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November 13, 1970

Kim Il Sung, 'Closing Address at the Fifth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea'

Comrades,

 

The historic Fifth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea is now winding up its work.

 

The current congress was convened under the circumstances in which the revolutionary struggle and work of our people in the field of construction were gaining unprecedented momentum and proceeded against the background of high national political and revolutionary enthusiasm.

 

The whole Party membership and all the people warmly congratulated the congress and showed keen interest in the work of the congress. All comrade delegates participated in the work of the congress with sincerity.

 

The congress has successfully wound up discussion on all items on the agenda and carried out its task with credit, amid the great expectation and interest of all our Party members and working people and with the active participation of comrade delegates. We are very satisfied with the whole course and results of the work of the congress.

 

In the name of the congress, I express deep thanks to comrade delegates and all our Party members and working people who made unsparing efforts to ensure the success of this congress.

 

Comrades, this congress evaluated the victories and achievements made by our Party and people in the revolutionary struggle and in the field of construction work during the period under review.

 

Our Party has led the people, courageously pulling through innumerable difficulties and obstacles in our course, to creditably realize the magnificent programme of socialist construction elaborated by the Fourth Congress and thus turned our country into a socialist industrial state. In the building of a new, prosperous and powerful socialist fatherland, we have scaled one more high peak.

 

In the course of the struggle to implement the resolutions of the historic Party Conference on stepping up the simultaneous development of our economy and defences, we have come to possess self-defence power capable of repulsing any surprise invasion of the imperialists and reliably defending the security of the fatherland and the gains of socialism.

 

During the period under review the revolutionary south Korean masses made further advances, dealing heavy blows at the colonial rule of US imperialism and an epochal advance was brought about in the struggle of our people for achieving the reunification of the fatherland and expediting the nationwide victory of the revolution.

 

The independent, principled foreign policy of the Party has further enhanced the prestige of our Party and of our country in the international community and has strengthened international solidarity with our revolution as never before.

 

All the victories and successes we have attained in the revolutionary struggle and in the work of construction are in consequence of the great unsurpassed Juche idea of our Party and its brilliant application.

 

In the course of our unflinching struggle against flunkeyism and dogmatism we thoroughly established Juche in all fields of the revolution and construction and so ensured the overall victory of the Juche idea.

 

The congress unanimously ratified the Juche idea as the permanent guiding principle of our Party and noted with satisfaction that our revolutionary line of independence, self-reliance and self-defence are brilliantly reflected in the political, economic, military and all other fields of the revolution and construction in our country.

 

The Juche idea of the Party, Marxist-Leninist ideology, runs through the whole Party and the unity and cohesion of our Party ranks have been further cemented on a new basis, and all the people have rallied closer around the Party than ever before.

 

The Fifth Congress of our Party may be called the congress marking the great successes in industrialization, the congress marking the outright victory of the Juche idea in the history of our Party and our country.

 

The congress indicated the new orientation and goal of struggle and elaborated the momentous tasks facing our people in the Six-Year Plan.

 

The tasks put forth by the congress are a militant programme for expediting the complete victory of socialism and the nationwide victory of our revolution.

 

When this new programme is carried into effect, our country will become a developed socialist state with a more powerful economic might and military capability, our revolutionary force will grow and strengthen into an invincible one and our lives will be more prosperous and cultured in all respects.

 

The implementation of this programme will more powerfully inspire and stimulate the revolutionary struggle of the south Korean people and open a decisive phase in realizing the independent reunification of the fatherland.

 

Comrades,

 

In this period we attained truly great victories and successes in the revolutionary struggle and work of construction. However, our cause has not yet been brought to completion and we are still on the uphill course of revolution and construction.

 

We should continue to advance resolutely towards a new victory, not resting content with anything less than victory or yielding to pressures.

 

As those struggling for revolution, we should always live by a revolutionary code of conduct. All our Party members and working people in carrying out the militant tasks determined by the Party Congress should continue to make every effort, ever ready to advance at an even faster pace, with great hope for a brighter morrow and confidence in victory.

 

In implementing the resolutions of the Party Congress, it is necessary for us first of all to strengthen the Party and firmly build up the revolutionary ranks. The monolithic ideological system should be thoroughly established in the Party, and, on this basis, the unity of the Party ranks in ideology and purpose will be firmly guaranteed and the masses be rallied closer around the Party.

 

The ideological revolution should be stepped up so as to train all the working people as ardent revolutionaries and true builders of socialism and communism and so further expedite the course of the revolutionization and working-classization of the whole society.

 

Socialist economic construction is an important revolutionary task facing us today. We should make great efforts in all fields of the national economy so as to implement ahead of schedule the Six-Year Plan elaborated by the Party Congress.

 

All the Party members and working people should study science and technology purposefully and devote all their energies and talents to socialist construction. All should unflinchingly break through every obstacle and difficulty lying in the course of socialist construction and make continued innovations and an uninterrupted advance in the spirit of Chollima, displaying the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance.

 

In this way we should successfully carry out the Six-Year Plan, thereby consolidating and developing the achievements in industrializations, expanding still further the material and technical foundations of socialism and freeing the working people from backbreaking labour in all sectors of the national economy.

 

We should continue to devote great efforts to reinforcing defence capability along with socialist economic construction and make full preparations to cope with a war.

 

The whole Party and all the people should spurn pacifism and the revisionist tendency of fearing a war and have strong militant and revolutionary spirit to fight the enemy valiantly if he dares to attack us.

 

The Party's military line of self-defence should be thoroughly carried through so that the all-people and all-nation defence system can be further consolidated and the whole country be turned into an impregnable fortress.

 

By intensifying the struggle for increased production and economy in all sectors and in all units, we should secure more material reserves and make preparations for guaranteeing production in the event of war.

 

It is true that the tasks confronting us are painstaking and immense and our struggle is an uphill one. There will still be a lot of difficulties in the way of our advance and we are certain to encounter trials.

 

We have, however, alrthe conditions and possibilities for overcoming all these difficulties and trials and winning a new victory.

 

The lines and policies of our Party are correct and they light up the course ahead of us. Our people trust the Party and are firmly united around it and are resolutely advancing, breaking through all obstacles, along the road marked by the Party.

 

Our revolutionary cause is just and we enjoy the active support and encouragement of the revolutionary people throughout the world.

 

Our victory is certain for as long as we have the sagacious leadership of the Marxist-Leninist Party, the unbowed strength of the people rallied close around it and international support and encouragement. No force on earth can ever bar the triumphant advance of our Party and people.

 

Comrades, the congress unanimously elected a new Central Committee. On behalf of the new Central Committee, I express deep gratitude to delegates for their deep trust.

 

The newly elected Central Committee is faced with a great responsibility and heavy tasks.

 

I firmly believe that the new Central Committee will live up to the great confidence expressed by the congress, successfully carrying out the resolutions of the congress and making even greater efforts to achieve for the final victory of our revolutionary cause.

 

Comrades, our congress has been held amid warm congratulations from fraternal parties and from our friends in the world.

 

A large number of Communist and Workers' Parties, the ruling parties of newly independent countries and revolutionary organizations of many countries of the world have sent kind messages and telegrams of congratulations to our congress. These make us very happy and inspire us tremendously.

 

In the name of this congress and all our Party members, I express thanks to the fraternal Communist and Workers' Parties, the ruling parties of newly independent countries and revolutionary organizations of all the countries which have sent messages and telegrams of congratulations to the congress.

 

In the name of the congress, I extend greetings to the working class and revolutionary people throughout the world who render support and encouragement to the revolutionary cause of our people and wish them greater success in their struggle.

 

The delegates of the Revolutionary Party for Reunification in south Korea and the congratulatory group of Koreans in Japan attended our congress and warmly congratulated the congress and encouraged us.

 

I, in the name of the congress, express thanks to the delegates of the Revolutionary Party for Reunification in south Korea who congratulated our congress and, through them, to the Revolutionary Party for Reunification in south Korea and extend warm encouragement to the south Korean revolutionaries and patriots who are fighting valiantly for freedom, liberation and the reunification of the fatherland, not yielding to the fascist repression of the US imperialists and their stooges.

 

I also express thanks to the congratulatory group of Koreans in Japan who attended our congress and, through them, to Chongryon (the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan), and convey greetings to the 600,000 compatriots in Japan who are fighting valiantly for the national rights and the reunification of the fatherland.

 

Comrades,

 

After the congress, comrade delegates will return to their posts and enter upon a new struggle for carrying out the resolutions of the congress. You who represented all our Party members, and workers, peasants and working intellectuals at this congress, bear a particularly heavy responsibility in the struggle for fulfilling the resolutions of the congress.

 

I firmly believe that you comrades will, in the future, too, as in the past, staunchly defend and carry through to the last the lines and policies of the Party, firmly arm the Party members and working people with the monolithic ideology of the Party and organize and mobilize them, thereby making an active contribution to advancing the revolutionary struggle and the work of construction.

 

Everyone should steadfastly advance, rallied close around the Central Committee of the Party, holding high the revolutionary banner of the Juche idea of our Party, the banner of Marxism-Leninism, and thereby accelerate the nationwide victory of the revolution and win the complete victory of socialism.

 

Wishing the delegates of the congress and all our Party members and working people great success in their future tasks for carrying out the resolutions of the congress, I declare the Fifth Congress of the Workers· Party of Korea closed.

 

Author(s):



Document Information

Source

Kim Il Sung, Works, Vol. 25, January-December 1970 (Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1986), 327-333.

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