Eighth Congress of Workers’ Party of Korea and Its Significance in Studying and Disseminating Juche Idea

Kulikov Gennadi Petrovich

Instructor, Far East Federal University

Doctor of DPRK Socio-political Science

The Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea was held in Pyongyang, the DPRK, from January 5 to 12, 2021.

At the congress, the WPK promised its loyalty to the cause of the Korean-style socialism and Comrade Kim Jong Un was elected the General Secretary of the WPK. The congress proved correctness of the political lines and economic strategy advanced by the WPK.

On August 20, 2020 the 6 th Plenary Meeting of the 7 th Central Committee of the WPK made public the decision on convening the Party Congress.

Accordingly, the whole country and the whole Party made preparations for this event, important in the history of the DPRK.

Furthermore, the session declared that the Eighth Congress of the Party would set forth a new five-year plan for national economic development.

“80-day campaign” was launched before the Congress in order to intensively develop the economy by actively enlisting manpower resources of the country.

The campaign was to celebrate the Party Congress with labour achievements and accelerate the future economic development.

The campaign began on October 12, 2020 and finished on December 30, before the holding of the Congress.

The agendas of the congress included such important issues as the report to the work of the 7 th Central Committee of the WPK (Comrade Kim Jong Un made a report), review of the work of the WPK Central Auditing Commission, modification of the rules of the WPK and the election of the central leadership organ of the WPK. Central leadership organ of the WPK was elected, the five-year plan for the economic development adopted and Comrade Kim Jong Un elected the General Secretary of the WPK.

Some of the Party rules were modified and supplemented. The Party rules clearly regulated it as the supreme programme of the Party to model the whole society on Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism.

The Party rules noted that Party Congress is held once in 5 years and the office regulations of the chairman and the vice-chairman of the Party committee at all levels are revised as secretary and vice-secretary, the state affairs commission as secretariat bureau and political affairs office as secretariat.

The congress stressed to restore the state’s leading role and control in the overall commercial service activities.

The congress has other characteristics, too.

The report to the work of the Central Committee of the WPK put main stress not on underlining the already made achievements but on the mistakes revealed in the course of implementing the tasks set forth by the 7 th Party Congress. This was the audacious measure taken by Comrade Kim Jong Un.

Having defiantly criticized the cause of non-fulfillment of the plan proved resolute confidence in the leadership of the Party, the Party’s ability of comprehending the social, economic and political situations and the creative ability of the people, the state and the Party.

The open criticism of the existing shortcomings was the manifestation of validity of intention of the WPK leadership to advance the most balanced policy not only for the near future but for long-term development of the country.

Such bold measures taken by the Party Congress proved the confidence of the WPK leadership in the might of the Juche idea, Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, that serves as the politico-ideological basis of the Korean society.

This proves that it is essential and beneficial to set the doctrine of Juche that is the traditional for the Korean society as a basis.

This doctrine is full of democratic and socialist new contents.

At the same time, this measure also proves that the leadership of the WPK is convinced of the need and possibility of deciding and implementing the plan for economic development.

Expressed in the above-mentioned two cases is the intention to reject the allowance of the “spontaneous market” in the development of the Korean society and maintain and strengthen the planned bases.

At the end of the Congress, the Internationale, the international hymn of the communists, was played instead of the traditional ode to the WPK.

This can be appreciated as the will of the WPK and the DPRK to strengthen cooperation with the world anti-imperialist forces and the socialist movement. Comrade Kim Jong Un did not open the detailed goals to the public, but simultaneous development of the economic sectors and the nuclear potentiality was set as one of the tasks for the new five-year plan.

Comrade Kim Jong Un noted to decisively improve the people’s standard of living by solving the electricity problem, develop key industries and agriculture and increase the production of consumer goods.

Comrade Kim Jong Un pointed out to open up a bright future for the founding of the nuclear power industry while hastening the construction of hydropower stations. Accordingly, the congress advanced the tasks of developing the sector of high-tech science. These are to develop the economy in the DPRK. The DPRK will be placed on a new phase of modern power bases and new technological development.

As mentioned above, the decisions made at the Eighth Congress of the WPK are of decisive significance in providing all the people in the DPRK with peaceful life. That is why it is significant to study the report of the Eighth Congress of the WPK and the external foreign policies of the WPK and the DPRK.

These decisions are of particular significance in the work of the Association for the Study of Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism in the Far East region of Russia.

At present, when one accesses the comprehensive catalogue of books which our association has, one can have profound study of the works of the founders, builders of the DPRK, the first people’s country in Korea.

Close contacts with the DPRK consulate general in Vladivostok is very beneficial to our association. The contact is being developed on a steady basis, assuming diverse characters.

At present, the Korean Association of Korean Scientists lends great help to the study of the DPRK. The KASS workers give us advice and help in the study of several issues related to social development in the DPRK.

As we are in quarantine because of the horrible epidemic, forms and practices of studying and disseminating Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism are changed.

Our association puts the main stress on the study of different issues through the application of modern information technology and the tele-communication system.

It was the important form for us to accept passively the knowledge which the senior officials gave to the association members, whereas we are now making them present their papers on the issues with their activities as the main.

Online seminars are the main in our activities. We held such online seminars in 2020 and February in 2021.

We also send members of our association to seminars held in different regions including Mongolia, Ulan-Ude and St. Petersburg.

However, the most important form that we have introduced traditionally in disseminating the Juche idea is to hold different protest gatherings. In particular, we hold protest demonstrations against the US-south Korean joint military exercise in the coast of the DPRK and demonstrations in defence and support of its peace-loving policies.