In 2024, unprecedented successes were achieved in education, science, public health, art and literature, sports and other fields of culture in the DPRK.

Last year, Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, led the work to make attaching importance to education a national trait peculiar to the country.

Practical measures were taken to modify the educational structure of the country to give advanced education and improve the teaching contents and methods more rationally. Reserve educators were trained in a far-sighted way and the socialist policies for students were consistently implemented.

As a result, more than 340 schools, 780 branch schools and 150 kindergartens were newly built and renovated on the model level, 2 000-odd more multi-functional classrooms of medium or higher level were built than planned and 180 branch schools were linked to the data communication network across the country, making it possible to raise the quality of education a level higher.

In particular, the respected General Secretary took special measures in August last year to bring all the students in the flood-hit areas to Pyongyang for their schooling, saying that the issue of upbringing, edification and education of children and students is the number one state affair which cannot be given up whatever happened. He visited the temporary classrooms built at the April 25 Hostel to learn about the preparations for education of the students from the flood-stricken areas and made untiring efforts for it. His noble outlook on the rising generations implanted in the officials again what attitude and stand they should take to address the issues of education of students and provision of their educational conditions.

Last year the advanced culture of the capital city spread to the rural communities.

More than 210 neighbourhood units were honoured with the title of model neighbourhood unit in socialist cultured way of life in the rural areas across the country amid the nationwide campaign for sprucing up the fairyland villages newly built under the care of the Party as cultured earthly paradises. The exhibitions of products and sci-tech exhibitions of different sectors including the advanced sci-tech and products exhibition-2024, the DPRK-Russia IT products exhibition-2024 and the national youth sci-tech achievements exhibition were important occasions for broadening the horizon of producers and technicians and sharing advanced sci-tech successes and experience and at the same time for actively promoting the development of science and technology of the country.

The model public health facilities in the new era were wonderfully built last year.

The General Secretary set it as an undertaking for realizing the long-cherished desire to splendidly build advanced public health facilities and took revolutionary measures to carry it out. As a result, many standard pharmacies have been built across the country. Projects were undertaken to improve the quality of medical service and consolidate the material and technical foundations for it, medical treatment methods of practical significance in carrying out research projects for advanced medical science were developed and pharmaceutical factories stepped up the production of medicines and the development of preventive medicines. Telemedicine and outreach medical service activities were conducted vigorously to make sure the socialist public health policies would benefit the people more substantially.

Revolutionary film “72 Hours”, which was successfully produced as a model work of the times under the energetic guidance of the General Secretary, was screened, positively encouraging the people who turned out in their advance of last year. And “Days and Nights of Confrontation”, a sequel to the feature film “One Day and One Night”, was also produced as a masterpiece, bringing the DPRK’s cinematic art to a new height of development.

Songs truthfully reflecting the deep reverence of all people for the General Secretary and their love for the country, like “Dear Father” and “Song about the Motherland”, were created and staged at art performances held on different occasions last year, adding to their pride in holding the great leader in high esteem, self-confidence and patriotism.

Last year, DPRK sportspersons won over 20 winner’s trophies and more than 360 medals including 210-odd golds at major international games including the 2024 Asian Table-Tennis Championships, the 10th Asian Taekwon-Do Championships and the 2024 IWF World Cup, creating a “Korean myth” that shook the world sports circles.

In particular, DPRK women's football teams lifted winner’s trophies in the 2024 FIFA U-20 and U-17 women's World Cup finals, with the result that its U-20 women's football team became one of the three powers that won the World Cup three times in the history of the tournament and the U-17 women's football team, the first three-time winner of the World Cup.