The 16th Meeting of the Political Bureau of the Seventh Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was held in the office building of the Party Central Committee on August 13.

Attending the meeting were Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Present there were members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.

Also on hand as observers were Department Directors, First Deputy Department Directors and Deputy Department Directors of the Party Central Committee, Vice-Premiers of the Cabinet, Ministers, Chairpersons of the Provincial Party Committees, Chairpersons of the Party Committees of the ministries and national agencies, commanding personnel of the armed forces organs and members of the Central Emergency Anti-Epidemic Headquarters.

Upon the authorization of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee, Chairman Kim Jong Un presided over the meeting.

The Politburo meeting discussed and decided on the issues on concentrating all efforts to dispel the flood damages at an early date and provide the people with a stabilized life, on keeping more strictly the state emergency anti-epidemic system and perfecting the well-regulated anti-epidemic work commanding system according to the requirements of the worldwide public health crisis, on lifting the blockade of the forefront area including Kaesong City and on establishing a new department at the Party Central Committee. It also examined the preparations of national events for grandly commemorating the 75th founding anniversary of the WPK and studied and discussed relevant measures.

The meeting heard a briefing on recent damages by disastrous heavy rain and flood.

During the rainy season, different sectors of the national economy have suffered serious damages; 39,296 hectares of fields of crops were damaged, more than 16,680 houses and over 630 public buildings destroyed and inundated, many roads, bridges and railroads cut off and dams of power stations collapsed across the country including Kangwon and North and South Hwanghae Provinces and Kaesong City.

It was pointed out that in particular, the inhabitants in the regions with severe damages including Kimhwa, Cholwon, Hoeyang and Changdo Counties of Kangwon Province and Unpha and Jangphung Counties of North Hwanghae Province are undergoing great sufferings in their life while living in the places of refuge.

Informing them of the data available on the damages, Kim Jong Un earnestly said: The conditions and sufferings of the flood victims are indescribable as they have lost their houses and family property and are living in temporary places. Now our Party should bear full responsibility for them and find itself among them in order to share the people's sufferings and mitigate them.

Now our state is faced with the difficulties to combat two challenges; one of them is to do dynamic anti-epidemic work for thoroughly coping with the world public health crisis and the other is the unexpected natural disasters. The Party and the Government should present a correct direction of policy to overcome the two crises simultaneously and display their art of seasoned leadership in the simultaneous and offensive struggle.

Though there are obstacles and difficulties in various aspects along with the protracted state emergency anti-epidemic work, we should promptly organize and take all necessary measures. All levels of Party organizations and government organs should play their role properly.

We cannot have the flood victims be left homeless and greet the 75th founding anniversary of the WPK, he said and presented in detail sectional tasks and ways to dispel the flood damages as early as possible and stabilize the life of the people.

Kim Jong Un stressed the need to ascribe the recovery from flood damages not merely to the construction for dispelling the natural damages and restoration of life but to an important political work for glorifying the 75th founding anniversary of the WPK as a genuine people's holiday and a revolutionary holiday cementing the single-minded unity.

He underscored the need to renew the affected areas according to the demand and desire of the people and the level of developed times on this occasion and hear the opinions of the inhabitants in the regions concerned and build them in appropriate positions qualitatively lest they should be damaged even though natural disasters and flood may occur in the future.

He said: The reality that the spread of the malignant virus is worsened worldwide calls for disallowing any external assistance concerning the flood damages and more tightly closing the border and strictly doing the anti-epidemic work. Good education should be given so that the inhabitants in the affected areas and those involved in the campaign for recovery from damages cannot violate the anti-epidemic regulations.

We should dynamically push forward the work for recovery from damages and prove in practice once again the revolutionary nature of always sharing and dispelling the misfortunes and sufferings of the people and defending the people as well as the superiority of our system. Our Party should do its sacred duty proudly in the face of the people and thus live up to the trust and expectation of the people, he appealed time and again.

Kim Jong Un proposed instructing a decision of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee and a joint order of the Party Central Committee, the Party Central Military Commission and the State Affairs Commission, reflecting the urgent tasks of struggle to finish the campaign for recovery from flood damages in the main and stabilize the inhabitants until October 10 through great unity and cooperation of the army and people loyal to the leadership of the Party.

Next, the Politburo meeting agreed on the issue of a mechanism to establish a well-regulated state anti-epidemic work system along with the protracted emergency anti-epidemic campaign and pointed out the issue of the new mechanism on correctly exercise its authority and enhancing its responsibility and role.

It also decided on lifting the blockade of the forefront area including Kaesong City which has been enforced since July 24 because of the emergency that happened in the forefront area according to scientific verification and guarantee of a professional anti-epidemic institution.

Kim Jong Un said it was confirmed that the anti-epidemic situation has been still kept and controlled in a stable way since the forefront area was blockaded for over 20 days. He sent his thanks in the name of the Party Central Committee to the people in the blockade zone who followed the measures of the Party and the Government with one mind while overcoming the inconveniences in their life, though isolated, and to the service personnel, public security and security men and members of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards who have done the duty of the regional blockade with responsibility despite the downpour and boiling heat.

The Politburo meeting also heard a report on the progress of preparations of national events for grandly commemorating the 75th founding anniversary of the WPK according to the decision of the Fifth Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Party Central Committee, examined the issues concerning the events and took relevant measures to prepare all the celebrations in a peculiar way on the highest level so that they can be a grand political festival to be presented to the 75th founding anniversary of the Party.

The Politburo meeting deliberated and decided on the issue of establishing a new department at the Party Central Committee and presented its function and role.

It also dealt with an organizational issue.

It elected members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.

Kim Tok Hun and Ri Pyong Chol were elected members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.

Members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee were summoned and elected to fill vacancies.

Pak Thae Dok was by-elected Member of the Party Central Committee and Member of its Political Bureau.

Pak Myong Sun and Jon Kwang Ho were by-elected Alternate Members of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee.

At the proposal of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK dismissed and appointed the Premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK according to the authority granted by the Socialist Constitution. 

He appointed Kim Tok Hun Premier of the Cabinet of the DPRK.

The meeting elected Vice-Chairmen of the Party Central Committee.

Directors of some Departments of the Party Central Committee were dismissed and appointed.

Chairpersons of the Provincial Party Committees were appointed.