1st LD,Writethru: DPRK state TV airs recorded work report of ruling party's central committee

The state TV of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday aired the recorded work report of the central committee of the ruling party delivered by Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the country, at the 7th party congress.

Kim started the three-hour speech by reviewing and lauding the past achievements of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) accomplished under the leadership of two late leaders, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, in building a thriving country and in the development of the military.

He laid out tasks for the ruling party in terms of completing the socialist undertakings, improving people's livelihood, independent reunification of the Korean Peninsula as well as further strengthening of the party.

In the speech, Kim mapped out a five-year plan for national economic development from 2016 to 2020, and emphasized that it was imperative to fully implement the five-year strategy for growing the national economy.

Kim said the objectives of the economic development plan are to vitalize the people's economic growth in all aspects, ensure balanced development between various economic departments, and lay the foundation for sustainable economic growth.

The nation's top priority should be given to efforts to rid the country of electricity shortage, he said, adding that the targets for electricity output set by the party must be met during the five-year period.

He then instructed that epoch-making progress should be made in the production of coal, metals and railway transportation.

On the development of national defense and nuclear power, Kim described the DPRK as a responsible nuclear weapons state, saying it will strive for world denuclearization and faithfully fulfill obligations of nuclear non-proliferation.

The DPRK, as it has already made clear, will not resort to nuclear weapons first unless its sovereignty is encroached upon by any aggressive hostile forces with nukes, Kim said.

The DPRK will in the long run hold fast to the strategic line of "Byungjin," or the parallel development of nuclear weapons and the national economy, Kim said, as long as the nuclear threat posed by imperialists continues.

The WPK has worked hard for the implementation of the strategic line of pushing forward economic growth and nuclear development at the same time, which was required by the prevailing situation and the revolutionary cause, he added.

On north-south relations, Kim stressed that the most important work for the ruling party is to realize national reunification.

In order to achieve national reunification, the most pressing issue before the party is to fundamentally improve his country's relations with South Korea, he said.

He said the two sides should respect each other and join hands to open up a new chapter for improving inter-Korean ties and the campaign for national reunification.

Kim urged South Korea to drop the mentality of confrontation and legal and institutional barriers, and to take practical steps to facilitate the development of bilateral relations.

He called for dialogue and negotiations at all levels between the two Koreas, saying misunderstanding and distrust should be removed for achieving common prosperity.

It is the first time for Kim to deliver a televised marathon speech. All foreign journalists were told to gather at Yanggakdo International Hotel to watch the recorded speech as the 7th Congress of the ruling party entered the third day.

A torch march and massive parades are expected to take place in central Pyongyang to celebrate the meeting, described by Pyongyang as "a glorious gathering of victors."

On the morning of the same day, foreign journalists were sent to the People's Palace of Culture in Pyongyang for an event, whose subject was kept a secret. After more than 100 journalists waited at the hall for around 20 minutes, an official told the press that the event was canceled.

The ruling party of the DPRK opened its 7th congress on Friday, the first in 36 years and also the first under the leadership of Kim Jong Un. Foreign media were invited to the outside of the main site for covering the meeting, but were disallowed to enter.

The congress, considered one of the most significant political events in the DPRK this year, is highlighted by observers as a decision-making occasion when the ruling party mulls new state and economic policies and makes medium- and long-term development plans. Endi