The full text of the reply speech is as follows:

Comrades attending this event as representatives of the working class in the munitions industry,

Other dear comrades,

We have reviewed our struggle in the arduous year of 2022 and risen up for a fresh struggle in the coming new year. At this moment standing in fine array in the yard of the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea for the first time after the founding of this state and our Party are the core means of strike, which our working class in the munitions industry have built through a struggle for increased production of loyalty and which would form the backbone of our armed forces.

They are, indeed, a precious and encouraging donation.

They are powerful in that they will give a fresh strength and courage to the whole country as it greets a new year, will further amplify the historic significance of the plenary meeting of our Party, and will strike another terror and shock into the enemy.

All the working class in the munitions industry and their representatives,

The working class, scientists and officials in the defence industry, with indefatigable and limitless energy and sense of mission, fully displayed the infinite revolutionary zeal and mettle and the thoroughgoing and perfect pattern of creation, which are the original features and a symbol of the working class in the munitions industry. They thus have made an outstanding contribution to the advance and development of our revolution till the last day of the arduous year of 2022. On behalf of the Central Committee of the Party and the government of the Republic and along with the hearts of all the Party members and other people and soldiers of the People's Army across the country, I extend warm thanks to them.

Indeed, I always cannot but feel solemn and respectful to think about the unparalleled patriotism, faithfulness and creativity of our working class in the munitions industry and their heroic struggle for increased production, and extend warm thanks and thanks and make a deep bow to them.

Comrades, have a look at them.

I really feel invigorated.

I feel unwittingly invigorated to see them. I think this is not merely because I am aware of their value and might but because they are permeated with the patriotism and loyalty of our working class who devote their all to our revolution in the severe struggle and in the face of trials and because I am proud that we have made the unique Juche-type weapons by our own wisdom and efforts.

Having accepted as the demand of the revolution and people, and of their lives, the determination and plan of the Party Central Committee to raise the supremacy of our armed forces on to the highest level without any hesitation and without any letup, the working class in the munitions industry rose up as one with a resolve to build a larger number of 600mm multiple launch rocket system units to be supplied to the People's Army, and launched a campaign of loyalty in late October.

As was the same case when this kind of weapon, which the world had never imagined, was born three years ago, our working class in the munitions industry, this time, too, performed miraculous feats day after day by displaying a super-powerful spirit.

I have heard that the relevant complex, while stepping up the production for attaining the crucial targets in bringing about a revolution in the defence industry which had been set forth at the Eighth Party Congress, assembled one, even two, gigantic units in addition every two days, in the course of which it created a surprising production record.

As it had done in the past, this factory, in the recent struggle for increased production, too, fully demonstrated its tradition and trait of always supporting the Party and promoting the country's prosperity with loyalty and practice, thereby giving birth to these proud crystallizations of patriotism and loyalty.

This year the working class in the munitions industry have worked admirably, indeed.

Unlike any of the earlier years, this year was the most arduous period, and our state was faced with the worst-ever challenges in its history. But the defence industry rose up and supplied as many as 5, 000 farm machines to our cooperative farms, which was a strong support to the agricultural front. This is quite inspiring, and that is not all.

Many munitions factories and enterprises have waged a tenacious struggle, making undaunted efforts in high spirits with a firm determination to defend the Party and revolution by means of unmatched military capabilities, and thus made a tangible contribution to increasing our state's defence capabilities incomparably in 2022, a year full of adversities.

I have been immensely grateful to and deeply admiring our working class in the munitions industry for their ardent patriotism and loyalty with which they have worked for the Party and revolution throughout the year. And as we see now, the complex, by working with loyalty and pure conscience up to the last day of the year, has donated to our Party, along with the hearts of all the working class in the munitions industry, 30 units of 600mm super-large multiple launch rocket system, the main weapon of strike that our Party was most desirous of and our army waited for most anxiously.

This represents an eye-opening success that has demonstrated to the whole world the unusual patriotism and loyalty, inexhaustible potentialities and revolutionary fighting mettle of our working class in the munitions industry, who have shouldered full responsibility for the development of the military technology of the armed forces of our Republic.

We should never forget their historic services and painstaking efforts.

Comrades,

Our working class in the munitions industry regard the valuable title, revolutionary industry of the Workers' Party of Korea, which cannot be bartered for anything, as a source of their exceptional honour and pride. As we see, they are always honourable and faithful to the cause of the Party and revolution.

That we have such a self-supporting defence industry which displays such heroism and possesses characteristic features and absolute strength is something no other country in the world can have or build even though it wants to, and this is a source of pride of prides of our Party.

All of our working class in the munitions industry always accept it as their main duty to relieve our Party of its anxiety and worry, prioritize before anybody else the problems of its concern, even though they number thousands or tens of thousands, support it without any conditions attached and carry them out without yielding. They are true revolutionaries and patriots and model heroes.

Comrades,

That military hardware, which the working class in the munitions industry have donated to the Party and revolution today, has a high capability of overcoming complicated terrain conditions, great manoeuvrability and an ability to conduct a surprise and precision launch of multiple rockets in terms of military technology; and as it has south Korea as a whole within the range of strike and is capable of carrying tactical nuclear warhead, it will discharge in future the combat mission of overpowering the enemy as a core, offensive weapon of our armed forces.

As we can hand additional 30 units of offensive military hardware of great importance over to the People's Army units at a time thanks to the devoted struggle of the working class in the munitions industry for increased production, I cannot suppress surging excitement and emotion.

Extending warm thanks again to our working class in the munitions industry, I would like to conclude by making an ardent appeal to them.

Our Party and the government of our Republic have declared their resolute will to respond with nuke for nuke and an all-out confrontation for an all-out confrontation in order to deal with the enemy's rash acts and reckless moves.

Our working class in the munitions industry should surely guarantee this declaration of ours, this staunch will to deal with the enemy, with matchless sword, spear and shield.

All the revolutionary fighters in the munitions industry should harden their indomitable faith and militant spirit with which to carry out unto death the grand strategy of defence development set out by the Party Central Committee, and turn out as one and strive in the efforts to produce powerful Juche-type weapons which will absolutely overwhelm the US imperialist aggressive forces and their puppet army.

Our revolution and the prevailing situation demand that we, by concentrating our efforts on ensuring continuous development of our defence industry, increase the state's defence capabilities without interruption so as to fully guarantee a reliable and solid security environment for the development of socialism.

As long as we have our laudable and trustworthy working class in the munitions industry, who challenge difficulties and impossibilities on the strength of Juche to bring about transformations and leaps, and the great people, who are rallied around the Party with one mind and one will, our Party's cause of building a powerful army is sure to succeed.

Full of courageous mettle and due self-assurance, let us all fight with redoubled courage and great confidence to bring earlier even greater victory and glory by launching a more gigantic struggle and working new miracles.

The year of 2022 is drawing to a close, an unforgettable year when we have struggled and advanced undauntedly for our revolution, socialism, braving all sorts of trials. At this moment, I extend warm greetings of the new year of 2023 to all of our working class in the munitions industry, defence scientists, officials and their dear families who have provided a distinctive and significant finale to this year through this meaningful donating ceremony.

Thank you.