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Esteemed Chairman of the Standing Committee and Deputy Speakers of the Supreme People’s Assembly, The 13th Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is successfully conducting its work on the basis of the mission and authority granted to it by the Constitution of the Republic and thanks to the active participation and discussion by all the Deputies. I feel satisfied that our supreme power organ is pushing forward in a responsible and purposeful way with the important state affairs to provide a legal and institutional guarantee for solving urgent problems of great practical significance in further promoting the consolidation and development of the socialist system and the comprehensive prosperity of the state. Expressing encouragement to the Deputies to the Supreme People’s Assembly, who, as representatives of our people’s independent rights and general will, are infinitely faithful to their duties in their fields of socialist construction and are playing a major role in the legislative activities for the perfection of state policy and government work, and availing myself of this opportunity, when numerous officials of the Party, government and leading organs in national defence and security and socio-economic sectors are present as observers, I would like to emphasize the successes achieved so far this year and a series of important tasks arising in state building and activities in the future. In 2025, when our Party and the government of the Republic have to round off their work at the present stage, great and important undertakings, which were planned scientifically and more actively for the comprehensive development of the state, have been pushed forward in a powerful and balanced way and meaningful successes achieved so far. The 13th Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Party to be convened this December will make a general review, but if I have to make a preliminary review at this meeting, I think that the five-year plan, including this year’s plan, will be successfully fulfilled, and I do not doubt that this will be reported to the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The political enthusiasm of the citizens to glorify the 80th anniversary of the Party with great labour achievements has been fervent since the beginning of the year and has led to an uninterrupted advance and courageous struggle in the second half of the year as well, following the first half. This convinces us that the five-year plan, set by the Eighth Central Committee of the Party, is sure to be carried out in 2025, an important year that marks the 80th anniversary of our Party, in the run-up to its historic Ninth Congress. The achievements made in the nine months of this year are great, and the overall mettle and atmosphere are inspiring. Before anything else, the metallurgical, chemical, electric power, machine-building and other key industries and major economic sectors are carrying out this year’s national economic plan in the main. Of course, they are not on the level with which we can feel content and satisfied, but it is very good that most enterprises are eager to attain their production targets and are presenting substantial results. Following last year, the agricultural sector has grown promising crops this year, and it expects to hit the national target of grain production. The fact that the production and procurement plans of early-ripening crops for this year have been overfulfilled thanks to the devoted efforts of the officials and working people in this sector is something that is unprecedented and has proved in reality the validity and vitality of our Party’s new policy of encouraging wheat farming. The expected yields of the second crops are good as well, so we have definite prospects for attaining the grain production target envisaged for this year. As a result of our efforts to increase the rate of mechanization in farm work, it has increased by 2% over the previous year; this further strengthening of the foundations of agricultural production constitutes a great asset for its steadier advance. It can be said that the deviations of only making empty talks have been eliminated, the seed revolution, double cropping, scientific farming and mechanized farming have become part and parcel of bringing about a substantial transformation in agricultural production, all the people’s enthusiasm for sincerely assisting the farms has soared, and the capability to cope with natural calamities that hampered farming every year has been raised to a certain degree. It is the construction sector that most clearly and undeniably demonstrates the nation’s progress. As for industrial construction first, the projects for building bases with a high level of modernization and enormous production capacities in the key industries and light industry sector have been pushed forward through strenuous efforts, and major projects including the first stage of the Tanchon Power Station and the renovation of the Ryongsong Machine Complex expect the day of completion. On the shore of the Amnok River, which witnessed the removal of flood damage last year and a transformation in the northwestern border area, a large-scale greenhouse farm is presenting its vivid appearance thanks to the vigorous creative struggle of soldier-builders and other young people. With the gigantic project of building 50 000 flats in the capital city within the five-year plan period being pushed forward more extensively than the original plan, the fourth-stage construction in the Hwasong area is well underway according to the planned procedure, and construction of hundreds of houses in the Komdok area and tens of thousands of houses in different rural communities across the country will be completed within this year.
