The young Koreans are giving full play to their youthful resourcefulness and gallantry in socialist construction for national prosperity, cherishing ardent love for their country.

The annals of the Korean revolution are etched with the feats they have performed as the creators of miracles and innovations and the heroes of the times.

After Korea’s liberation from the Japanese military occupation on August 15, 1945, they vigorously stepped up the building of a new prosperous, democratic country, closely united under the banner of democracy.

When the aggressors provoked an armed invasion against the Republic on June 25, 1950, young Koreans and students volunteered to the front ahead of other people to defend their country more precious than their lives. The number of volunteers amounted to over 80 000 throughout the country only in a few days after the outbreak of the war.

After performing brilliant feats in the three-year-long Fatherland Liberation War against the enemies, they wrought labour merits in the postwar rehabilitation. Thanks to their efforts, the Pyongyang-Sinuiju train ran in less than 12 hours after the ceasefire, and all other trains started to run on all trunk lines of the country in a week. Besides, electric furnace No. 2 of the then Kangson Steel Works was restored in less than two months, and 113 youth shock brigades were dispatched to hundreds of rehabilitation sites in Pyongyang and other parts of the country in Juche 43 (1954) alone.

Their untiring patriotic enthusiasm brought about miracles in the Chollima era.

After the National Meeting of Young Builders of Socialism held in March 1958, a lot of young people throughout the country volunteered to work in different sectors of important significance in developing the economy and improving the people’s standard of living, and their number snowballed day after day. Thanks to their heroic struggles, the Phyongnam youth coal area was developed in the central part of the country, the youth street built in the east Pyongyang area, and the first-stage waterway of large-scale Kiyang irrigation project completed.

In the 1960s and the 1970s, many youth shock brigades, youth workteams, youth sub-workteams, youth workshops and pits were organized; they performed miracles and innovations in socialist construction.

The young people completed the first-stage project of northern railways amidst the biting cold in the northern part of the country, creating the speed of the 80s. In the 1990s, they demonstrated their wisdom and courage in the construction of Wonsan-Kumgangsan and other major railways, and the railway electrification project. They completed the 40-odd-kilometre-long Pyongyang-Nampho Youth Hero Motorway in October 2000.

The Paektusan Hero Youth Power Station whose construction was completed in the 2010s is a monumental edifice which tells of the legendary tale of heroic youth.

Today, the young people are fully displaying their ennobling ideological and mental world and fighting abilities in the advance towards a new victory of socialist construction.

After the Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea (January 2021), over 10 500 young people volunteered to work in major sectors of the national economy. And a number of young people volunteered to teach at schools in the frontline areas and mountain villages, and on islands.

Many young people fulfilled their annual quotas under the national economic plan in the first half of last year, the first year under the five-year plan for the national economic development, and the ranks of winners of Kim Il Sung Youth Honour Prize and university student’s scientific research prize increased.

The feats of young people who dedicate their youthful ideal and ambition for the sake of the country and people go down with the passage of time.

Choe Song Jun