Kim Jong-un "Strengthen Nuclear War Deterrence, Build the Strongest Military Power" (Comprehensive)

Wrapping Up the 8th Party Congress, Reaffirming Military Strength Enhancement
No Direct Messages to South Korea or the U.S.
Emphasizing Economic Development While Tightening Internal Discipline

Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening military power as the 8th Party Congress concluded on the 13th.
The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 13th that General Secretary Kim Jong Un said in his concluding remarks, "We must do everything to enhance nuclear war deterrence and build the strongest military power."
The Party Congress, which opened on the 5th, concluded its eight-day schedule on the 12th.

Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening military power by once again mentioning nuclear war deterrence as the 8th Party Congress concluded on the 13th.

North Korea's state media, the Korean Central News Agency, reported on the 13th that General Secretary Kim Jong Un stated in his concluding remarks the previous day, "We must do everything to further strengthen nuclear war deterrence and build the strongest military power."

Kim emphasized, "We must continue to accelerate efforts to make the People's Army elite and strong, thoroughly preparing it to fulfill its mission and role as the main force of national defense against any form of threat or unexpected situation."

No separate messages were issued regarding the U.S. or South Korea, and the original text of the Central Committee's report on the party's work summary was not disclosed.

While emphasizing economic development, Kim also tightened internal discipline.

He said, "We must urgently resolve the most pressing economic problems first," adding, "Economic resources should not be dispersed without calculation but should be mobilized and utilized as rationally as possible to significantly increase steel production and chemical product manufacturing capacity."

He continued, "We must put party and state power into restoring and strengthening the system and order that moves the economy under unified national leadership and management," and warned, "Even after the Party Congress, any phenomena that hinder the unified leadership of the state by citing special circumstances must be subject to strong sanctions regardless of the unit involved."

In the agricultural sector, he stressed "fundamentally solving the people's food problem," pointing out, "For the next two to three years, the state's mandatory purchase plan should be set at the 2109 level annually, and the purchase volume should be prospectively increased to ensure normal food supply."

He also emphasized, "We must resolutely suppress and manage all anti-socialist and non-socialist phenomena, factionalism, bureaucratism, corruption, extra-budgetary burdens, and all criminal acts by leading with strong education and discipline."

The 8th Party Congress, which opened on the 5th, concluded after an eight-day schedule on the 12th. This is the second-longest congress schedule in history since the 5th Party Congress in May 1970 (which lasted 12 days). North Korea announced it will convene the Supreme People's Assembly on the 17th, where follow-up measures such as budget, legislation, and personnel decisions related to the Party Congress are expected to be taken.

Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening military power as the 8th Party Congress concluded on the 13th.
The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 13th that General Secretary Kim Jong Un said in his concluding remarks the previous day, "We must do everything to enhance nuclear war deterrence and build the strongest military power."
The Party Congress, which opened on the 5th, concluded its total eight-day schedule on the 12th.

Through this congress, North Korea has signaled an enhancement of its nuclear capabilities and deepened its self-reliance and frontal breakthrough line, leading to assessments that the situation on the Korean Peninsula has become even more uncertain.

Professor Park Won-gon of Handong Global University analyzed, "North Korea has chosen a 'difficult frontal breakthrough line' that aims to neutralize sanctions by solidifying its internal foundation and ultimately forcing the U.S. to recognize North Korea as a de facto nuclear state and withdraw its hostile policies by leveraging its nuclear capabilities."

He added, "North Korea's choice is a regression in time, recalling the 'nuclear power of the East' declared at the 7th Party Congress or the 'parallel development of economy and nuclear forces' concluded in April 2018, now changed to a 'parallel development of nuclear forces and economy,' making it difficult to expect North Korea's denuclearization and the Korean Peninsula peace process."

However, significant changes are expected within North Korea starting from this Party Congress.

Professor Lim Eul-chul of Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies predicted, "To implement the decisions made at the Party Congress, major changes and innovations are inevitable in all fields including the party, state, military, and socio-cultural sectors," and "North Korean society will be clearly divided into before and after the 8th Party Congress."

Professor Lim forecasted, "The biggest issue will be economic construction and improving people's living standards," and "Whether the new five-year national economic development plan goals and tasks are achieved will have the greatest impact on the future of General Secretary Kim Jong Un's regime."

Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of North Korea, paid tribute to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where the bodies of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are enshrined, on the 12th, following the closing of the 8th Party Congress, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 13th. Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of General Secretary Kim, who was demoted from First Deputy Department Director to Deputy Department Director, is standing in the fourth row.

Meanwhile, on the 12th, General Secretary Kim visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun with newly elected party leadership officials.

His closest aide, Party Secretary Jo Yong-won, was named second after Choe Ryong-hae, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, in the report on the sectoral consultation meeting on the 11th and again in the coverage of this visit. In the photos, Jo stands immediately to Kim Jong Un's right (from Kim's perspective), indicating he has risen to the third position in the power hierarchy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.