The following is the full text of the speech:

Comrades,

Today we will have an opportunity to see with our own eyes how the defence capability of our glorious motherland, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, has developed.

I extend warm congratulations to you, who are participating in the Defence Development Exhibition, an epitome of the advanced, modern and courageous character of our Korea.

The Defence Development Exhibition Self-Defence 2021 opened today is adding lustre to the celebration of this year’s anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

As its name denotes, this exhibition is a grand festival that will demonstrate intensively and visually the far-reaching ambition, leadership ability and practical executive capability of our Party that is bringing about a fresh turn in consolidating the defence potential of our state by invariably holding fast to the invincible line of self-defence, as well as the level of remarkable development of our state’s defence science and munitions industry and their bright future.

Today’s grand-scale exhibition, a crystallization of our Party’s revolutionary defence policy and its robust viability, is an epoch-making demonstration of our national strength no less significant than a large-scale military parade.

Comrades,

I still remember vividly the road of do-or-die revolution in the defence industry, an untrodden road, which our Party had to follow over the past five years, shouldering the heavy historic mission of fostering a more powerful and absolute strength with which to reliably defend the security of the country and the eternal dignity, happiness and safety of posterity in line with the demands of the changed objective and subjective conditions and environment of our revolution and the rapidly-changing military balance worldwide.

Every step we have taken on the road of developing our defence capability over the past five years, in which are etched severe trials as well as moments of emotive delight, was a step for quite a glorious and worthwhile revolution and patriotism, a step for a great victory; we can be proud of this in front of our Party, country, people and posterity.

We should not be inadvertent in seeing the military hardware displayed in fine array here, which we have managed to develop over the past five years.

The more we stroke them and the more we see them, the greater dignity and pride we feel and the more valuable we feel they are; they are ours.

All our people have rendered an unconditional and absolute support to our Party’s policy of strengthening the defence capability despite the fact that they had to experience more severe hardships and difficulties caused by the persistent anti-DPRK schemes by the hostile forces, who are desperate not to see us growing stronger. But for their trust and ardent patriotism, we would never ever have developed them.

Every piece of those military hardware tells many unforgettable tales about our defence scientists and technicians and workers in the munitions industry who, following the Party, have braved all manner of difficulties on the road of defenceupbuilding; it is also permeated with the blood and sweat of these scientists, technicians and workers, who have worked self-sacrificingly by devoting their enthusiasm and wisdom.

They have always supported unconditionally and absolutely and accepted death-defyingly any of the demands and determinations of our Party, and displayed infinite loyalty and heroism on the road of accomplishing the historic cause of strengthening our defence capability.

Availing myself of this opportunity, I, on behalf of the Party, the government and all the people, extend warm gratitude to the scientists, technicians, persons of merits and all other workers in the munitions industry, who have rendered a contribution to achieving the outstanding, advanced successes that were conducive to building a world-class defence capability, the first of its kind in the history of our Republic, and to realizing our people’s long-cherished desire.

I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the other people.

I am convinced that this exhibition will be a victors’ exhibition that will review our great victories, an encouraging exhibition that will instil inexhaustible strength and courage in the defence field and the people across the country and an enterprising exhibition that will promote faster and more vigorous development of construction of our style of socialism.

Comrades,

The core of our Party’s defence policy is to defend our country and people by our own efforts, and contain any threat and challenge and reliably and steadfastly safeguard peace by means of steadily-developing, powerful defence capability.

Historically, our nation suffered trials owing to invasion by foreign forces and has had to build socialism under the constant threats by hostile forces from one century into the next.

In view of this lesson of the history of the nation and the demand and special character of the Korean revolution, building up national defence is an indispensable and vital state affair which our Party, government and people must not neglect even a moment.

If a country does not have self-defensive capability of a proper level, it will inevitably be left at the mercy of external military threat and, worse still, cannot safeguard the existence of itself and its people. It has been an immutable law of nature throughout human history.

The rapid development of military techniques and hardware is changing the aspect of military operations and the security environment of states in every region in the present world.

The military danger facing our state due to the military tension prevailing around the Korean peninsula is different from that ten or five, nay, three years ago.

Seeing the contents of various military exercises the United States and south Korea frequently wage on the pretext of coping with what they call threats while talking about peace, cooperation and prosperity in public and south Korea’s attempt to modernize its armaments which has recently become intolerably undisguised, we can easily guess how military environment will change in the region of the Korean peninsula tomorrow.

Recently, south Korea has been trying to upgrade the fighting efficiency of its army under the powerful sponsorship of the United States, bringing in a large number of cutting-edge weapons of various kinds including stealth joint strike fighters and high altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.

While explicitly underlining the importance of its own defence technology after the recent revision of its missile guidelines, it focuses on modernizing its strike weapons of various kinds-developing various warheads and extending the ranges of missiles so as to improve its missile capacity, whose objective is clear, and enhancing the combat efficiency of submarines and developing fighters.

South Korea’s such attempt is too dangerous to be left to itself, but what is more dangerous is its justification for modernizing its armaments and its hypocritical and brigandish double-dealing attitude.

While doing everything they want to do, the south Korean authorities, with a view to depriving us of our self-defensive right to develop defence capability, volunteer to lead the anti-DPRK propaganda campaign of the hostile forces headed by the United States, wantonly labelling even our tests of conventional weapons as armed provocations, threats and inappropriate deeds aggravating tensions.

They are now using the words provocation and threat as terminologies exclusive to the north.

Trying to put our effort to develop self-defensive capability in fetters by invoking the illegitimate UN resolutions, they are bent on increasing military expenditure under the so-called righteous excuse of coping with what they have unilaterally defined as threats.

Their hypocritical attitude and the US tacit sponsorship continue to damage the inter-Korean feelings and emotions and their unlimited, dangerous attempts to strengthen military capability are breaking the military equilibrium in the region of the Korean peninsula and aggravating the military instability and danger there.

South Korea has been unhesitant on several occasions in disclosing its ambition for securing military supremacy over us under the preposterous excuse of deterring threat from us, and each time justified itself with the containment of our threat and defence of peace.

Designating us as a source of threat and a target to be contained, not as a partner of dialogue and cooperation, is a concentrated expression of their deeply-ingrained hostility towards our Republic which cannot be concealed no matter how hard they try to pretend otherwise.

We express deep regret over such avaricious ambition and their double-dealing, illogical and brigandish attitude that causes unfairness to and hurt the feelings of the other side; we will never ever tolerate but respond with powerful action if they continue to infringe upon even our right to self-defence in future.

But, if south Korea does not find fault with us in a stubborn manner and if it does not pick a quarrel even with our exercise of national sovereignty, I assure that no tension will be caused on the Korean peninsula.

Were it not for it, we will not be involved in verbal confrontation with south Korea nor have any reason to be so.

I want to reiterate that south Korea is not the target of our armed forces.

Undoubtedly, we are not strengthening our defence capability targeting at south Korea.

The dreadful history of having recourse to arms against the fellow countrymen must not be repeated on this land.

I want to make sure once again: We are not talking about a war with someone; we are building up war deterrent true to the meaning of the words in order to prevent the war itself and to safeguard the sovereignty of our state; our war deterrent and south Korea’s so-called capability to contain the north are different concepts in vocabulary, meaning and essence.

Our arch-enemy is the war itself, not south Korea, the United States or any other specific state or forces.

Therefore, as I stated in the recent policy speech, all I want is that the authorities and the whole society of south Korea, in their viewpoint towards the north, get rid of their outdated and anachronistic worry and anxiety and illusory sense of mission that the north’s threat should be contained, and free themselves from the excessive crisis-consciousness and persecution complex as soon as possible.

We should not judge the prevailing situation spontaneously, sentimentally or subjectively, but approach it cool-headedly and correctly.

The change in the military and political environment created around the Korean peninsula under the control of the United States, let alone the excessive military obesity and covetousness of south Korea at issue, portends much potential danger and presents pressing need for us to develop to a stronger entity.

Recently, the United States has frequently sent signals that it is not hostile to our state, but its behaviours provide us with no reason why we should believe in them.

Sure enough, it is not fools alone that live in the world. I wonder if there is any person or state who believes in its claim that it is not hostile to the DPRK and, if any, I am curious to know who they are.

The United States is still generating regional tension with its wrong judgment and acts.

What is clear is that the instable situation in the region of the Korean peninsula cannot be easily removed because of the United States.

In view of this reality, the military balance of the region may grow more perilous as the days go by and our state may face worse security concern and menacing situation if we, satisfied with the successes we have achieved in strengthening our national defence, slacken our pace for a respite on the road of development.

Under the prevailing unstable situation on the Korean peninsula, steadily strengthening our military might to cope with it is the demand of the times of our revolution and the supreme duty which we have assumed for the revolution and the future.

The reality demands that we refrain from resting on our laurels, marking time, and exert ourselves to possess the capability and means strong enough to control the existing concerns and threats.

The effort to possess strong military capability should be a natural, self-defensive and mandatory right and core policy which a sovereign state should not miss either in a peaceful environment or in a state of confrontation.

It is because the self-defensive power is the root of the existence of a state and a guarantee of its development.

We will confront with a decisive and resolute attitude all kinds of despicable actions by the hostile forces that are inciting military tension in the region of the Korean peninsula, and will do our best to achieve durable peace in the region by ameliorating and removing one by one the causes that are disturbing the foundation of peaceful environment.

However, any of our external efforts for achieving peace never means the abandonment of our right to self-defence.

Comrades,

The Eighth Congress of the WPK has put forward the detailed tasks for making our superiority in military technology in our hands more irreversible by carrying out the second-stage revolution in the defence industry in the field of defence science and the munitions industry during the five-year plan period.

The main contents are to further strengthen the already-gained war deterrent in terms of both quality and quantity and further accelerate the development and production of strategic and tactical means essential for guaranteeing national security.

What our Party trusts are the indomitable revolutionary spirit, remarkable patriotism and outstandingly brilliant brains and talents of our defence scientists and working class in the munitions industry who create unprecedented miracles without fail if the Party and the revolution require them to do so and the powerful foundation of the munitions industry firmly consolidated amidst long-lasting hardships.

During the days of the first-stage revolution in the defence industry our Party got a full understanding of the loyalty and practical abilities of the defence scientists and technicians and potential of all units and talented persons, and fostered a firm belief that the goals of cutting-edge defence capability can be hit as long as we have the reliable revolutionary soldiers who are ready to sacrifice their lives for their country and fellow people.

What strengthens this belief and makes us optimistic about the victory in the new stage is that our Party has a huge army of up-and-coming creative young scientists, who always carry out any intentions of the Party without any conditions with an innovative approach.

These young talented persons are the pillars supporting the present and future of our defence industry and a source of great strength of our Party and state.

Along with them, we have the proud workers in the munitions industry, who have been unfailingly faithful to the Party and the revolutionary cause at all times.

The Party expects a great deal from our scientists and workers in the munitions industry.

Our self-defence capability will keep changing in the future, too.

As long as there are the strong will and correct leadership of our Party and there are the defence scientists and workers in the munitions industry unfailingly loyal to the Party and the revolution, more brilliant successes will be scored in carrying out our just and patriotic cause, in the course of which more perfect, more complete and more powerful strategic might, that is war deterrent, will guarantee the security and future of our country and people.

Comrades,

Today’s large-scale exhibition is, of course, aimed at encouraging defence scientists and technicians and workers in the munitions industry and inspiring the people with fresh confidence and courage on this occasion. But the main purpose is to propel more powerfully the development of the country’s defence capability.

We should not rest on our laurels while looking back upon the glorious history of the defence industry, in which we have so far built up our defence capability satisfactorily to the level required by the stage of the developing revolution. We must think about making a higher leap forward, regarding the tenacious efforts and achievements we have made for more than half a century shedding blood and sweat as a firm springboard.

The defence industry sector should, through this exhibition, analyze and appraise its successes and level of development in an accurate and comprehensive way, and on the basis of this, should draw up a plan and design for the rapid development of its every field, share the excellent experiences gained so far and take measures for a higher and faster leap forward in the future.

We should all bear in mind again the grand strategy for defence development set forth by the Eighth Congress of our Party, and thus contribute to its development with redoubled courage.

Comrades,

Our Party has been frank enough to tell you about the requirements of the revolution and the state of situation as they are and found great encouragement in your steadfast attitude and ardent patriotism.

I stress once again: It is our Party’s invariable priority policy and goal and unwavering will to possess and further strengthen the military capability which no one would dare challenge.

All those present here should critically analyze the situation of their sectors and units in the light of the great successes achieved by our defence industry, decide once again on which results they would present in front of the Party, state and people in the future and make a fresh determination also in the aspect of fully supporting our defence industry for its further development.

Of course, the economic situation in the country is still difficult and other sectors must have important and pressing tasks. All the sectors, however, should never forget the overriding importance of consolidating the defence capability, but remember that any development and success of our revolution is inconceivable separated from the preferential development of the national defence capability.

Without strong self-defence capability we can neither expect successful progress of the internal and external policies of the Party and the government nor think about stability and peaceful environment of the country.

All the people, too, should support the consistent and iron will of our Party and government by regarding it as the highest expression of patriotism to strengthen the defence capability and rendering unsparing material and spiritual assistance to it.

We must be powerful also for our coming generations. This is our first and foremost task.

Let us all devote ourselves heart and soul, our wisdom and enthusiasm to the sacred cause of bolstering up in every way the defence capability of our great state without forgetting the pledges we made before the country, revolution and people and filled with conviction on and confidence in sure victory.

I once again welcome you for attending this event in which you will witness yourselves our proud military strength.