPA VMAR), Jagang KWP Provincial Committee, Jon Yong Nam (KISYL), Kim Chun Sop (Jagang WPK PC), Kim Family, Kim Il Sung Youth League, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un, Kim Yong Nam, KJI Personal Secretariat, Korean People's Army (KPA), Korean Workers' Party (KWP), KPA General Political Bureau, KPA General Political Department, Ministry of State Security, Ministry of the People's Armed Forces (MPAF), MPAF GPB, National Defense Commission (NDC), North Korean press, Pak Pong Ju, Party elders, party life, Political Bureau, Propaganda and Agitation Department, Provincial Party Committees, Pyongyang Defense Command, Ri Jae Il (PAD), Ri Man Gon (N. P'yo'ngan WPK PC), Secretariat, State Security Department, Supreme People's Assembly, VMar Ri Yong Mu, Working Organizations
