The year 2024 is closing. For the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea it was a year of great changes to be recorded in its history.

On New Year’s Eve the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un had a photo taken with the members of the central leadership body of the Workers’ Party of Korea in front of its Central Committee’s headquarters building. Every participant in the photo session was holding a red flag, a symbol of the WPK. That day Kim Jong Un said: We should feel remorse for our failure to live up to the people’s expectations and, always mindful of them, should work hard to make 2024 a year of redoubled efforts for the good of them and our great state.

Since he made a sacred vow to serve the people, he has been on incessant guidance trips throughout the year with a firm determination to take full responsibility for the destiny of the people and build a powerful socialist country on this land without fail.

On New Year’s Day he watched a celebration performance by schoolchildren at the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren’s Palace. The next day he visited a farm machine exhibition hall, which served as an important occasion in defining the orientation of the country’s development of farm machinery, and a few days later inspected the Kwangchon Chicken Farm, a model for the country’s development of poultry farming.

He attended the groundbreaking ceremonies of the third-stage construction of 10 000 flats in the capital city’s Hwasong area and of building regional-industry factories in Songchon County of South Phyongan Province signalling the start of the implementation of the Regional Development 20×10 Policy in February, the inauguration ceremony of the Kangdong Combined Greenhouse in March, the groundbreaking ceremony of the second-stage construction of 10 000 flats in the Hwasong area in April and the inauguration ceremony of Jonwi Street in May. In the ceremonies he made rallying speeches and broke ground first.

Kim Jong Un unveiled new plans for national prosperity with a single desire to make his people, who have invariably followed the WPK braving manifold hardships, the happiest in the world.

In July he visited Samjiyon and the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist resort under construction to clarify the orientation of the fresh development of the country’s tourist industry. He also visited Sinpho of South Hamgyong Province and other areas and convened consultative meetings, in which he took new, crucial measures to hasten the radical development of the regions and the comprehensive prosperity of the country.

He initiated three construction projects essential for regional rejuvenation at a consultative meeting for regional development held in August. At the meeting he said: The historic cause of regional rejuvenation is a revolutionary undertaking to be proud of even though it demands much effort. When new edifices symbolic of the people’s happiness and regional development appear in 20 cities and counties every year and the whole country seethes with songs of sea changes, we will feel more proud of the dynamic stride which we have taken today with readiness for courageous struggle and fortitude.

Kim Jong Un ’s journey of devoted service for the people is featured by the efforts to promote the wellbeing of the people and protect their lives.

Late in July heavy floods struck some areas including the city of Sinuiju and Uiju County of North Phyongan Province. He went to the flood-hit area to oversee the airborne relief operation. He then looked around the submerged area on a rubber boat and advanced a plan to admirably transform the afflicted areas.

Later he made several visits to the disaster areas to clarify the stand of the WPK and the government on taking care of the lives of the flood victims and pushing ahead with the rehabilitation campaign and take important measures. Seeing their benevolent leader, all the Korean people were deeply moved to tears.

During his repeated visits to the rehabilitation project sites in North Phyongan and Jagang provinces he said that just like monumental edifices springing up in different parts of the country, the houses under construction for the flood victims are precious assets of the state and the people, which should be guaranteed for ever, calling for making redoubled efforts once again to build a splendid paradise for the people in the flood-hit areas without fail. He also visited the regional-industry factories under construction in North Phyongan Province, Jaeryong County of South Hwanghae Province and Songchon County of South Phyongan Province. During the visits he said that the construction of regional-industry factories is a historic task for realizing the centuries-old desire of the regional people, not merely construction work, adding that if we devote patriotic sweat and sincere efforts every day, an eye-opening era of regional transformation will surely come. In this way he led the efforts to erect the regional-industry factories as perfect creations that would remain as the people’s assets for ever.

Indeed, the country made progress each and every day under the benevolent care of the great father.

Looking back on the year-long devoted efforts of Kim Jong Un , the Korean people have realized once again the immutable truth that as they are led by him, their country would remain as strong as ever and their dreams would surely come true.

Kim Hyok