PYONGYANG, December 31 (Itar-Tass) — Kim Jong-Un, the junior son of Kim Jong-Il who passed away on December 17 of a heart failure, was officially declared the supreme commander-in-chief of the Korean People’s Army at an enlarged meeting of the political bureau of the Central Committee of the Korean Workers Party (KWP), which was held on Friday here.
Its participants approved this decision by stormy applause, reports the KCNA news agency on Saturday. “Dear and highly esteemed Comrade Kim Jong-Un” was appointed to this post in compliance with a directive of his father, issued on October 8, the news agency notes.
The meeting also approved a decision of the political bureau of the KWP central committee on “powerful upsurge in building a prosperous state in compliance with the will of great leader Comrade Kim Jong-Il”.
The document points to “immortal services” of the dead leader, under whose leadership the KWP has become “an invincible party that created a monolithic ideological system”, and the revolutionary army has turned into the powerful armed forces, “unmatched in the world”.
The document points to importance of “demonstrating the might of the PDRK as a socialist military country” and “ensuring protection of victories of the revolution under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un”.
The KWP central committee and the Central Military Committee of the party addressed on Saturday Korean people with joint calls in connection with the coming (next year) celebration of the centenary since the birth date of first and “immortal” President Kim Il-Sung and the 70th birth date of deceased Kim Jong-Il.
They noted that the country’s party, army and people, turning their grief on the occasion of the death of Kim Jong-Il on December 17 into force and valour, “should build up in every way political and military might of the country and strive for a revolutionary upsurge under the leadership of dear and highly esteemed Comrade Kim Jong-Un”.
The calls stress the need “for making a great victory next year to open the road to a powerful and prospering state and to demonstrate the entire world continuity and invincibility of Korean revolution”.
Soldiers and officers are called upon “to be in the van of struggle for implementing the policy of songun (military-oriented policy) under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un”. Party members are duty-bound to translate into life provisions of the KWP in the spirit “do or die”. Much attention is given to industrial enterprises which are to raise labour productivity and to build up volumes of production in the interests of improving people’s living standards.
For instance goods of the North Korean light industry should become competitive in world markets next year. The calls note that “we should smash fetters of sanctions (imposed by the country’s enemies) with the hammer of support on our own forces”.
The KWP also calls for centering nation-wide efforts on the development of agriculture, which will help “to turn the country into a socialist paradise”.
“If the party decides something, we shall do this by all means,” the calls underline.