Auspicious February Holiday Celebrated February 16, the auspicious day when the father of the nation Chairman Kim Jong Il was born, is celebrated as the greatest national holiday in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The 83rd birth anniversary of Chairman Kim Jong Il is marked by the National Photo Exhibition held on February 3 in the capital city of Pyongyang, followed by the opening of Film Week for Celebration of February 16 and the National Fine Art Exhibition. Meanwhile, art performances, photo exhibition and other colourful events took place at the theatres in the capital city and provinces. The evening gala of youth and students was held with fireworks display at Kim Il Sung Square and the ball of officials and members of Women’s Union took place at the Arch of Triumph Square. All the people across the country are paying the greatest tribute to Chairman Kim Jong Il, looking back on his immortal life-long exploits of providing a sure guarantee for the eternal prosperity of the country and happiness of the people.

Greater Miracle, Brighter Future 2024 was a really unforgettable year filled with the most starring events and miracles in the advance and change of the new era in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Workers’ Party of Korea, struggling with the people-first principle as its overriding program and unchangeable principle, set forth last year the first-ever regional development 20Ⅹ10 policy aimed at ensuring the simultaneous, balanced and tangible development of the whole country. Modern light industry factories were inaugurated one after another in 20 cities and counties in the country in less than a year - the first creation of the regional development policy in the new era. Those factories, which are modernized, civilized and profitable, will contribute to improved people’s welfare and economic development in each region by normalizing the production of basic foodstuffs and consumer goods on a high level through maximum and effective management of economic resources and potentials, indigenous to each region. The grand construction struggle of 2025 has started for the implementation of the regional development policy in the new era, to materialize the Party’s far-reaching plan to keep on the century of great rejuvenation and bring about great changes in each 20 cities and counties across the country every year by tapping into self-reliance.

International Children’s Day Celebrated across the DPRK Events in celebration of June 1 International Children’s Day took place across the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. There were artistic performances and sports games of children at kindergartens, orphanages and baby homes, which were colourfully decorated with the slogans reading “We are the happiest in the world” and “We are full of joy”, strips of pennants, balloons and flowers. Children performed gymnastic movements to the tune of the songs Today Is June 1 and Our Happy Holiday, the duet My Home Full of Laughter and the chorus with drums We Are Also Boy Generals. And the exciting sports games of children and enthusiastic cheering of their parents added much to the festive mood of the day.

Children with Disabilities Celebrate the International Children’s Day A meeting of children with disabilities to celebrate the International Children’s Day took place on June 1 in the gymnasium of the Taedonggang District Juvenile Sports School. Present at the meeting were Yun Chang Il, chairman of the Central Committee of the Korea Federation for the Protection of the Disabled, officials concerned, children with disabilities, children, nurses and teachers at Tongmun Kindergarten No. 2 in Taedonggang District, children’s parents, foreigners and home-visiting overseas Koreans. The director of the Korean Rehabilitation Centre for Children with Disabilities, made a speech, followed by cheerful artistic performances and sports games of children with disabilities and kindergarteners.

Protection of Children—a Pressing Issue for Mankind Children represent the future of mankind. But many of them around the world are dying of social evils, maltreatment and diseases of all sorts. Disputes and armed conflicts are major causes of the agony and misfortune facing children. It is reported that 14 800 children have been killed and 19 000 bereaved of their parents by early April this year since Israel launched military operations in the Gaza Strip in Palestine in October last year. A spokesman for UNICEF said: The Gaza Strip has become a grave of children; they suffer from mental shock caused by battles; even though the battles come to an end, the pain of children and regional communities will continue for several generations to come. According to a report, in 2023 the number of young refugees fleeing disputes exceeded 10 million on a global scale. Children are becoming victims of violent crime and maltreatment of all sorts. In a country, gun violence is the first cause of the death of children; in 2021 alone 4 752 were killed. Rampant exploitation of young immigrants is also a social plight. Child abuse is a social climate in some country. Cases of child abuse number hundreds of thousands. In this country parents maltreat, cast out or even murder their children, regarding them as nuisances. On a global scale, children account for about 28 percent of the victims of human trafficking. Meanwhile, 783 million children suffer from hunger and 150 million from growth fault due to malnutrition and epidemic diseases. The world public said that solving the problem of child protection as soon as possible is a pressing issue for mankind.

Farmers Move into New Houses House-moving ceremonies took place at newly-built modern rural villages in the Oryu Vegetable Farm and Jangsuwon Farm in Pyongyang City and Tokjang Farm in Jongju City and Sonsang Farm in North Phyongan Province, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The villages are really wonderful with hundreds of terraced, one-storey and low-rise houses surrounded by fruit trees, zelkova trees and other good species of trees and flowering plants. In the ceremonies licenses were given to the agricultural workers provided with new houses amid hearty congratulations and applause from the participants of the ceremonies. After extending greetings of gratitude to the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un who put forward it as a major state policy to decisively spruce up the appearance and environment of the countryside and is translating the century-old desires and ideals of agricultural workers into reality, the agricultural workers who received new houses expressed their determination to bring about a bumper harvest through hard work. The ceremonies were followed by dancing parties held amid resounding joyful peasant music. Relevant officials shared pleasure with the owners of new houses.