The 16th meeting of the Political Bureau of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea took place at the office building of the WPK Central Committee on August 13.
Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the WPK, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and Supreme Commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, was present at the meeting.
The meeting was attended by members of the Presidium and members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee.
Present there as observers were directors, first deputy directors and deputy directors of departments of the WPK Central Committee, vice-premiers of the Cabinet, ministers, chairpersons of provincial Party committees, chairpersons of Party committees of ministries and national agencies, commanding officers of the armed forces organs and members of the Central Emergency Anti-Epidemic Headquarters.
Upon authorization of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un presided over the meeting.
The meeting discussed and decided on the issue of eradicating the flood damage and providing stable living conditions to the flood victims as early as possible by concentrating all efforts, the issue of further strictly maintaining the State emergency anti-epidemic system in the face of the worldwide public health crisis and perfecting the regular commanding system for anti-epidemic work, the issue of lifting the blockade of the frontline areas including Kaesong City, and the issue of organizing a new department in the WPK Central Committee, and examined the preparations for national events to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the WPK with splendour, before studying and discussing relevant measures.
There was a briefing on the damage by the recent disastrous heavy rains and floods.
During the rainy season, crops in 39 296 hectares were damaged across the country including Kangwon, North and South Hwanghae provinces and Kaesong City, over 16 680 dwelling houses and 630 public buildings were destroyed or inundated, lots of roads, bridges and railway sections broken, and a dam of a power station gave way, thus causing severe damage to different fields of the national economy.
A particular mention was made of the fact that the inhabitants in the areas with severe damage, including Kimhwa, Cholwon, Hoeyang and Changdo counties in Kangwon Province and Unpha and Jangphung counties in North Hwanghae Province, are undergoing great pains in the evacuated districts.
Briefing on the general situation of flood damage, the Supreme Leader said that the flood victims must be suffering great pains as they are living in temporary dwelling quarters with their houses and properties lost. He earnestly said that our Party, at this crucial time, must be wholly responsible for their living and get closer to them in order to share their pain and relieve them of their sufferings.
Our State is now faced with two challenges–anti-epidemic work to thoroughly cope with the worldwide public health crisis and unexpected sudden natural disaster, he noted, pointing out that the Party and the government must set forth a correct policy direction to overcome the two crises at the same time and display seasoned leadership arts in the three-dimensional, offensive campaign.
Stressing the need to rapidly organize and take all necessary measures no matter how long the State emergency anti-epidemic work may last and no matter how many obstacles and difficulties may lie ahead, he called on all Party organizations and power organs at all levels to properly discharge their roles.
Saying that we cannot leave the flood victims homeless, when we celebrate the 75th birthday of the WPK, he set forth tasks for different sectors to eradicate the flood damage and bring their living to normal at an early date and specified the ways to this end.
He stressed that the flood damage rehabilitation should not be confined to a mere construction for removing the natural damage and a restoration of living conditions but should be conducted as an important political work for celebrating the 75th birthday of the WPK as a genuine holiday of the people and a revolutionary holiday of cementing the single-minded unity.
He emphasized that we should spruce up the flood-stricken area to meet the desire and aspiration of the people and the developing standard of the times, and ensure the quality of construction in appropriate places based on the opinions of inhabitants so that no damage can occur even though natural disasters and flood recur in the future.
The situation, in which the spread of the worldwide malignant virus has become worse, requires us not to allow any outside aid for the flood damage but shut the border tighter and carry on the anti-epidemic work strictly, he said, adding that information work should be conducted well so as to prevent any violation of anti-epidemic rules among inhabitants in the flood-hit area and those mobilized for the rehabilitation work.
He said that through the active rehabilitation drive we should prove in practice once again the revolutionary nature of our Party which always shares misfortune and pain with the people and protects them by removing all their pains, the advantages of our social system. He repeatedly stressed the need for our Party to fulfil its sacred duty so that it would not feel ashamed of itself before the people and surely live up to their trust and expectation of the people.
He suggested issuing a decision of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and a joint order of the WPK Central Committee, the WPK Central Military Commission and the State Affairs Commission reflecting the immediate fighting tasks for finishing most part of the flood damage rehabilitation and stabilizing the inhabitants’ living by October 10 by dint of the great unity between the army and the people who are loyal to the leadership of the Party and through their coordinated operation.
The Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee expressed a unanimous approval for his ardent appeal.
The meeting also agreed on the issue of introducing a new machinery for setting up the nationwide regular anti-epidemic work system in keeping with the situation that the emergency anti-epidemic has assumed a prolonged nature, and underscored the need for the new machinery to correctly exercise its authority and enhance its responsibility and role.
It decided to lift the blockade of Kaesong and other frontline areas, which has been enforced from July 24 following the emergency incident in the forefront area, based on scientific verification and guarantee by a professional anti-epidemic organ.
Saying that the past 20-odd-day-long blockade of the frontline area has proved that the situation of anti-epidemic work has been maintained and controlled stably, he expressed thanks in the name of the WPK Central Committee to the people in the sealed-off area for having remained faithful to the measure taken by our Party and government, despite inconvenience in their living under quarantine, and to the soldiers, public security officers, security men and members of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards for having performed their blockade duty with responsibility, despite heavy rains and sultry weather.
The meeting also heard a report on the progress of preparations for national events to splendidly celebrate the 75th birthday of the WPK according to the decision made at the 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th WPK Central Committee, checked the issues arising in preparing every event and took due measures to prepare at the best level all the celebrations with peculiar style as a grand political festival to be presented as an excellent gift to the WPK’s 75th birth anniversary.
It discussed and decided on the issue of setting up a new department in the WPK Central Committee and defined its function and role.
The Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee expressed the belief that the new department would make a tangible contribution to safeguarding the dignity and interests of the State and the people, reliably maintaining and guaranteeing the political stability and order of society and impregnably defending our class position and socialist construction.
The meeting also discussed an organizational matter.
Members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee were elected.
Kim Tok Hun and Ri Pyong Chol were elected members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee.
A member and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee were re-called and by-elected.
Pak Thae Dok was by-elected a member of the WPK Central Committee and a member of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee.
Pak Myong Sun and Jon Kwang Ho were by-elected alternate members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee.
According to a proposal of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, the Chairman of the DPRK State Affairs Commission relieved and appointed the Premier of the DPRK Cabinet by exercising the power he has been invested with under the Socialist Constitution.
He appointed Kim Tok Hun as the Premier of the DPRK Cabinet.
The meeting elected vice-chairmen of the WPK Central Committee.
Kim Jae Ryong and Pak Thae Dok were elected vice-chairmen of the WPK Central Committee.
The meeting also dismissed the directors of some departments of the WPK Central Committee and appointed new directors.
Kim Jae Ryong, Pak Thae Dok, Pak Myong Sun, Jon Kwang Ho and Kim Yong Su were appointed as department directors of the WPK Central Committee.
Chairmen of the provincial committees of the WPK were appointed.
Kim Chol Sam was appointed as chairman of the North Hamgyong Provincial Party Committee, and Ri Jae Nam as chairman of the Nampho City Party Committee.
KCNA
