Speech at Military Parade: Kim Jong Un

Kim Jong Un, supreme leader of the Party, state and armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, delivered a speech at the military parade held in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea on October 10, 2020.

The following is the full text of the speech:

All the people and service personnel of the country, who are greeting the auspicious October holiday,

Officers and men of the Public Security Forces and members of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards and Young Red Guards,

Delegates to the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea and Pyongyang citizens,

Officers and men of the units participating in the military parade held in celebration of the glorious October holiday,

Dear comrades,

The founding anniversary of our glorious Party has come.

The night of great glory has come.

At last on this glorious night we are greeting the Party's founding anniversary of this year, which was beset with unprecedented difficulties; I don't know why, but this fact alone moves me too much.

Greeting the 75th founding anniversary of our great Party, I, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, extend heartfelt congratulations to all those who have glorified this October holiday with great honour and pride.

I extend warm thanks and congratulations to all our people.

Comrades,

On this night of the great holiday, the streets in the capital city and this square are so splendid and seethe with pleasure and pride, but we must not forget that this glorious moment of today is being defended by the many Party members, workers and service personnel of our revolutionary armed forces who are performing unassuming efforts and devotion across the country.

How many people have made devoted efforts overcoming harsh circumstances this year so as to bring about and defend this glorious moment of today!

How many challenges have we overcome to come as far as here!

In particular, our service personnel performed devotion on the anti-epidemic front and the front of removing the aftereffects of natural disasters which we had to face this year unexpectedly. No one would approach their patriotic and heroic devotion without shedding tears of gratitude.

They would say that defending their country, people and revolution is a task inherent to the People's Army, but the pains they have taken are too great.

They have undertaken to perform too many tasks and have taken too great pains.

This is why I feel deep regret for them, and I feel pain in my heart as they are not all here at this glorious night with us.

At this very moment, many of our service personnel are courageously striving on the anti-epidemic front and at the rehabilitation project sites far away from this glorious Kim Il Sung Square in defence of the security of the state and safety of the people.

Our army is performing its mission as a motive force of national defence with such credit in the face of unforeseen challenges posed by the epidemic and the forces of nature, as well as the military threats by the hostile forces.

I extend the highest tribute to their ardent loyal and filial devotion to our state and people and warm thanks to all the service personnel.

I also offer my militant encouragement and thanks to my most dependable combatants of the divisions of the WPK members from the capital city, our hardcore force. They are patriots who deserve to be present here, but they volunteered, after completing their tasks in rehabilitation projects, to other disaster areas instead of returning to Pyongyang where there are their dear homes.

My militant greetings and thanks go also to other working people across the country.

I hope that only happiness and joy will come to the families that have settled down in new villages and homes after getting rid of the aftereffects of the natural calamities, and to other families across the country.

I hope that our children's happy dreams will come true all the time.

Availing myself of this opportunity, I offer my heartfelt consolation to all those around the world who are still combating the disease caused by the malignant virus, and do pray from the bottom of my heart that health, happiness and laughter of all people would be guaranteed.

I also send this warm wish of mine to our dear fellow countrymen in the south, and hope that this health crisis would come to an end as early as possible and the day would come when the north and south take each other's hand again.

Comrades,

We all have gathered on this October celebration square with valuable successes and fruits of labour, which we have achieved with all our effort.

It was not so easy for us to come as far as here.

We had to fight one arduous struggle after another and overcome countless ordeals.

Although the 75-year-long history of our Party was fraught with difficulties, every day and every step was truly arduous and trying from the outset of this year in particular as unexpected grave challenges and obstacles cropped up.

We have come to this meaningful place with the pride and honour of having braved them all.

This gathering, which the world people would admire, demonstrates that we have overcome all the calamities that troubled us and blocked our way and that we have attained with success our justifiable fighting goals.

Dear comrades,

Today we are greeting the 75th founding anniversary of our Party on a grand scale.

No other country in the world would celebrate a party's founding anniversary as a happy holiday and grand auspicious event of all its people as our country does.

As I stand here tonight, which is emotive and delightful and brims over with the great joy of all our people, I am afraid that I don't know what to say first to them.

I thought over what I would say first at this moment, when we will be looking back upon every page of our Party's 75-year history filled with glory, but my heartfelt, sincere word for our people is only one, thanks.

First of all, I thank them for being healthy free from disease.

I wanted to say this without fail.

I thank them for their good health without any one of them having fallen victim to the malignant virus.

The fact that we have defended all our people from the harmful epidemic disease sweeping the whole world can be said to be a natural duty and success of our Party. However, I am moved by this success, and as I see their healthy appearance, I can find no word other than thanks.

Today's victory that is striking the world with admiration is a great victory achieved by our people themselves.

For our Party, the life of every one of our people is more precious than anything else, and their good health means the very existence of our Party, state and everything on this land.

In this world, however, there are too many unstable elements threatening and attempting to harm the priceless life of our people.

So, as a matter of fact, at the beginning of this year, I had big worries and fear owing to the onset of the world health crisis and unfavourable situations around us.

However, our people got rise to their feet with great perseverance in absolute support of and trust in the measures taken by the Party and the state, and not only safeguarded their destiny resolutely but also bravely overcame severe hardships and trials with animation.

But for such excellent people who worry, care and protect one another and but for the socialist society, in which these people live in cooperation with a high sense of patriotism and a high level of self-consciousness, we would not have prevented the horrible catastrophe.

As all our people turned out as one in the struggle for defending their state, themselves and their children, becoming the motive force of the anti-epidemic work of their own accord, the country's anti-epidemic sector which was backward and lacking in everything could be revitalized, and anti-epidemic stability which is inconceivable to others could be maintained.

It is very grateful and encouraging for me that everybody lives in a large harmonious family although life is not affluent yet and they are healthy without even one of them having fallen victim to the evil virus.

There are no grateful people in the world other than ours who truly understand the difficult situations facing the state and cope with them, regarding them as their household affairs.

On this planet at present, our country is the only one that is faced with huge challenges and difficulties, like dealing with the anti-epidemic emergency and recovering from the catastrophic natural disasters, when everything is in short supply owing to the harsh and prolonged sanctions.

All of these hardships are undoubtedly a heavy burden and pain for every family and every citizen in our country.

However, our people are grateful patriots who place national affairs before their family ones, share every difficulty experienced by the state with it, and firmly support their country with their sincere sweats and efforts.

That is why our Party braves all sorts of national hardships by believing in and relying on them, who always turn out as one if it unburdens itself of the situations of the country.

Our people have always been grateful to our Party, but it is none other than themselves who surely deserve a bow of gratitude.

Over the past 75 years our people have supported the Party single-heartedly and defended our sacred revolutionary cause by shedding sweat and even their blood unsparingly and unhesitatingly.

The secret of how our Party, which has followed the revolutionary road, most arduous and beset with trials, has adorned this bloody road with victory and glory is that our people have sincerely trusted and supported it and defended its cause.

No one can think about even a moment of our Party's glorious 75-year history without our great people, an omnipotent creator of history. They have always provided it with wisdom and resourcefulness as a wise mentor, infused it with inexhaustible strength and courage, defended it at the cost of their lives, supported it sincerely and turned its plans and lines into reality.

When it called on them to bring about a great upsurge, the great people responded to it with the mettle of Chollima; when it mapped out an operation for grand construction, they responded to it with the speed campaign; they thus translated the Party's decisions without fail going through fire and water.

As these great people have always been with our Party, it has always been firm and able to record miracles in the annals of this land whatever the adversity.

Seeing the images of our people who have won victory for the great October holiday overcoming all manner of hardships with boundless loyal and filial devotion, indomitable fighting spirit and sincere efforts, I feel with great pride the almighty strength with which they would follow and defend the Party for another 75 years, nay, 750 years and even 7 500 years.

Comrades,

Our people have placed trust, as high as sky and as deep as sea, on me, but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily. I am really sorry for that.

Although I am entrusted with the important responsibility to lead this country upholding the cause of the great Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il thanks to the trust of all the people, my efforts and sincerity have not been sufficient enough to rid our people of the difficulties in their life.

Our people, however, have always believed and absolutely trusted me, and supported my choice and determination, whatever it is.

Even if it may mean suffering more, our people's trust in me and our Party is always absolute and steadfast.

Such ardent and sincere trust and encouragement is the most valuable wealth for me, which cannot be bartered with any fame and millions of tons of gold, and inexhaustible strength which encourages me to have no fear and know no impossibility.

As I enjoy this greatest trust which no one in this world can ever expect, I have been able to confront without hesitation all manner of challenges remembering the mission and will to make selfless, devoted efforts for the good of the people, jump into do-or-die battles, which would lead even to a war, and uncompromisingly cope with the disasters unprecedented in history.

I will cherish it as the highest honour to have, serve and struggle for such excellent people.

I solemnly swear once again in this place that I will live up to the people's trust without fail even if my body is torn and crushed to pieces on the way of defending their great trust and that I will remain faithful to that trust.

Dear guests and other people across the country,

Thank you, indeed.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to you with humble reverence along with the hearts of

Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

Comrades,

It is our Party's and my first and foremost mission and steadfast will to firmly defend our people, hold them in greater respect and make them lead a happy life envying nothing.

Our Party has already built up the strongest military capability of safeguarding peace, with which to firmly defend socialism, the dignity and lifeline of our people, and to make our people enjoy the benefits of prosperity generation after generation on this land, eternally free from war.

Today's ranks of military parade lined in gallant array will clearly show how the Workers' Party of Korea has trained its revolutionary army and how powerful the army's strength is.

As everyone will clearly see today, comparing it with the military parade held in this place in celebration of the 70th founding anniversary of the WPK only five years ago, the modernity of our military forces has remarkably improved and anyone can easily guess the speed of its development.

We have a powerful large contingent of faithful and competent personnel in the sector of defence science and technology and workers in the munitions industry, who are firmly equipped with their Party's revolutionary ideology and truly serve the interests of their revolution.

Our military capability has developed and changed to such an extent that no one can make little of and keep parallel with it.

We have built a deterrent with which we can satisfactorily control and manage any military threats that we are facing or may face.

Our military capability is changing in the rate of its growth and in its quality and quantity in our own style and in accordance with our demands and our timetable.

Our Party defined the military capability with which to overpower in advance the forces that may dare to threaten or infringe on the rights to independence and existence of our state and people as the most assured and strong national defence capability. And it has made every effort to possess military forces that can achieve the purpose and is now attaining the upgraded targets steadily.

We will continue to strengthen the war deterrent, the righteous self-defence means, so as to contain and control all the dangerous attempts and intimidatory acts by the hostile forces, including their sustained and aggravating nuclear threat.

Our war deterrent, which is intended to defend the rights to independence and existence of our state and safeguard peace in the region, will never be abused or used as a means for preemptive strike.

But, if, and if, any forces infringe upon the security of our state and attempt to have recourse to military force against us, I will enlist all our most powerful offensive strength in advance to punish them.

I never want that our military strength would aim at someone else.

We clarify that our war deterrent is being developed not for aiming at others.

We are developing it in order to defend ourselves.

If we don't have our own strength, the only thing we have to do is to wipe the streaming tears and blood though our fists are clenched.

Our Party, with powerful military strength, will guarantee the sovereignty of the country and reliable security of its territory and safeguard the eternal safety, peace and future of the state and people.

Comrades,

Thanks to our revolutionary armed forces equipped with the revolutionary ideology of the WPK, unbounded loyalty and filial piety to the country and people and powerful up-to-date weapons embodying the strength and soul of our people, any aggressive force will never be able to make little of our sacred country nor dare to check the advance of the Korean people.

What is left now is to ensure that our people enjoy a sufficient and civilized life to the full free from difficulties any longer.

Our Party will invariably administer and ceaselessly expand the advantageous policies and measures, which are aimed at improving the people's wellbeing and providing more benefits to them, and bring as earlier as possible the ideal society of prosperity that our people are dreaming of.

Sharing destiny with the people in the face of severe trials and experiencing the united strength of our people till now, our Party has come to know well what it should do in the future.

The Eighth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea will advance plans and detailed targets for doing it, and our Party's struggle for providing the people with happiness will develop onto a new stage.

The further we develop, the more rampant the reactionary forces of all hues may become, and more unexpected trials may face us. However, they will be nothing compared with what we have experienced until now and we have the strength and confidence with which to overcome them all.

The single-hearted unity of the Party and the masses of the people consolidated in the long course of the struggle and the talent force and asset for self-sustenance provided by our socialism–these will surely become a powerful force that propels and accelerates our advance.

Our Party and people, who have achieved everything that others would not have dared to attempt by surmounting all manner of immeasurable trials and hardships that others had never experienced, will start their advance towards new development and prosperity with greater courage and confidence, unusual passion and preparedness.

I will ensure that all Party organizations, the government and power and military organs make more and more strict demands on themselves, direct strenuous efforts and work with sincerity for our people and for bringing a better tomorrow to them.

The ideal of our people is great, and the day when it is realized will surely come.

I will direct all my efforts to realizing the great ideal so as to ensure that innovations, development and substantial changes which everyone can feel are made in the struggle for attaining higher targets in socialist construction.

Comrades, we have become strong and are becoming stronger in the midst of trials.

Time is by our side.

Let us all advance vigorously towards a bright future of socialism, towards a fresh victory!

Last, I once again extend thanks to all the people for being in good health free from any disease.

And I also extend my heartfelt thanks to them for invariably trusting in our Party.

Long live our great people!