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.)