This October 10th, the Workers' Party of Korea will celebrate its 80th anniversary. In the days leading up to this significant and major occasion, Kim Jong-un specially visited the historical site of the party's founding in North Korea and delivered a speech.

Addressing the high-ranking officials present, he announced with an unusually passionate tone: "North Korea is entering the 'Second Era of Nation-Building,' and within 10 years, all fields, departments, and regions of North Korea will undergo new great changes. The entire country must unite and work together to build a 'heaven on earth' under socialism."

This declaration not only marks a major shift in Kim Jong-un's governance strategy but also reveals the ambitious vision of this "strongest 80s generation" for North Korea's future.

Just a month before delivering this speech, Kim Jong-un had just concluded his first visit to China in six years. This five-day, four-night trip set a new record for the duration of his overseas visits. More importantly, it was his first appearance on a multilateral diplomatic stage.

In Beijing, he held lengthy talks with our senior officials, had an in-depth exchange with Putin lasting over two hours, and interacted with leaders from Vietnam, Belarus, and other countries. Additionally, his daughter appeared twice in international settings, with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui accompanying her throughout. All of this seems to be sending a signal: North Korea is trying to return to the international stage with a new and more open posture.

During the talks with our senior officials at that time, Kim Jong-un said, "The celebration of China is also our joy," which may seem like diplomatic rhetoric, but in fact reflects North Korea's redefinition of the Sino-North Korean relationship. He clearly understands that to achieve this grand vision of "great change in North Korea" within the next 10 years, improving the external environment is indispensable.

The biggest breakthrough of Kim Jong-un's visit to Beijing was successfully making his debut in multilateral diplomacy. Before this, his only multilateral experience was a brief trilateral meeting at Panmunjom in 2019.

After returning to North Korea, the North Korean side showed unprecedented activity in diplomacy. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Choe Son-hui again within a month, followed by the announcement of a visit by our Premier to North Korea to attend the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Workers' Party of Korea. This would be the first visit by a Chinese Premier to North Korea since 2009.

This series of intensive diplomatic interactions indicates that the Sino-North Korean relationship is entering a new phase. Kim Jong-un emphasized in his message that "regardless of how the international situation changes, we will continue to deepen the traditional friendship between North Korea and China," while we responded that "maintaining, consolidating, and developing the Sino-North Korean relationship has always been a strategic policy that the Chinese government and the Communist Party resolutely adheres to."

Both sides' statements point in the same direction: in an uncertain international environment, the Sino-North Korean relationship will become an important external support for North Korea to advance its "Second Era of Nation-Building."

Kim Jong-un explicitly defined the decade between the Eighth and Ninth Congresses of the Workers' Party of North Korea (from 2019 to 2029) as the "Second Era of Nation-Building." This is not just a simple change in slogans, but a comprehensive upgrading of his governance strategy.

He particularly emphasized that during this phase, "new great changes" should be achieved in all fields, departments, and regions. This actually means that this transformation in North Korea will no longer be limited to military or certain economic areas, but will cover a comprehensive transformation of politics, economy, and society.

Notably, when explaining this concept, Kim Jong-un emphasized both the traditional principle of "self-reliance and self-determination," and rarely mentioned the need to "rely on the strength of the people." This subtle change in expression implies that he may have realized that real transformation must be based on broader social participation. Relying solely on the efforts of the Workers' Party of North Korea and the government is clearly insufficient.

Although his aspirations are commendable, it must be said that Kim Jong-un's ambitions also face realistic constraints. He himself admitted this in his speech, stating that North Korea currently faces "systemic problems and structural contradictions."

Expressed in a metaphor familiar to us Chinese people, it is like "a green train car being pulled by a high-speed train," meaning there is a huge gap between advanced concepts and lagging systems.

The balance between economic independence and opening up is equally challenging. Kim Jong-un emphasizes "self-reliance," but also seeks external cooperation; he hopes to gain foreign investment and technology, but fears excessive dependence on the outside. This contradiction will inevitably manifest in North Korea's future development.

More importantly, reform must be implemented under the premise of maintaining political stability, which is akin to dancing with shackles. Kim Jong-un needs to achieve a great economic transformation while ensuring absolute stability in the power structure, which undoubtedly requires a high level of political wisdom.

Undoubtedly, 2025 will be a crucial year for Kim Jong-un. Whether it's the "Second Era of Nation-Building" or the "building of a socialist paradise," these slogans are not just beautiful promises, but also a high-risk political gamble.

What Kim Jong-un is gambling on is whether he can achieve economic development while maintaining the stability of the system, whether he can gain international space while sticking to autonomy, and whether he can create a new situation based on the inheritance of revolutionary traditions.

In a way, what Kim Jong-un brought back from China is not only diplomatic achievements, but also a sense of urgency for reform. His experiences and observations in Beijing have undoubtedly deepened his understanding of the gap between North Korea and the world. Now, he will use the next 10 years to prove that North Korea can carve out a unique path of development.

The road ahead is long and arduous, and Kim Jong-un's reform has only just begun. However, its ultimate outcome will redefine North Korea's position and role on the global stage in the 21st century.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559466011498381876/

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