Briefing Session of 8th Congress of WPK Held in Shizuoka, Japan
A Meeting comprising a “Briefing Session of the 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea” and a “Gathering for Coming Spring on the Juche Idea & Japan-DPRK Friendship” was held in Shizuoka City, Japan on February 6, 2021 under the co-auspices of the Japanese National Liaison Council for the Study of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism and the Shizuoka Society for the Study of the Juche Idea supported by the Japanese Committee for the Support of Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea.
The meeting was held amidst the world growing interest in the DPRK, in which the 8th Congress of the WPK was held, making strong strides on the road to socialist construction.
Participating in the meeting were Dr. Ogami Ken-ichi, secretary general of the IIJI; Prof. Emeritus Ie Masaji at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, who is also representative coordinator of the Japanese National Liaison Council for the Study of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism; and other Juche idea researchers and Japan-DPRK friendship activists all over Japan, some 80 in all.
A message of congratulations and solidarity was sent by the Korean Association of Social Scientists to the briefing session, and a message was also sent by Prof. Emeritus Kamakura Takao at Saitama University, who is also representative coordinator of the Japanese Liaison Council for the Study of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism.
On behalf of the sponsorship, Suzuki Toshikazu, chairman of the Shizuoka Society for the Study of the Juche Idea addressed as follows:
“I am very happy to say that we have come to be able to hold a meeting like this in cooperation with study groups all over Japan even at a time when we are facing the novel coronavirus pandemic. While making a deep study of the summing-up and speeches made at the 8th Congress of the WPK, let us accelerate friendship and solidarity between Japan and the DPRK and realize the diplomatic normalization between the two nations together with you all.”
Next, Chairman Himori Fumihiro of the Japanese Committee for the Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea made a guest speech in the followings:
“The 9-hour long speech made by General Secretary Kim Jong Un at the 8th Congress of the WPK was inspirational. I believe that the 8th Congress of the WPK was a congress that expressed its uncommon determination to advance socialist construction based on the people-first principle in line with the enhanced single-hearted unity between the party and the people, on the assumption that the WPK admitted honestly that it could not fully achieve its aim of improving the standard of the living of the people. To us here in Japan, we would like to make the year of 2021 as the starting point in shifting the Japanese government policy toward the DPRK.”
Next, the Chairman of the Shizuoka Prefectural Headquarters of the General Association of the Korean Residents in Japan made a guest speech, in which he expressed his respect to the Shizuoka Society for the Study of the Juche Idea for its active study and dissemination of the Juche idea and for its DPRK-Japan Friendship through its supporting of Korean schools in Japan.
At the briefing session, Associate Prof. Ri Tae Il at Korea University in Japan gave a lecture entitled “The 8th Congress of the WPK: Its Basic Philosophy and Its Characteristics.”
Associate Prof. Ri Tae Il referred to the main idea of the said congress, which drew the world’s attention, in such a way that it was to maximize the people’s accumulated strength and internal forces during these years to achieve victory in the socialist construction. He further said that the characteristics of the said congress finds expression in the congress to work, struggle and advance.
Similarly, he explained about a slogan of “The People are God,” “Single-hearted Unity,” and “Self-reliance” as the three main ideas in such a way that they are the fundamental method to strike its roots among the masses, and the fundamental guarantee to carve out the future.
He stressed that President Kim Il Sung overcame many difficulties by relying on the people, and that it is his philosophy that if he relies on the people, he would be victorious in hundreds of battles and that this philosophy has been the flow consistent through the Korean revolution.
Associate Prof. Ri’s passionate and powerful lecture gave great encouragement to the participants.
Following the lecture, a video forecasting the military parade to commemorate the 8th Congress of the WPK was shown with Japanese subtitles.
Those who watched it were impressed and marveled at the powerful march shown in the video on the high level of skill and artistry used to express the celebration of the said congress. The video fully conveyed to the audience the features of the single-hearted unity of the leader, the Party and the masses, showing their will and pride to firmly safeguard the independence of their nation and peace.
Finally, the briefing session was closed with an address by Prof. Emeritus Ie Masaji, representative coordinator of the Japanese National Liaison Council for the Study of Kimilsung-Kimjongilism, saying that “we should learn from the said congress in depth and make a good use of it in our struggle. Let us promote more vigorously the study and dissemination of the Juche idea in each study group. ”
Art Performances to Celebrate Kim Jong Un Elected to Position of
General Secretary of WPK as Well as Day of Shining Star
Following the Briefing Session of the 8th Congress of the WPK, art performances took place to celebrate Kim Jong Un elected to the position of General Secretary of the WPK as well as the Day of the Shining Star.
Performers were Ms. Tooyama Yoko, singer, who is also vice-chairperson of the Japan-DPRK Association for Exchanges of Music and Arts; and Ms. Kim Jong Suk, pianist, who is also chairperson of the Tokai Branch of the Literature and Arts Union of Korean Residents in Japan. They performed songs and music of Japan and Korea.
At the beginning, Tooyama Yoko sang from her original numbers such as “Ishiwari Sakura (Tr.: The cherry blossoms bloom after breaking a huge stone),” while addressing that let us advance our movement with a faith in it under the difficult situation concerning the Japan-DPRK relations. She said that “Allow me to express my hearty congratulations on the election of H.E. Kim Jong Un to the position of General Secretary of the WPK. And I am also grateful to have an opportunity to sing songs to celebrate the Day of the Shining Star.” In this regard, she sang songs in medley like “The World Where Human Feelings Being Exchanged, ” with her determination to advance with General Secretary Kim Jong Un, and other songs like “Thinking of Him Only” on the occasion of the Day of the Shining Star.
Next, Ms Kim Jong Suk performed some of piano numbers such as “Do not dawn, Pyongyang’s night,” a folk song “Weeping Willow,” and a Japanese song “Mikan-no-hana-saku-oka (Tr.: the hill with orange flowers in full bloom),” attracting the audience with its beautiful sound.
The said meeting marked an occasion that those participants made a deeper study of the report to the 8th Congress of the WPK and became more determined to promote more the study and dissemination of the Juche idea in an active manner in their own working places.