Over 130 years have passed since May 1 was designated as the day of the working people the world over.

Greeting the international holiday, the Korean people extend firm solidarity to the working people around the world in their effort to build an independent, progressive, just and peaceful world.

In retrospect, the Korean working class has made devoted efforts for the prosperity of their country which have been etched in its history.

True to the line of building a new, democratic Korea set forth by Comrade Kim Il Sung after the country’s liberation on August 15, 1945, the workers at the then Hungnam Fertilizer Factory held high the torch of an emulation drive for increased production and the employees at a munitions factory produced the first sub-machine gun, which gave strong impetus to building a new country. Thanks to the patriotic enthusiasm of the working class across the country, the industrial establishments destroyed by the Japanese imperialists were rehabilitated in a short span of time and foundations for a self-reliant economy laid.

During the hard-fought Fatherland Liberation War (June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953) the Korean workers made tangible contributions to the victory in the war. They turned the machine belts to process gun barrels and weave cloth when power supply was interrupted by enemy bombing, and produced molten iron from a small blast furnace built in a mountain valley.

After the war, they produced 120 000 tons of structural steel using a blooming mill with an annual rated capacity of 60 000 tons and manufactured tractors, vehicles, 8-metre turning lathes, a 3 000-ton press, excavators and electric locomotives by their own efforts.

The spirit and enthusiasm of the Korean workers who have demonstrated their might as a powerful unit and main fighting force for building a prosperous country in the annals of the revolution are more fully displayed today.

Now the DPRK makes rapid progress in consolidating the national strength in every way, promoting the independent development of the economy, improving the people’s standard of living and creating civilization. All these achievements are unthinkable apart from the devoted efforts of all the working population who absolutely support the lines and policies of the Workers’ Party of Korea and dedicate themselves to their implementation.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un called the working class of Korea the “ heroic working class of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il ” and is leading them to perform continuous miracles and feats in building a prosperous socialist country.

He gave important guidelines to make the working people fulfil their responsibility and role on all fronts of socialist construction and highly appreciated their feats of labour however small they were. And he put forward labour innovators and meritorious persons as representatives of the people and genuine patriots and had photos with them.

Under his warm care labour innovators, meritorious persons, scientists, educators and other working people moved to the residential district of terraced apartment houses built on an excellent lot along the picturesque Pothong River in the capital city of Pyongyang in 2022.

To live up to his great affection for and trust in them, the Korean working people are fully demonstrating their heroic mettle and patriotic devotion at every workplace for the comprehensive development of socialism.

Kim Hyok