Post-Party Congress Events

Kim Jong Un waves to parade participants in Kim Il Sung Square on May 10, 2016 (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).

Kim Jong Un’s last observed appearance was his attendance on the last day of the Seventh Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea on May 9

Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) attended a mass rally and parade in Kim Il Sung (Kim Il-so’ng) Square on May 10 (Tuesday).  He was shadowed by Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Deputy Department Director and his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong (Kim Yo’-cho’ng) and accompanied by members of the WPK Political Bureau Presidium (standing committee).  Attending the rally from the parade review platform were WPK Political Bureau members and alternate members, senior officials and chief functionaries of the WPK, Korean People’s Army [KPA], DPRK Government and chairman and chairwomen of WPK provincial committees along with Kim Yong Dae (Chairman of the Korean Social Democratic Party Central Committee), Yun Jong Ho (Vice Chairman of the Ch’o’ndoist Ch’o’ngu Party Central Committee), heads of delegations from the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front, the General Association of Koreans in China, Chosen Soren (Chongryo’n; General Association of Korean Residents in Japan), 7th Party Congress participants, various officials from the WPK, KPA, DPRK Government, workers’ and social organizations and various foreign guests.

Kim Jong Un receives floral bouquets from members of the Korean Children’s Union on May 10, 2016 prior to the start of a rally and parade celebrating the 7th Party Congress. The floral bouquets are collected by his younger sister Kim Yo Jong, deputy director of the WPK Propaganda and Agitation Department (Photo: Korean Central TV).

SPA Presidium President and WPK Political Bureau Presidium Member Kim Yong Nam delivers a speech prior to a May 10, 2016 parade celebrating the 7th Party Congress. Also seen in attendance are WPK Political Bureau Members, Minister of State Security General Kim Won Wong and Chief of the KPA General Staff Vice Marshal Ri Myong Su (Photo: Korean Central TV).

Kim Jong Un talks with WPK Political Bureau Presidium Member and DPRK Premier Pak Pong Ju during the speaking program at a May 10, 2016 rally and parade celebrating the 7th Party Congress (Photo: Korean Central TV).

Upon arriving on the parade review platform, members of the Korean Children’s Union presented bouquets of flowers to Kim Jong Un and members of the WPK Political Bureau.  Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium President Kim Yong Nam delivered a speech which noted that the “Seventh Congress of the WPK was political event to be specially recorded in the history of the WPK and the DPRK” and said that “the congress elected Kim Jong Un as chairman of the WPK, reflecting the unanimous will and desire of the whole party, the entire army and all the people.  Kim Jong Un’s election as chairman of the WPK was an express of the intense loyalty and absolute trust of the army and people of the DPRK in him and a great revolutionary event guaranteeing the far-sighted plan of the party and the revolution, the country and the nation.”

Kim Jong Un talks with WPK Political Bureau Presidium Member and DPRK Premier Pak Pong Ju during the speaking program at a May 10, 2016 rally and parade celebrating the 7th Party Congress (Photo: Korean Central TV).

WPK Political Bureau Presidium Member and SPA Presidium President Kim Yong Nam speaks during a May 10, 2016 rally and parade held to celebrate the 7th Party Congress while a KCNA photographer checks his shot (Photo: Korean Central TV).

Kim Yong Nam extended “the greatest glory and warmest congratulations to Kim Jong Un upon his election…reflecting the unanimous feelings of all party members, service personnel and people across the country” and, on behalf of the WPK Central Committee, “the warmest thanks to all party members, service personnel and people for having concluded the 70-day campaign of loyalty with victory and glorified the Party Congress as a great revolutionary jubilee.”  Kim Yong Nam indicated that Jong Un’s report at the Party Congress “laid down the strategic line and set forth overall tasks for completing the cause of socialism of Chuch’e under the uplifted banner of modeling the whole society on Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism” and underlined “the need for all party members, officials, and other people to turn out in the struggle to carry out the decision made by the 7th Congress of the WPK with same vim and vigor as they displayed in the 70-day campaign of loyalty.”

View of a parade through Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang on May 10, 2016 held to celebrate the 7th Party Congress (Photo: Rodong Sinmun-KCNA).

After Kim Yong Nam’s speech, the parade began with “columns of the public procession pass[ing] the square brimming over with all service personnel and people’s great emotion and joy of having elected Kim Jong Un chairman of the WPK at its Seventh Congress.”  According to KCNA, “all the participants extended the greatest glory and warmest thanks to him who glorified the Seventh Congress of the WPK as the grand political festival to be specially recorded in the party history.”  Jong Un spent some of the speech and parade engaged in conversation with the other WPK Political Bureau Presidium Members: Kim Yong Nam DPRK Premier Pak Pong Ju, KPA General Political Department Director Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So and WPK Vice Chairman Choe Ryong Hae and waved at the parade participants.

View of senior North Korean leadership at a May 10, 2016 rally and parade celebrating the 7th Party Congress: WPK Vice Chairman O Su Yong (a), WPK Vice Chairman Kim Yong Chol (b), WPK Vice Chairman Ri Man Gon [c], SPA Presidium Vice President Yang Hyong Sop (d), DPRK Vice Premier and State Planning Commission Chairman Ro Tu Chol (e), and North P’yo’ngan WPK Provincial Committee Chairman Kim Nung O (Photo: Korean Central TV).

Kim Jong Un talks with WPK Political Bureau Presidium Members, SPA Presidium President Kim Yong Nam and DPRK Premier Pak Pong Ju during a May 10, 2016 parade celebrating the 7th Party Congress (Photo: Korean Central TV).

Kim Jong Un talks with WPK Political Bureau Presidium Members, KPA General Political Department Director Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So (partially obscured) and WPK Vice Chairman for Workers’ and Social Organizations Choe Ryong Hae (Photo: Korean Central Television).

Parade floats and ornate character displays showing KIS, KJI and Jong Un’s names and slogans “Devotedly Defending the Leader,” “Single-minded Unity” along with the WPK and DPRK flags passed through Kim Il Sung Square.  The KPA band performed, lining up in synchornized formations to depict the WPK’s logo and the character “Victory” while playing the tune “Ode to General Kim Jong Un.”  When the parade finished, Jong Un walked along the parade review stand accompanied by the WPK Political Bureau Presidium and waved at those in attendance.

Kim Jong Un talks with WPK Political Bureau Presidium Member and WPK Vice Chairman Choe Ryong Hae (who reaches for his notebook) during a May 10, 2016 parade celebrating the 7th Party Congress (Photo: Korean Central Television).

Kim Jong Un waves to the crowd following a May 10, 2016 event celebrating the 7th Party Congress, attended to (annotated) by close aide and younger sister Kim Yo Jong (Photo: Korean Central TV).

Kim Jong Un waves to the crowd following a May 10, 2016 event celebrating the 7th Party Congress, shadowed (annotated) by close aide and younger sister Kim Yo Jong (Photo: Korean Central TV).

Later the same day, celebratory banquets of delegates to the 7th Party Congress were held at Moknan House (the WPK Central Committee’s banquet hall), the People’s Palace of Culture, Oknyu Restaurant, Chongnyo Restaurant, the Koryo Hotel, the Yanggakdo Hotel and other venues.  Attending the banquets were WPK Political Bureau Members and Alternates, other leading WPK, KPA and DPRK Government senior officials, representatives of the Korean Social Democratic and Ch’o’ndoist Ch’o’ngu Parties and 7th Party Congress participants.

The Mokran House in Pyongyang (Photo: Google image)

Kim Yong Nam (SPA Presidium President), Pak Pong Ju (DPRK Premier), Choe Ryong Hae (WPK Vice Chairman for Workers’ and Social Organizations), Choe T’ae Bok (WPK Vice Chairman for Science and Education), General Pak Yong Sik (Minister of the People’s Armed Forces), Kim Pyong Hae (WPK Vice Chairman and Director of Cadres’ Affairs), O Su Yong (WPK Vice Chairman and Director of Light Industry), Yang Hyong Sop (Vice President of the SPA Presidium) and General Kim Won Hong (Minister of State Security) spoke at the banquets.  According to KCNA, they said that “all the service personnel and people are full of great joy of having elected the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un as chairman of the WPK at its 7th Congress, the congress of victory and glory to be specially recorded in the history of the great party of Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism”

The banquet speakers extended the “the noblest tribute to President Kim Il Sung (Kim Il-so’ng) and leader Kim Jong Il (Kim Cho’ng-il) and the greatest glory to Kim Jong Un, reflecting the warm loyalty of all the party members, service personnel and other people” noted that the “the congress was a significant one that provided a fresh landmark in the struggle of our party, army and people to accomplish the socialist cause of Chuch’e under the uplifted banner of modeling the whole society on Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism and guaranteed the eternal future of the Korean revolution.”  According to KCNA, the banquet speakers said:

When we take hold on the revolutionary line set forth by Kim Jong Un at the historic party congress, the independent dream and ideal of the people will be translated into reality and the country will throw its rays as the powerful country to be looked up by the world in the near future.

Let us thoroughly implement the tasks set forth at the party congress by making steady advance and continued innovations with the same spirit and stamina with which they glorified the 7th Congress of the WPK with special events of the national history and great victory and thus effecting a fresh turn in building a thriving socialist power.

Views of an evening celebration of the 7th Party Congress (Photos: Rodong Sinmun-KCNA).

During the evening of May 10, an evening celebration of the 7th Party Congress took place in Kim Il Sung Square.  Attending the celebration were Kim Yong Nam, Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So, Pak Pong Ju, Choe Ryong Hae, Kim Ki Nam (WPK Vice Chairman and Director of Propaganda and Agitation [publicity and information]), Choe T’ae Bok (WPK Vice Chairman of Science and Education), Ri Su Yong (WPK Vice Chairman of International Affairs), Kim Pyong Hae (WPK Vice Chairman and Director of Cadres’ Affairs), O Su Yong (WPK Vice Chairman and Director of Light Industry), Kwak Pom Gi (WPK Vice Chairman and Director of Planning and Finance), Ro Tu Chol (DPRK Vice Premier and State Planning Commission Chairman), Kim Yong Chol (WPK Vice Chairman and Director of National Intelligence and the United Front), Ri Man Gon (WPK Vice Chairman and Director of Military and Munitions [machine-building] Industries) and other senior WPK, KPA and DPRK Government officials along with chief functionaries and leading officials of national institutions and government ministries, KPA and Korean People’s Internal Security Forces command staff, foreign delegations and other invited guests.

The celebrations began with a music program, including “Glory to Our Great Party” and students dancing eventually going into a formation of a floral basket.”  The music continued with “We Will Go to Mt. Paektu,” “We’ll Follow Our Party forever” and other tunes synchronized to a fireworks display over the Taedong River.  Then a torchlight parade of Kim Il Sung Youth League members and Youth Shock Brigade laborers took place, with the participants using their torches to form slogans and other shapes.  According to KCNA, they “fully showed the picture of the single-minded unity of youth rank, united close around the great party, which is vigorously advancing along the road of independence, So’ngun (military-first) and socialism in the spirit of heroic youths of Mt. Paektu.”  The fireworks displays continued.  According to KCNA the evening celebration “clearly demonstrated the immutable faith and will of the five million young vanguard members determined to creditably discharge their honorable mission and duty as reserve forces, advancing group and wing of the WPK and as the masters of the great Paektusan (Mt. Paektu) youth power in carrying out the cause of building a thriving socialist nation under the revolutionary banner of the great Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, rallied close around Marshal Kim Jong Un.”

Filed under: 7th Party Congress, Cadre Affairs, Central Auditing Commission, Central Committee, Central Military Committee, Central Party Affairs/Cadres 5th Section, central party life, Choe Ryong Hae, Choe Tae Bok, Col. Gen. No Kwang Chol (KPAGS), Col. Gen. So Hong Chan, colonel general, DPRK Cabinet, DPRK External Relations, DPRK Premier, Events Management Section, Executive Policy Bureau, Financial Planning Department, Gen. Kim Won Hong, Gen. Kim Yong Chol, Gen. Pak Yong Sik (MPAF), Gen. Ri Myong Su, Gen. Ri Pyong Chol, Gen. Ri Yong Gil, Gen. Yun Jong Rin, General Affairs, gsd, Guard Command, Hwang Pyong So, Hwang Pyong So (GPD; KPA VMAR), ideological slogans, Im Chol Ung (DPRK Vice Premier WPK PB), Information Section, Jang Chol (State Academy of Science President), Jo Yon Jun (OGD), Ju Yong Gil (GFTUK), Kim Chong-un inspections, Kim Family, Kim Jong Im, Kim Jong Sun (KDWU), Kim Jong Un Visits, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un, Kim Ki Nam, Kim Ki-nam, Kim Nung O (NPyongan WPK), Kim Yo Jong, Kim Yong Nam, KJI Personal Secretariat, Korean People's Army (KPA), Korean People's Army Supreme Command, Korean People's Internal Security Forces, Korean Workers' Party (KWP), KPA General Political Bureau, KPA General Political Department, KPA Supreme Command, kpif, Kwak Pom Gi, Light Industry Department, Local Party Affairs, Lt. Gen. Kim Su Gil, Machine Building Industry Department, military security command [msc], ministry of people's security, Ministry of State Security, Ministry of the People's Armed Forces (MPAF), Mokran House, MPAF GPB, National Defense Commission (NDC), NDC Administration Department, North Korean press, North Pyongan KWP Provincial Committee, O Kuk Ryol, O Kuk-yol, O Su Yong, Organization and Guidance Department, PAD Guidance Section, Pak Pong Ju, Pak Thae Song (KWP CC Dept), Party elders, party life, Political Bureau, primary party committees, Propaganda and Agitation Department, Provincial Party Committees, Provincial Party System, Public Events, Pyongyang Defense Command, Pyongyang WPK Committee, Ri Chol, Ri Man Gon (N. P'yo'ngan WPK PC), Ri Pyong Chol, Ri Su Yong, Ri Yong Sik (Rodong editor), Ro Tu Chol, South P'yo'ngan KWP Provincial Committee, State Planning Commission (SPC), State Security Department, Supreme People's Assembly, VMar Ri Yong Mu, Yang Hyong Sop, Youth Shock Brigades