'Peoples Korea Today' Issue 65 ( May 2026 ).pd

 

National Meeting Held to Mark May Day

 

Pyongyang, May 2 (KCNA) -- A national meeting was held at the People's Palace of Culture on Friday to mark the 136th May Day, the international holiday of working people around the world.

Attending it were Pak Thae Song, Ri Il Hwan, An Kum Chol and other senior party and government officials, officials of ministries and national agencies and officials and working people of institutions and industrial establishments in Pyongyang.

Present on invitation were members of the diplomatic missions here and overseas compatriots staying in the homeland.

Pak Thae Song, premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK, made a report.

Upon authorization of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Government of the DPRK, the premier extended warm congratulations to the working class, agricultural workers, intellectuals and other working people across the country on the May Day.

The reporter said that it is a great pride and honor of the working people of Juche Korea to dynamically promote the prosperity and development of the socialist country, true to the ideas and leadership of the great Workers' Party of Korea.

He noted that the high dignity and honor of the DPRK working people and their loyal and patriotic nature being carried forward through generations and decades have reached the noblest level in the era of glory, a new era of comprehensive development led by the respected Comrade General Secretary Kim Jong Un.

General Secretary Kim Jong Un is making a new noble history of the people-first principle, saying that our Party, country and world are all for the people. Thanks to his great love and endless devotion, our working people have led a happy life, fully enjoying the results of labor and creation as the genuine masters of society.

Under the care of the WPK, which pays more attention to the convenience of the producers than production, the work of building prefect cultural and welfare establishments for the workers is being pushed forward as an important part of modernization and holiday camps and sanatoriums have been built in scenic spots of the country to contribute to the rest and health of the working people.

A genuine country of the working people where many modern dwelling houses for them have been built at the state expense and all the people are enjoying the benefits of socialism thanks to the ever-increasing people-oriented policies is the proud image of the DPRK.

The reporter referred to the fact that the noble spirit and revolutionary traits of our working people faithfully supporting the Party and the country were fully displayed in the days of pioneering the era of comprehensive development of socialism.

The present proud reality, in which the strong spirit of socialist Korea and the potential of the self-supporting economy are clearly demonstrated despite the manifold difficulties, is a brilliant fruition of the outstanding leadership of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, he said.

The reporter called upon all the working people to fully demonstrate once again the towering spirit and mettle of the heroic Korean working people in the general advance for carrying out the new Five-Year Plan, bearing deep in mind the ideas and spirit of the historic Ninth Congress of the WPK.

He stressed that all the working people should unconditionally carry out the first-year tasks for implementing the new Five-Year Plan for National Economic Development set forth at the Ninth Congress of the WPK under the uplifted banner of the three revolutions and thus make a positive contribution to putting their sectors and units on the track of radical qualitative development and epochal leap forward.

He affirmed that the DPRK government would in the future, too, make responsible efforts for the rights and interests of the working masses, regarding the people-first idea of the Workers' Party of Korea as the immutable guideline, and creditably discharge its mission and role in building a just and peaceful new world.

The premier called upon all the people to make more dynamic efforts for the prosperity of the beloved country and the victorious advance of the socialist cause along the road of invincibility guided by the great Party Central Committee.

The meeting ended with the playing of the song "Internationale". -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.05.02.)

Answer Given by DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesperson

Pyongyang, May 3 (KCNA) -- A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK gave the following answer to a question raised by KCNA on May 3 as regards the fact that the U.S. is hyping a story about the unfounded "cyber threat" from the DPRK:

Recently, the U.S. government organs, reptile media organs and plot-breeding organizations are trying to spread incorrect understanding of the DPRK to the international community, talking about the non-existent "cyber threat" from the DPRK.

One common point in their unilateral assertion is that all cyber-related frauds in different parts of the world are related to us and that the U.S. boasting of the world's best cyber technical power is the world's greatest "victim".

It is quite unreasonable for the U.S., which resorts to indiscriminate cyber attacks on other countries with the global IT infrastructure under its control, to describe itself as the "victim".

The building up of public opinion about someone's "cyber threat" is an extension of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK being repeated by its successive regimes. This is nothing but an absurd slander to tarnish the image of our country by spreading false information in pursuit of political purposes.

It is our consistent policy stand to protect cyber space, the common wealth of mankind, from all sorts of malicious acts and thoroughly reject any sinister attempt to use the cyber issue as a political tool for violating sovereignty and interfering in internal affairs of others.

The DPRK will never tolerate the hostile forces' attempt at confrontation getting more undisguised in various domains including cyber space, but actively take all necessary measures for defending the interests of the state and protecting the rights and interests of its citizens. -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.05.03.)

Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Meets Participants in Eleventh SPYL Congress and Has Photo Session with Them

Pyongyang, May 3 (KCNA) -- The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, met the participants in the Eleventh Congress of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League on May 2.

Present there were Kim Jae Ryong, Ri Il Hwan and Ju Chang Il, secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, and Kim Song Gi, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army.

The participants in the congress were filled with excitement and joy as they greeted a moment of enjoying the privilege and happiness they had wished even in their dreams at a time when they started the struggle for a new stage of change with redoubled enthusiasm and spirit and boundless pride and honor of performing feats as the advancing group and shock brigade in the vanguard of accomplishing the cause of our Party.

When Comrade Kim Jong Un arrived at the plaza in front of the venue of the congress, the participants broke into stormy cheers of "Hurrah!", looking up to the outstanding leader of the Juche-oriented youth movement, the benevolent father of the young people across the country.

Young man and woman delegates presented fragrant bouquets to the respected fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un, reflecting their boundless reverence and wishes for him.

Comrade Kim Jong Un warmly congratulated the newly elected chairman and vice-chairmen of the eleventh Central Committee of the youth league, shaking hands with them one by one.

He met the youth delegates, who have performed distinguished feats and displayed communist traits in achieving the prosperity of the country and glorifying the socialist system of our own style, and highly appreciated their efforts.

Acknowledging the enthusiastic cheers of the participants in the congress, he warmly congratulated them on the successful Eleventh Congress of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League held amid special interest and expectation of the Party and the people.

In the past years, too, the ideas and ideal of the Party had always been the ones of the young people themselves and the course of building and developing our state had coincided with the course of their worthwhile life, but there has been no such era as the present one when high patriotic consciousness, towering enthusiasm for the revolution and valiant effort of the young people pervade all the sectors of socialist construction, he said, adding that the noble traits and iron-willed fighting efficiency of the young people unprecedented in any other country in the world are a proud symbol of our national power.

As time goes on, more pages written with blood and sweat of the youth are being added to the history of the country and the legendary feats of the young people are constantly being recorded along with the great era of change, he said, adding that this is the great pride of our Party and the great motive force of our cause. And he stressed that the strength and honor of the youth league, the powerful vanguard of patriotic youths, should be steadily boosted in the era full of unprecedented heroism and bravery.

The reality when our Party and revolution are faced with new and huge tasks requires more active advance and courageous role of the young people, he said, stressing the need to orient all the work of the youth league towards preparing all the youths as passionate patriots who regard it as their life goal to realize the Party's ideal and feel pride and happiness of their youth in attaining it.

Saying that the dynamic steps of the ranks of the young people firmly united under the banner of patriotism represent the lively motion of the new era of change and the vigorous advance of our cause, he emphasized the need to focus on strengthening the lower-echelon organizations so that the revolutionary spirit and fighting efficiency of the young people can be steadily inherited generation after generation and to cover the journey for implementing the decisions of the Party Congress with feats of the youth exciting the whole country through the dynamic revolutionary mass movement and the socialist patriotic movement, the precious foundation for training young people to be pioneers and shock brigade of the times.

Expressing belief that the youth league would dynamically inspire the young vanguard across the country to display their remarkably high revolutionary spirit and patriotic zeal in order to usher in an era of the more powerful and active Korean youth movement, Comrade Kim Jong Un had a significant photo session with the participants in the congress.

The participants burst into enthusiastic cheers again with the infinite excitement of receiving the great trust and affection of the great father.

Led by the chairman of the SPYL Central Committee making a pledge of faith to become the socialist patriotic youth glorifying the great era of Kim Jong Un, the participants in the congress enthusiastically shouted slogans of patriotic loyalty.

Comrade Kim Jong Un gave militant encouragement to the young vanguard cheering like an erupting volcano.

All the participants were full of ardent enthusiasm to carry forward in the purest and most thoroughgoing way the proud tradition of the youth movement, which has responded to the call of the Party and the country with heroic struggle, and perform fresh miracles and feats in every theater for great changes intended by the Ninth Congress of the WPK. -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.05.03.)

Life of Working People Valued

2026.5.1.

http://www.mfa.gov.kp/view/article/24248
Our working people are greeting May Day with the pride and confidence as key performers and masters of the great era of a powerful nation. They are the powerful motive force of this era of overall development.

Under the warm care of respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, all the working people in the country, the smelters, coal miners, farm workers and construction workers, are leading a happy life.

He places the greatest trust in our working class, the farm workers, scientists and technicians; he gives such honorable titles as genuine representatives of the people and true patriots to the labor innovators and people with merits who strive hard to ease the strain on the country and he energetically leads our working people to invariably carry forward the revolutionary spirit, and glorious history and tradition of our struggle in the van of our construction of a socialist power.

Working people are given top priority not only in the allocation of dwelling houses in new streets and villages but also in the election of representatives to nation-wide meetings and a new era of people-first principle started on this land when the working people enjoy being masters of the country.

With the people’s leader in high esteem, our working people place national affairs above their domestic ones and exert themselves with patriotic ardor in the work for overall development of socialism as they know well that the leader places the highest value on working people’s life.

As we have patriotic working people who unreservedly devote their patriotic enthusiasm and sincere efforts to the prosperity of the country with great pride and honor of being citizens of a dignified power, the trend of transformation and progress that has started in our country is being reinforced and our cause is advancing with more dynamism.

Eleventh Congress of Socialist Patriotic Youth League Held

Pyongyang, May 1 (KCNA) -- The Eleventh Congress of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League was held in Pyongyang from April 28 to 30.

The congress reviewed in a comprehensive way the work done by the youth league during the period under review, and discussed practical tasks and ways for channeling the great strength of the large contingent of young people into the implementation of the fighting programme of the Workers' Party of Korea to further cement it as the powerful driving force for the overall prosperity and development of socialism.

Attending it were delegates elected by youth league organizations at all levels.

Present as observers were officials of the Party and armed forces organs, ministries, national agencies and the field of education of youths and children.

The platform was taken by Kim Jae Ryong and Ri Il Hwan, members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau and secretaries of the WPK Central Committee, Ju Chang Il, member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the C.C., WPK, Kim Song Gi, member of the Political Bureau of the C.C., WPK and director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, executive members of the C.C., SPYL, chairpersons of the provincial youth league committees, exemplary youth league officials and members, officials in charge of youth work in the field of the armed forces and service personnel.

The congress elected the presidium and the secretariat.

The agenda items discussed at the congress are as follows:

1. Review of the Work of the Central Committee of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League

2. On the Revision of the SPYL Rules

3. Election of the Central Leadership of the SPYL

Kim Jae Ryong read out a congratulatory letter of the WPK Central Committee to the participants in the Eleventh Congress of the SPYL and all other youths across the country.

Mun Chol, chairman of the SPYL Central Committee, made a report on the first agenda item.

The reporter noted that the DPRK young people have grown up to be creators and performers of feats and vanguard fighters of the revolution in the struggle to pioneer a new era of comprehensive national prosperity, flying high the sacred flag of the youth league.

He also briefed about the valuable successes achieved in the course of directing the work of the youth league to training all the young people as the patriotic youth who staunchly defend socialism and devote themselves to the struggle for socialist construction.

He referred to the wise leadership of the respected fatherly Marshal Kim Jong Un who set it as a matter of great importance for the steady development of our cause to prepare our young people as the reliable driving force of socialist construction and energetically led the work.

The reporter highlighted the great heroic feats performed by young servicepersons in the forefronts of defending the country, revolution and people and in major theaters of socialist construction at the cost of their blood, lives and sweat over the past five years, true to the orders and instructions of the Party.

The young servicepersons, who regard the Party's order as their absolute mission and unconditionally realize the Party's desire, fully displayed their honor as reliable revolutionary soldiers and hardcore youth not only in defending the country's existence and the people's health from the global health crisis but also in the gigantic creation campaigns such as accomplishing the historic cause of regional transformation and building 50 000 flats in Pyongyang Municipality, he said.

He reviewed the achievements made in ideologically educating young people and enhancing the activity of the youth league organizations during the period under review.

Stating that the youth league organizations will steadily develop only when they thoroughly overcome the shortcomings and deviations in line with the requirements of the times while consolidating the successes and experience, the reporter comprehensively analyzed and reviewed the shortcomings revealed in the work of the youth league in the period under review and their causes and the ways for overcoming them on the basis of the data on the actual states of the youth league organizations at all levels.

The reporter ardently called upon all to courageously advance, redoubling the firm faith and will for the eternal dignity and glory of the DPRK and for the brilliant hope of youth and bright future as befitting the young vanguard in the great era of Kim Jong Un.

Speeches were made on the first agenda item.

Introduced in the speeches were excellent experiences gained in educating and training young people into reliable revolutionary soldiers and hardcore youth of the WPK, regarding the ideas and leadership of the Party Central Committee as the lifeline, and in training them to be honorable pioneers of socialist construction and those ready to make practical contribution to the country by conducting the organization and guidance over the youth league organizational and ideological life in close combination with the implementation of the revolutionary tasks.

The speakers expressed their resolve to bring about a new innovation in the youth league work, strictly analyzing the shortcomings and causes in the work of the youth league during the period under review.

The congress discussed the second agenda item "On the Revision of the SPYL Rules".

There was a report on the revision of the rules of the youth league.

The reporter summarized the contents of the rules to be amended and supplemented in conformity with the new tasks facing the youth league and the principles of building the youth league.

Noting that the rules of the youth league to be revised reflected the practical requirements for developing the youth league into elite militant reserves of the WPK and enhancing its organizing ability, unity and activity, the reporter submitted it for deliberation at the congress.

A decision on the revision of the rules of the youth league was adopted with full approval.

The congress discussed the "Election of the Central Leadership of the SPYL" as the third agenda item.

First, the Central Committee of the youth league was elected.

All the candidates for the members and alternate members of the Central Committee of the youth league were elected members and alternate members of the Central Committee of the youth league with the unanimous approval of the delegates.

The First Plenary Meeting of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League was held.

Ju Chang Il, secretary of the WPK Central Committee, made public the decision of the First Plenary Meeting.

The executive committee of the SPYL Central Committee was elected.

Paek Un Chol was elected chairman of the Central Committee of the youth league and Kim Ju Hyok, Pak Myong Jin, Wang Chol U, Kim Song Il, Ri Myong Hyok and Kim Song Il were elected vice-chairmen.

The Organizing Committee of the SPYL Central Committee was formed.

The chairperson, vice-chairpersons and members of the Central Inspection Commission of the youth league were elected.

Department directors of the SPYL Central Committee were appointed.

The congress elected a committee for drafting the decision of the congress with members of the newly elected eleventh-term central leadership of the youth league, and the committee deliberated the creative and constructive opinions raised by the delegates and supplemented the draft decision.

The decision of the Eleventh Congress of the youth league was adopted with the unanimous approval of the delegates.

A letter of pledge to the respected Marshal Kim Jong Un was adopted amid all the delegates' enthusiasm for single-minded loyalty.

The congress ended with the chorus "We Will Defend General Kim Jong Un with Our Lives". -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.05.01.)

Greener Grass and the Unfinished Nature of States - by Comrade Kimlong Ly

 The idea or saying that “the grass is always greener on the other side” is often used to describe individuals, but it can also be applied to more sharply and politically. This writing will apply this idea to how nations perceive one another. However, it will not be as long as the writings of Hegel or Kant. It will be short.

In the 21st century, countries rarely evaluate themselves in isolation. Instead, they are infected by this incurable disease called comparison. A rich nation may look abroad and see other countries with stronger social welfare systems and then look inward to ask why its own citizens struggle with problems such as insecurity or inequality. A country with extensive welfare protections then look at foreign states with greater economic power or technological advancement and feel envious. Even highly militarised states are not immune to comparison; they may observe others with higher living standards or greater cultural influence and feel the pain in the chest.

In this sense, international relations are not only about material balance, but about perception. This perception creates a sense of insecurity. That insecurity creates rivalry. Then, rivalry leads to conflicts and wars. Perception, therefore, creates deaths.

Strength in one area can highlight the vulnerability in another. This creates a kind of permanent comparative psychology at the level of states. A state can never feel completed.

Political systems are not only judged by results, but also by the stories that they tell about how well they handle the human life. Liberal systems are valued for freedom but criticised for inequality, while socialist systems are seen as more equal but sometimes less efficient or innovative.

In contrast, Juche, the state ideology of the DPR Korea, tries to reject this constant comparison by emphasizing self-reliance and internal consistency. It argues that progress should be defined by a society’s own goals and conditions, rather than external approval, which it sees as a form of dependence on outside validation.

From this view, Juche can be seen as an attempt to solve this unaddressed psychological disease. I called this comparison an unaddressed disease as if nations keep measuring themselves against others, they risk shaping their development around foreign benchmarks rather than internal needs and morals. Juche, in this way, argues that a society should develop according to its own history, culture, and collective goals. It is one of the only few theories, that seeks to reduce the “greener grass” mentality by grounding national confidence in internal standards rather than foreign examples. Therefore, Juche is a liberating theory or ideology that not only liberates the nation, but also the nation’s mind from an international “disease”.

However, it is important to be precise: no country exists entirely outside of this seeming universal comparison. Even systems that stress on independence still operate in a world where economic data, military balance, technological development, and cultural influence are continuously observed across borders. Comparison is not just ideological. It is structural and it is built into the modern global system.

What matters more is not whether comparison happens, but how it is handled. Some systems use this to push competition and reform, while others see it as a threat to stability. Either way, the “greener grass” effect stays, there’s always another country that seems better in some domain.

Ultimately, the question may not be which nation or system escapes comparison, but whether comparison itself can ever be stopped. Or whether it is simply part of how nations, like individuals, define progress. 

Essay by Kimlong Ly 

Assistant Researcher, British Study Group for the Study of the Juche Idea