He, in his New Year Address, offered warm greetings to all the people and service personnel throughout the country and the fellow countrymen in the south and abroad, and expressed his hope that foreign state leaders and friends would register successes in their work.

He said that 2018 was a historic year in which a great change was made in the domestic and foreign situation by the independent line and strategic decision of the Workers' Party of Korea and the socialist construction entered a new phase.

Noting that this year we face the tasks of opening up a sure prospect for a big stride in the socialist construction by expanding and bolstering the capabilities of the country for independent development, he said that "Let's open a new road of advance for socialist construction under the uplifted banner of self-reliance!" is the slogan to be held up by us.

He called for effecting a revolutionary surge on all fronts of the socialist construction by regarding self-reliance as a treasured sword for prosperity.

He underscored the need to successfully attain the strategic goals for national economic development by depending on our own technical power and resources and the strong creativity and revolutionary enthusiasm of the entire people and thus switch over to a new phase of development.

He underlined the need to consolidate the political and ideological power of our state in every way.

He stressed the need to step up the building of socialist civilization and bolster the national defence capabilities.

He said that last year was a year of stirring events that witnessed a dramatic change unprecedented in the history of national division spanning more than seven decades.

On the basis of the valuable successes brought about by the unheard-of events last year, a bigger stride should be made in the struggle for the development of the north-south relations, peace, prosperity and national reunification in the New Year 2019, he pointed out.

All Koreans should uphold the slogan "Let's usher in a heyday of peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula by thoroughly implementing the historic north-south declarations!", he stressed.

Noting that it is our fixed will to completely end the military hostility between the north and the south and turn the Korean peninsula into a zone of permanent and durable peace, he called for boosting the inter-Korean cooperation and exchange in an all-round way to consolidate the national reconciliation and unity and make sure that all Koreans can actually benefit from the improved north-south relations.

He said that we would never tolerate the intervention by the outsiders seeking to subordinate the north-south relations to their taste and interests and blocking the Korean nation's path toward reconciliation, unity and reunification.

He said that last year, the WPK and the DPRK government had made responsible efforts to safeguard peace and security of the world and develop the friendship with different countries.

Noting that the first historic DPRK-U.S. summit meeting and talks made a great contribution to ensuring peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the region by making a dramatic switchover in the DPRK-U.S. relations, the most hostile relationship on the earth, he stressed that it is the invariable stand of the WPK and the DPRK government and his firm will to establish a new relationship between the two countries, set up a permanent and durable peace mechanism in the Korean peninsula and completely denuclearize it in keeping with the demand of the new century, as clarified in the June 12 DPRK-U.S. joint statement.

He said that the DPRK has no intention to persistently entertain the unpleasant past history of the two countries, but a will to put an end to it at an early date and move on towards the establishment of a new relationship, as desired by the peoples of the two counties and demanded by the developing era.

As evidenced by the rapid progress in the inter-Korean relations last year, if there is a will, there is nothing impossible and if dialogue partners boldly get rid of their chronic maintenance, set forth fair proposals in the principle of mutual recognition and respect and approach with correct attitude towards negotiation and determination to solve problems, they would reach a terminal favorable for both of them, he said.

Saying that he is always ready to sit together with the U.S. president anytime in the future, too, he stressed that he would work hard to produce results welcomed by the international community without fail.

But if the U.S. fails to carry out its promise to the world but seeks to force something upon the DPRK unilaterally after misjudging the patience of the Korean people and remains unchanged in its sanctions and pressure upon the DPRK, we might be compelled to explore a new path for defending the sovereignty of our country and supreme interests of our state and achieving peace and stability of the Korean peninsula, he pointed out.

He called on the neighboring countries and the international community to support the sincere stand and efforts of the DPRK to accelerate the positive development of the situation on the Korean peninsula, and to work hard against all sorts of acts and challenges disturbing peace and going against justice.

He stressed that the WPK and the government of the DPRK would continue to promote unity and cooperation with the socialist countries in the idea of independence, peace and friendship and develop relations with all countries who are friendly to the DPRK.