Socialist Patriotic Youth League of the DPRK
January 17, 2026 marks the 80th founding anniversary of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League of the DPRK.
After Korea got free from Japanese imperialists’ military occupation on August 15, 1945, youth organizations mushroomed in different parts of the country, representing different social strata, classes and ideals, and they insisted their own isms and doctrines.
Seeing through that situation, the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung (1912-1994) advanced the slogan “Patriotic youth, unite under the banner of democracy!” and ensured that those youth organizations were integrated into the then Democratic Youth League of Korea. After that, the Korean young people could become the country’s most powerful force struggling with a common ideal and aim.
President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il (1942-2011) always attached importance to the role of young people in building a prosperous nation and put them forward. Today many structures built in this country have been named after youth and they symbolize the times, which illustrates the tangible contribution made by the young people to the development of their country. 
Kim Jong Un, president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, expects that they will grow up to be patriotic and heroic youth who staunchly defend socialism and devote themselves to socialist construction.
When they built a large power station, he named it “Paektusan Hero Youth Power Station” and made sure that a monument was built. He entrusted a construction project to build a new street in the capital city of Pyongyang to the youth league and attended its groundbreaking and inauguration ceremonies to encourage them. Besides, he tasked them with removing flood damage and building the largest-ever combined greenhouse farm and gave field guidance to the construction sites several times to inspire them to play a pivotal and leading role in achieving the comprehensive development of socialism.
Today, the SPYL channels great efforts into making all young people devote their efforts, passion and wisdom to national prosperity and development. It also works with progressive young foreigners in the international arena, playing its part in opposing aggression and war and promoting peace and development.

What Is Characteristic of the DPRK in 2025 (1)
Probably the DPRK’s leader has delivered speeches in 2025 more than ever before. Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, spoke at over 20 events like groundbreaking and inauguration ceremonies. Through his passionate and confident speeches you can get a glimpse of what is characteristic of the DPRK in 2025. 
“To be frank, these days I am really tired and busy attending inauguration and groundbreaking ceremonies that have been scheduled one after another. We are facing such moments of drastic change,” Kim Jong Un said as he addressed the groundbreaking ceremony on February 16, 2025 for the fourth-stage project to build 10 000 flats in the Hwasong area of the capital city of Pyongyang. 
Actually, before February 16 alone, he attended the inauguration ceremony of the regional-industry factories in Jaeryong County and the groundbreaking ceremonies of the Kangdong County Hospital and leisure complex, the Sinuiju Combined Greenhouse Farm and vegetable science research centre and the Ragwon County Offshore Farm. In addition, there took place the inauguration ceremonies of modern regional-industry factories in 18 cities and counties as the first-year outcome of the implementation of the Regional Development 20×10 Policy. 
Throughout the year, similar events were held one after another to celebrate the completion of the third-stage project to build 10 000 flats in the Hwasong area, the launching of two destroyers of the Korean People’s Army Navy, the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, the Ragwon County Offshore Farm, the Pyongyang General Hospital, the Kangdong County Hospital and the Hoeyang Army-People Power Station among others. New industrial establishments and rural villages were built up and down the country, adding more to the excitement of the people. A number of projects especially for the first stage of the Tanchon Power Station and the renovation and modernization of the Ryongsong Machine Complex were brought to completion. As the second-year result of the implementation of the regional development policy, modern regional-industry factories were built in 20 cities and counties, with advanced healthcare facilities and leisure complexes taking shape. 
At these groundbreaking and inauguration ceremonies Kim Jong Un made speeches on several occasions to encourage and inspire the people across the country to bring about fresh changes. 
He reportedly told the inauguration ceremony of the Kangdong County Hospital that “proclaiming inauguration in the year of groundbreaking is the standard speed of achieving our ideals.” He added that “we can confidently call 2025 a year of amazing transformation.”
It will be fair to say that transformation is characteristic of the DPRK in 2025.