Last year witnessed the appearance of wonders of socialist civilization in the northwestern part of the DPRK.

In a little over four months, modern multi- and single-storey dwelling houses for more than 15 000 families, nurseries, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, clinics, etc. were newly built and dwelling houses for more than 6 000 families repaired and the Amnok River embankment project, river improvement projects and railway, road and bridge repair projects were pushed forward to change the northwestern region without any trace of its old appearance. This is a miracle in the history of construction.

It was a miraculous change brought about by the Korean people’s own tremendous strength and their spirit of self-development and self-determination and patriotic devotion.

From the day when the report on the 22nd emergency enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea was broadcast, the Party members throughout the country competitively signed their names on the lists of the Party members’ regiments and in response to the decision of the Party to dispatch the Paektusan Hero Youth Shock Brigade to the housing construction in the flood-hit areas of North Phyongan Province, nearly 300 000 young people pledged to go to the areas in less than a week.

On the front for repairing flood damage, the service personnel of the Korean People’s Army glorified their noble name as creator of the people’s happiness with loyalty and feats under the slogan “Let us take upon ourselves both national defence and socialist construction!” and the members of the youth shock brigade displayed the courage peculiar to the Korean youth with the courage to lift even the earth as they are trusted by Marshal Kim Jong Un.

In fact, when the recent campaign of rehabilitation started, several countries and international organizations expressed their will to assist our country, but we made clear our determination to remain faithful to our approach to resolving problems by our own efforts at all costs. This was because we were confident in our own strength and, more importantly, our self-supporting spiritual and material asset that had to be developed further during this challenging project was more precious than anything else.

It was an occasion for us to cultivate the spirit of self-development and self-determination once again and the Party intended to further boost the country’s own strength to overcome any national crisis by itself by finishing the reconstruction as scheduled without fail by dint of the united strength of the whole country, believing in the strength of our army, youth and people.

If we had pinned hope on the assistance from others, there would not have been the dignity we are all now feeling, not to mention these wonderful transformations.

Through the 130-odd days of the arduous campaign of rehabilitating the disaster-stricken areas by building durable embankments and houses for the local people, we fully experienced once again our own tremendous strength, came to believe in our strength and were convinced once again that the single-minded unity of our society in which all help and lead one another is being further consolidated.

This is spiritual asset more precious than any result.

On February 10 there took place with splendour the groundbreaking ceremony of a 450-hectare greenhouse farm and vegetable science research centre that heralded the beginning of another important undertaking for regional development to be specially recorded in the new era of great transformations, when the people-first ideal of the Workers’ Party of Korea is being comprehensively realized.

We are filled with the confidence and courage to change the times because we believe in our strength and have the army and youth boundlessly loyal to the leadership of the Party, and it is thanks to the feats of our heroic army and youth that we have followed without letup the road of building a powerful country which no others in the world did.

Our soldiers and young people will not only build the large-scale greenhouse farm but also further demonstrate the prestige of our dignified state and build a beautiful life for the people and realize our far-reaching ideal without fail, in the spirit of self-development and self-determination and with patriotic devotion.

Ri Sun Bom, section chief of the Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism Institute under the Academy of Social Sciences