The message said:

Seeing out significant year 2016 when the prestige of the country and the dignity of the nation were demonstrated to the whole world and seeing in the hopeful New Year 2017, I extend warm congratulations and greetings to the chairman and all other officials of Chongryon and compatriots in Japan.

Last year, Chongryon made long strides in its organizational up-building and patriotic work through positive struggle with the indomitable faith to share their destiny with the socialist homeland to the last despite the acute and complicated situation in which the hostile forces had got evermore pronounced in the moves to stifle the DPRK and Chongryon.

The shining miracles and proud successes made in the struggle for the final victory of the cause of the Juche revolution are associated with the ardent patriotic efforts and devoted service rendered by officials of Chongryon and other compatriots in Japan who shared the thinking and intention with the people in the homeland though they lived in an alien land.

I extend, on behalf of all the people in the homeland, warm thanks to the officials of Chongryon and other compatriots in Japan who have firmly defended Chongryon, heritage left by President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il out of patriotism, and actively advanced the patriotic work of Chongryon.

New Year 2017 is a significant year marking the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung and the 75th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Il and a year of a turn in developing the movement of Koreans in Japan onto a higher stage as required by the new era of the Juche revolution.

In the new year, Chongryon should invariably give steady continuity to the history of warm feelings and kinship established by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il with the Koreans in Japan and steadily preserve the nature of patriotic loyalty.

Expressing firm belief that the officials of Chongryon and other compatriots in Japan would demonstrate the might of Chongryon, rallied close around its Central Committee, along with the homeland advancing victoriously, Kim Jong Un wished the chairman and all other officials of Chongryon and compatriots in Japan good health and their families happiness in the New Year.