Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) -- The hopeful new year 2026 has come to the country dynamically advancing toward the grand goal of eternal prosperity for the comprehensive development of socialism and the promotion of the people's wellbeing under the leadership of the ever-victorious Workers' Party of Korea.

All the people seeing off a significant year of victory and transformation, specially recorded in the history of the country, are filled with their absolute trust in and ardent reverence for the great WPK.

An art performance for celebrating the New Year 2026 was given with splendour at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, the capital city of the DPRK, adding great joy to the whole country ahead of the new year's journey to be more vigorous and gigantic.

Prior to the performance, there was a Taekwon-Do demonstration showing the wisdom and bravery of the Korean people.

Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, enjoyed the performance.

When the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un appeared in the auditorium amid the playing of welcome music, all the audience and performers paid boundless respects and eternal honour to him, the outstanding leader of the Juche revolution and the benevolent father of the people who is developing our socialist state into an eternal flower garden of all blessings for the people and ushering in the future of a powerful country that will be prosperous forever.

Kim Jong Un waved back to the enthusiastically cheering masses and extended warm greetings to the beloved people across the country.

Among the audience were members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and other senior officials of the Party, government and armed forces organs, officials of ministries and national agencies, labour innovators and meritorious persons, officers and soldiers of overseas operations units and families of their commanding officers, men and officers of the Korean People's Army, teaching staff and students of revolutionary schools, builders involved in the capital city construction and citizens of Pyongyang.

Overseas compatriots staying in the socialist homeland enjoyed the performance.

The national flag of the DPRK was hoisted.

All the audience paid high tribute to the sacred national flag with a resolve to make genuine contribution to the prosperity of the country by devoting their patriotic enthusiasm, wisdom and sincere sweat.

The performance began with the songs "We Love Our Country" and "The Glorious Country".

Put on the stage were such famous songs as patriotic songs reflecting the intense love of all the people for the country demonstrating its dignity and glory all over the world along with the great era of Kim Jong Un .

Through jubilant songs and dances, the performers showed the true picture of powerful Korea, the country of the people which guarantees the independent life and genuine happiness and dynamically advances along the road of self-respect and prosperity, overcoming all challenges of history.

The pictures showing the brilliant honor and unforgettable memos, which citizens and proud sons and daughters of the country sharing their breath and destiny with the country recorded in the history of 2025, touched the heartstrings of the audience.

The venue of the performance turned into a scene of excitement and enthusiasm with the song "We Are Koreans" pulsating with the patriotic desire of all the people to steadily carry forward the vigorous advance toward great victory and glory with the revolutionary spirit of self-sustenance and indomitable courage.

When the emotion-charged countdown for seeing 2025 off ended to signal the start of a new year, celebration torch was kindled and spectacular fireworks were set off.

Lovely children presented fragrant bouquets to Kim Jong Un and paid New Year greetings to him.

The atmosphere of the performance was revved up amid the playing of the light melody of the song "Snow Is Falling on New Year's Day".

Kim Jong Un made a speech to celebrate the New Year.

He extended militant salute 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 the meaningful moment of the new year with high dignity and hopes, the generals and other officers and soldiers of our heroic army, who are filled with the pride in having glorified the previous year with invaluable feats and with a pledge of sacred service, and 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. He also extended warm greetings to the overseas compatriots who are devoting themselves to the patriotic work for the development and prosperity of their motherland.

Referring to the precious successes and phenomenal changes of 2025 which boosted the strength and dignity of our country with so fervent hopes and dear efforts, he said that this is certainly 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.

He affirmed with pride that 2025 is the image of the future of our state which will grow more powerful and beautiful thanks to our excellent people's affection, wisdom and sweat.

He ardently called for uniting more firmly on the strength of patriotism and advancing more vigorously and courageously towards the new future to be indicated by the Ninth Congress of the Party. And he proposed that all the participants raise a cheer to express warm affection for, and infinite dignity and pride in, our state

All the participants shouted hurrah for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, their great motherland.

The people, greatly honored with the warm blessing and encouragement from the benevolent father in happiness and convinced of the brighter and rosier future of the country, broke into enthusiastic cheers.

As the performance went on, new songs reflecting the ardent wishes for the new year and pledge to wage strenuous struggle for greater victory decorated the New Year celebration stage.

The performance culminated with the song "Fly Forever, National Flag" reflecting the ardent patriotic will of all the people to fly higher in the sky of the century the sacred national flag which all the people have defended and glorified as their lives along with the glorious history of the DPRK.

At the end of the performance, enthusiastic cheers burst out again and fireworks were set off to beautifully adorn the night sky over the capital city.

Warmly waving back to the cheering masses, Kim Jong Un wished all families across the country love and happiness on the occasion of the New Year.

The New Year celebration performance, which signaled the grand start of 2026 promising the steady prosperity of the country and eternal happiness of the people, marked a significant occasion of redoubling the uplifted spirit and confidence in victory of all the people across the country in their struggle to dynamically accelerate the general advance of the new year under the bright blueprint to be unfolded by the Ninth Congress of the WPK. -0-

www.kcna.kp (2026.01.01.)