[2017-04-13]









The Fifth Session of the 13th Supreme People’s Assembly took place at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang on April 11.
Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, appeared on the platform.
Also seen on the platform were Kim Yong Nam, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and president of the Presidium of the DPRK SPA, other senior Party, government and military officials, Kim Yong Dae, chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party, and members of the SPA Presidium.
SPA Speaker Choe Thae Bok delivered an opening address.
The session decided such agenda items as “On the work of the Cabinet in Juche 105(2016) for implementing the five-year strategy for the development of the national economy and its tasks for Juche 106(2017)”, “On the results of the implementation of the state budget of the DPRK for Juche 105(2016) and the state budget for Juche 106(2017)”, “On the review of the implementation of the ordinance on enforcing the universal 12-year compulsory education”, “On the election of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the SPA” and “Organizational matter”.
Delivering a report on the first item, Premier Pak Pong Ju spoke of last years successes and shortcomings revealed by the Cabinet. He said the Cabinet organized and conducted the undertakings to speed up the development of the overall economy by shoring up electric power, metallurgical and chemical industries and channelling energies into the growth of agriculture and light industry on the principle of self-reliance and self-development based on science and technology, while focusing on implementing the WPK’s economic policy of effecting a fresh turn in economic development and improvement of the people’s livelihood by concentrating all efforts on the building of an economic giant.
Last year when the 70-day and 200-day campaigns were conducted dynamically in response to the call of the Party, the Cabinet arranged economic work scrupulously to make sure that all economic sectors enlisted latent reserves and potentials so as to improve the quality of products, ensure domestic production of equipment and raw and other materials and put production on track, thereby overfulfilling the yearly plan in terms of total industrial output value and making a breakthrough in implementing the five-year strategy, he said.
It also planned and directed economic work in a militant manner to tap the potentials of the country true to the intention of the Party that set the rehabilitation of the flood-stricken northern areas of North Hamgyong Province as the focus of the 200-day campaign, with the result that an enormous reconstruction project was completed successfully in a short period, embracing the building of houses for more than 11 900 families, over 100 nurseries, kindergartens, schools, clinics and hospitals and the repair of houses of at least 15 000 families, he noted.
He also referred to the unprecedented achievements made in science, education, public health and sports.
He stated that the Cabinet would hold it as its main tasks for 2017 to revitalize the overall economy and bring about a decisive turn in improving the people’s living standards by relieving the shortage of electricity and bolstering metallurgical and chemical industries in order to hit the targets for this year which is of key importance in implementing the five-year strategy.
Ki Kwang Ho, minister of Finance, made a report on the second item.
He said all the service personnel and people turned out as one to conduct a gigantic campaign last year when the Seventh Congress of the WPK was held by holding aloft the banner of self-reliance and self-development in the face of the vicious economic sanctions of the hostile forces and sudden natural disasters, thus winning miraculous victories on all fronts in which a powerful socialist country is being built and implementing the plans for the state budgetary revenue and expenditure at 102.1 percent and 99.9 percent respectively.
This year’s state budgetary revenue and expenditure will grow by 3.1 percent and 5.4 percent respectively over last year, he said.
Speeches were made on the first two agenda items.
The session adopted an SPA decision “On approving the work report of the DPRK Cabinet and the results of the implementation of the state budget for Juche 105(2016)” and an SPA ordinance “On the DPRK state budget for Juche 106(2017)”.
Kim Sung Du, chairman of the Education Commission and minister of General Education, delivered a report on the third item.
Saying that the Sixth Session of the 12th SPA in September 2012 promulgated the ordinance on enforcing the universal 12-year compulsory education in line with the requirements of the times and the developing revolution, he spoke about the proactive efforts the Education Commission made as the direct implementer of the ordinance to enforce the education on a full scale and improve its quality.
As the work to implement the ordinance was stepped up, the universal 12-year compulsory education began to be enforced on a full scale across the country on the occasion of this new school year that started on April 1, he stated, describing this as a landmark that demonstrates the invincible might and true looks of the country which is advancing dynamically towards an educational power and civilized socialist power, unperturbed by any hardships and ordeals.
Deputies made speeches on the third item.
The session also adopted an SPA decision “On the review of the implementation of the ordinance on enforcing universal 12-year compulsory education”.
As the fourth agenda item, the session elected the Foreign Affairs Committee of the SPA.
Ri Su Yong, vice-chairman of the WPK Central Committee, was elected as its chairman and Vice-Premier Ri Ryong Nam, Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, Kim Jong Suk, chairwoman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, Kim Kye Gwan, first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Kim Tong Son, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, and Jong Yong Won, secretary of the Central Committee of the Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League, as its members.
Then the fifth agenda item was discussed.
Kim Wan Su and Ri Myong Gil were recalled from the membership of the SPA Presidium as their duties have been changed under the assignment of the WPK Central Committee. They were replaced by Jang Chun Sil, chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea, and Pak Myong Chol, director of the Secretariat and president of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea.
The Premier nominated Jang Kil Ryong as minister of Chemical Industry.
Under the assignment of the WPK Central Committee, Jang Pyong Gyu was dismissed as the director of the Central Prosecutors Office to be replaced by Kim Myong Gil.
Jang Pyong Gyu was recalled from the SPA Legislation Committee.
 
KCNA