Last year was a year of dramatic change in which the servicepersons and people of the DPRK worked epoch-making miracles on all fronts for building a great prosperous and powerful nation by giving fullest play to the great mental power of Kim Il Sung's nation under your distinguished Songun leadership and a year of glorious struggle in which all the compatriots dynamically waged the national reunification movement, meeting the vicious challenges of the separatist forces under the banner of "By our nation itself," the message noted, and continued:

The stirring reality of the DPRK in which it brought about tremendous changes marveling all the compatriots and the world by its own efforts is a brilliant fruition of the experienced and seasoned leadership and tireless great patriotic devotion of you who raced against time through your most difficult forced march in history.

You, a world political elder, remarkably lifted the international prestige and influence of the DPRK through your energetic external activities and led the acute confrontation with the U.S. to victory, reliably defending peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.

We will dynamically wage a nationwide struggle for national reconciliation, unity and reunification under the uplifted banner of "By our nation itself" this year and thus bring about a landmark phase in the struggle for independent reunification.