Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Sends Greetings to Cuban President

 Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- 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, sent a congratulatory message to Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the Republic of Cuba, on January 1.

The message said:

Extending congratulations to you and the Cuban party, government and people on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the victory in the Cuban revolution, I wish the Cuban people success in their struggle to defend the sovereignty of the country and the gains of the revolution. -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.01.01.)

Peoples Korea Today' Issue 61 ( January 2026 ).pdf

 

New Year Celebration Performance Given in DPRK

Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- The hopeful new year 2026 has come to the country dynamically advancing toward the grand goal of eternal prosperity for the comprehensive development of socialism and the promotion of the people's wellbeing under the leadership of the ever-victorious Workers' Party of Korea.

All the people seeing off a significant year of victory and transformation, specially recorded in the history of the country, are filled with their absolute trust in and ardent reverence for the great WPK.

An art performance for celebrating the New Year 2026 was given with splendour at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, the capital city of the DPRK, adding great joy to the whole country ahead of the new year's journey to be more vigorous and gigantic.

Prior to the performance, there was a Taekwon-Do demonstration showing the wisdom and bravery of the Korean people.

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, enjoyed the performance.

When the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un appeared in the auditorium amid the playing of welcome music, all the audience and performers paid boundless respects and eternal honour to him, the outstanding leader of the Juche revolution and the benevolent father of the people who is developing our socialist state into an eternal flower garden of all blessings for the people and ushering in the future of a powerful country that will be prosperous forever.

Kim Jong Un waved back to the enthusiastically cheering masses and extended warm greetings to the beloved people across the country.

Among the audience were members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and other senior officials of the Party, government and armed forces organs, officials of ministries and national agencies, labour innovators and meritorious persons, officers and soldiers of overseas operations units and families of their commanding officers, men and officers of the Korean People's Army, teaching staff and students of revolutionary schools, builders involved in the capital city construction and citizens of Pyongyang.

Overseas compatriots staying in the socialist homeland enjoyed the performance.

The national flag of the DPRK was hoisted.

All the audience paid high tribute to the sacred national flag with a resolve to make genuine contribution to the prosperity of the country by devoting their patriotic enthusiasm, wisdom and sincere sweat.

The performance began with the songs "We Love Our Country" and "The Glorious Country".

Put on the stage were such famous songs as patriotic songs reflecting the intense love of all the people for the country demonstrating its dignity and glory all over the world along with the great era of Kim Jong Un.

Through jubilant songs and dances, the performers showed the true picture of powerful Korea, the country of the people which guarantees the independent life and genuine happiness and dynamically advances along the road of self-respect and prosperity, overcoming all challenges of history.

The pictures showing the brilliant honor and unforgettable memos, which citizens and proud sons and daughters of the country sharing their breath and destiny with the country recorded in the history of 2025, touched the heartstrings of the audience.

The venue of the performance turned into a scene of excitement and enthusiasm with the song "We Are Koreans" pulsating with the patriotic desire of all the people to steadily carry forward the vigorous advance toward great victory and glory with the revolutionary spirit of self-sustenance and indomitable courage.

When the emotion-charged countdown for seeing 2025 off ended to signal the start of a new year, celebration torch was kindled and spectacular fireworks were set off.

Lovely children presented fragrant bouquets to Kim Jong Un and paid New Year greetings to him.

The atmosphere of the performance was revved up amid the playing of the light melody of the song "Snow Is Falling on New Year's Day".

Kim Jong Un made a speech to celebrate the New Year.

He extended militant salute to the working people in all sectors, including the industrial and devoted agricultural workers and intellectuals, and other people across the country, who are greeting the meaningful moment of the new year with high dignity and hopes, the generals and other officers and soldiers of our heroic army, who are filled with the pride in having glorified the previous year with invaluable feats and with a pledge of sacred service, and to the officers and soldiers of the overseas operations units, who will be greeting the new year in the far-away alien land with deep yearning for their homeland. He also extended warm greetings to the overseas compatriots who are devoting themselves to the patriotic work for the development and prosperity of their motherland.

Referring to the precious successes and phenomenal changes of 2025 which boosted the strength and dignity of our country with so fervent hopes and dear efforts, he said that this is certainly an honour that has resulted from our ideals and faith, our strength and strenuous efforts, and at the same time, it is clear proof that we are following the right path.

He affirmed with pride that 2025 is the image of the future of our state which will grow more powerful and beautiful thanks to our excellent people's affection, wisdom and sweat.

He ardently called for uniting more firmly on the strength of patriotism and advancing more vigorously and courageously towards the new future to be indicated by the Ninth Congress of the Party. And he proposed that all the participants raise a cheer to express warm affection for, and infinite dignity and pride in, our state

All the participants shouted hurrah for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, their great motherland.

The people, greatly honored with the warm blessing and encouragement from the benevolent father in happiness and convinced of the brighter and rosier future of the country, broke into enthusiastic cheers.

As the performance went on, new songs reflecting the ardent wishes for the new year and pledge to wage strenuous struggle for greater victory decorated the New Year celebration stage.

The performance culminated with the song "Fly Forever, National Flag" reflecting the ardent patriotic will of all the people to fly higher in the sky of the century the sacred national flag which all the people have defended and glorified as their lives along with the glorious history of the DPRK.

At the end of the performance, enthusiastic cheers burst out again and fireworks were set off to beautifully adorn the night sky over the capital city.

Warmly waving back to the cheering masses, Kim Jong Un wished all families across the country love and happiness on the occasion of the New Year.

The New Year celebration performance, which signaled the grand start of 2026 promising the steady prosperity of the country and eternal happiness of the people, marked a significant occasion of redoubling the uplifted spirit and confidence in victory of all the people across the country in their struggle to dynamically accelerate the general advance of the new year under the bright blueprint to be unfolded by the Ninth Congress of the WPK. -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.01.01.)

조선중앙통신 Copyrigh

Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un's Speech at New Year Celebration

 

Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un made a speech at a New Year celebration.

The full text of his speech is as follows:

Dear Pyongyang citizens,

Labour innovators and meritorious persons, who are invited to this meaningful new year celebration as representatives of our industrious and patriotic working people,

Faithful and courageous officers and soldiers of the Korean People’s Army,

Our students and artistes, who are adding more to the air of festivity of this night,

Comrades,

Happy New Year.

Availing myself of this opportunity, I extend new year greetings to the working people in all sectors, including the industrial and devoted agricultural workers and intellectuals, and other people across the country, who are greeting this meaningful moment at their workplaces, posts and streets, in their villages and houses, with high dignity and hopes.

And I send congratulations to the generals and other officers and soldiers of our heroic army, who are greeting the new year filled with the pride in having glorified the previous year with invaluable feats and with a pledge of sacred service. My militant salute goes to the officers and soldiers of the overseas operations units, who will be greeting the new year in the far-away alien land with deep yearning for their homeland.

I also convey warm greetings to the overseas compatriots, who are devoting themselves to the patriotic work for the development and prosperity of their motherland.

Comrades,

We have just seen off the unforgettable year 2025 with deep emotion.

It was a year filled with so fervent hopes and dear efforts.

We can feel proud that we boosted the strength and dignity of our country that year.

We rounded off everything perfectly, writing great events in every page of the year.

The civilization of the capital city transformed the regions, the transformation of the regions gave a spur to the development of the capital city, and all the regions, sectors and units across the country made progress in a competitive, balanced and simultaneous way. In this way, the historic cause aspiring to overall development of socialist construction has successfully passed its first stage.

Certainly, this is an honour that has resulted from our ideals and faith, our strength and strenuous efforts, and at the same time, it is clear proof that we are following the right path.

The year 2025 was a golden period of epochal significance and transformation that added value to the precious lives of our excellent people and their children, and it was a year, in which we saw in our mind’s eye the future of our state that will grow more powerful and beautiful thanks to their affection, wisdom and sweat.

I really appreciate everyone in this country for having worked hard all year round.

Last year, too, the service personnel of the People’s Army, who have always stood in the vanguard of our cause, went against heavy odds to lead the drive for creation and transformation and achieve amazing successes; they won precious victory even at the cost of their lives, thereby creating a heroic age to be revered by the coming generations.

We will always remember that the glory of this night has been brought by the ennobling sacrifice and exploits of the great sons of our country, and in the annals of our eternal victory, we will etch their names and images as ever-shining stars.

We entered the year 2025 with a heavy heart as we were confronted with huge tasks; what we believed in was nothing but our people’s patriotism and loyalty, and they were the real driving force that propelled our unprecedented struggle throughout the year.

So trustworthy were the workers at the Sangwon Cement Complex, who raised the torch of increased production ahead of others true to the Party’s intentions, so commendable were the agricultural workers, who reaped a bumper harvest by tilling their fields by the sweat of their brow in a display of patriotism, and really admirable were our young women footballers, who had the national flag of our Republic hoisted by winning international competitions.

All our people, irrespective of job or workplace – be it deep pit, construction site of a power station, school or scientific research institute –, gave full play to their self-respect, resourcefulness, strength and enthusiasm befitting Koreans, and they thus filled the pages of the chronicle for the great year with sincerity for the development and prosperity of their country.

Only a great people can write such a great chronicle for the times and history.

As this great people throw in their lot with the country and find their greatest honour and joy of life in devoting themselves to its victory and glory, our Party is invincible and our socialism is ever-prosperous.

I will never exchange for anything else the dignity and glory of living for our great people and waging the revolution for them, and live up to the expectations of all the people in the new year, too, by always remaining faithful to the socialism of their choice, to the sacred ideal of the people-first principle and to the dignity, rights and interests of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Comrades,

The year 2026 began a few minutes before.

A more strenuous struggle and a greater victory are awaiting us.

Let us all make another start full of confidence.

There is no dream we cannot fulfil as we have the confidence and will to live and prosper with dignity and the fighting mettle and creative strength we have assiduously cultivated and fostered.

Let us all unite more firmly on the strength of patriotism and advance more vigorously and courageously towards the new future to be indicated by the Ninth Congress of the Party.

I sincerely hope that love, harmony, delight and happiness will brim over at all the families across the country in the new year.

Dear comrades,

I propose that we all raise a cheer once again to express our warm affection for, and infinite dignity and pride in, our state.

Long live our great country, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea! -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.01.01.)

조선

Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Has Photo Session with Families of Commanding Officers of Overseas Operations Units

 

Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- 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, on Jan. 1 met with families of commanding officers of the overseas operations units who participated in the New Year celebrations for 2026.

The families of commanding officers of the overseas operations units, who came to see Kim Jong Un whom they had longed for even in their dreams, extended their greetings of best wishes to him repeatedly showing special love and affection with parental care of being more concerned of children further apart.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said that he thinks much more of the commanding officers and combatants of the overseas operations units who would place their minds on this celebration venue, praying for the eternal prosperity of the country and happiness of their families at battlefields of alien land, at this meaningful moment when the whole country greets the hopeful new year after seeing the old year out with precious memories and pride.

He said that the commanding officers of the overseas operations units would greet the new year in the overseas operational area, yearning for their beloved families even at this moment, and will redouble their strength and courage while missing even in their dreams their families who are eagerly waiting for them to return home in good health.

He said that the news and photo that he met their families would make the commanding officers very pleased on the battlefields and proposed to wish for the beloved people to return home safe after discharging their mission. Then he had a meaningful photo taken with all the families of commanding officers of the overseas operations units. -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.01.01.)

Banquet for Labor Innovators and Meritorious Persons Given in Celebration of New Year

Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- The New Year banquet was given at the Mokran House on Wednesday for labor innovators and meritorious persons who contributed to glorifying the significant 2025 as a year of great turn that makes a new watershed in the history of growth and development of the DPRK.

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, attended the banquet.

When the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un appeared at the venue of the banquet, all the participants extended their thanks to the great father for inviting ordinary officials and working people, who did nothing great but remained faithful to their mission and duty for the citizens of the Republic, having a photo session with them and bestowing the high pride and honor of being the representatives of 2025, the year of victory and glory.

Present there were members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK, other leading officials of the Party and the government, labor innovators and meritorious persons.

Kim Jong Un made a significant speech.

He expressed his impression of having sat together with labor innovators representing our great people, all the beloved people of the country, to see the busy and successful year 2025 out and start a new struggle record of 2026, extending warm thanks to the labor innovators, meritorious persons and all other people for their patriotic efforts and devotion to all the successes of this year.

He said that our labor innovators and meritorious persons are possessed of excellent qualities and mettle of the Korean people, the strongest, most arduous and most resourceful in the world and today's place is glorious as there are those days in which they devoted their all, while burning their minds with patriotic loyalty, to making our country greater and our progress faster.

Saying that there are many labor innovators and meritorious persons like them in the country and this is the most important secret and pride that makes our Party, our state and our system be always strong and developing, he affirmed that as the great people are waging a grand struggle for creation with the great line of struggle, we are getting closer to our far-reaching ideal and will surely grow stronger and turn faster.

The first and foremost thing is that we have redoubled our confidence and strength, which can never be easily gained by anything, he said and extended warm New Year greetings to the participants in the banquet, and through them, to all the citizens in the whole regions of the country.

He wished all the participants good health and more worthwhile and valuable successes in the future and proposed a toast to harmony, happiness and laughter of all the families across the country.

All the participants pledged to perform proud feats to be recorded in the name of the present times and in the appearance of the present generation in the new struggle of 2026 that will bring greater glory and prosperity to our great state and people. -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.01.01.)

Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Sends New Year's Message to Officers and Soldiers of Overseas Operations Units

Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to the officers and soldiers of the overseas operations units on December 31, 2025 on the occasion of the new year.

The full text of the message is as follows:

To the officers and soldiers of the overseas operations units, who are greeting the new year

My beloved comrades-in-arms – generals, officers and soldiers – who are greeting the new year in the overseas operations area,

On behalf of our Party and state and in reflection of the tender feelings of our people, the officers and soldiers of the entire army, and your parents, wives and children, I send new year greetings to all the commanding officers and combatants of the overseas operations units.

As the whole country is enveloped in a festive atmosphere of greeting the new year, I all the more miss you, who are fighting bravely on the battlefields in the alien land even at this moment, true to the order of your homeland.

Though you are now far away from your homeland, our Party and people always think of you first, the proud sons of our country.

2025, the year we are seeing off with great pride and dignity, is shining more brilliantly thanks to the imperishable honour you have defended at the cost of your blood and lives.

All of you have safeguarded heroically the dignity and honour of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

You have demonstrated to the full with what determination and fortitude one should carry out the order of the Party and the country. You are a source of the greatest strength and pride and a strong pillar of our Party and state.

The coming year 2026 will be another year of the great DPRK along with the remarkable feats you will perform on the overseas battlefields.

I really miss you all.

I hope that I will have a warm reunion with you, all officers and soldiers of the overseas operations units, as early as possible.

Your homeland is eagerly looking forward to your return home.

It is my greatest wish that all of you will return to your homeland in good health.

I request you all to pay special attention to your safety, mindful of my wish.

And be always brave.

For the fraternal Russian people,

For the mettle and characteristics of our people, for the spirit and dignity of the Korean people and for the immortal honour of our state,

And for the undying fame of our army,

Be brave.

Behind you are Pyongyang and Moscow.

Thanks to your self-sacrificing and devoted struggle, the militant fraternity and friendship and invincible alliance between our country and Russia grow firmer.

All officers and soldiers of the overseas operations units,

As I, together with your parents, wives and children, and all other people, look forward to the day when all of you will return home safely after accomplishing your mission, I once again send you new year greetings and warm militant salute. -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.01.01.)

조