There took place a splendid military parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on the evening of January 14 in celebration of the 8th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
The band of the State Affairs Commission and the central military band of the Ministry of Defence took the peculiarly-decorated bandstand to play parade music.
Parade columns entered the square with the pride and honour.
Columns of mechanized units which would demonstrate the inexhaustible might of the armed forces of the Republic were seen in fine array on the avenues leading to the square.
Air squadrons for the parade were waiting for order of sorties.
Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the WPK, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, appeared at the tribune of the square.
Cheers of “Hurrah!” for Kim Jong Un and chanting shouts of “Kim Jong Un” and “Devoted Defence” rocked the heaven and earth and fireworks brightly decorated the nocturnal sky.
He warmly waved back to the enthusiastically cheering paraders and masses.
Children presented fragrant flowers to him and leading officials of the Party, the government and the military.
Taking the tribune were Choe Ryong Hae, Jo Yong Won, Ri Pyong Chol, and Kim Tok Hun.
Members of the 8th Party central leadership body and commanding officers of the military appeared at the tribune.
Invited to the tribune were Kim Yong Nam, Choe Yong Rim, Yang Hyong Sop, Kim Ki Nam, Choe Thae Bok, Kim Kyong Ok, Ri Yong Mu and Pak Pong Ju who had worked for a long time in the Party, the government and the military.
Present at the reserved seats for guests were the participants in the 8th Congress of the WPK and special guests.
Amid the playing of the song “The Glorious Country”, a salute of 21 guns boomed.
Kim Jong Gwan, minister of Defence of the DPRK, made an address.
Then, there was a ceremony of hoisting the national flag.
All the participants paid high respect to the national flag.
KPA Marshal Pak Jong Chon, chief of the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army, made a report to KPA Marshal Ri Pyong Chol, vice-chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission, that parade units lined up to be reviewed for the parade celebrating the 8th Congress of the WPK.
Ri Pyong Chol reviewed the parade units.
He courteously reported to the General Secretary of the WPK that the military parade for celebrating the 8th Congress of the WPK was ready to start.
The parade began led by the command car with Marshal Pak Jong Chon on, amid the play of dynamic march music.
The column of the honour cavalrymen ran past the square showing the firm will of the service personnel of the People’s Army to make a dynamic advance of loyalty and march of faith for implementing the decision made at the Party congress in such spirit that the great brilliant commander showed when looking round the Mt Paektu area on horseback.
Entering the square following it were the fine arrays of columns of loyal lifeguards, showing that the lifeblood, the most important mission of our revolutionary armed forces, is to devotedly defend the Party Central Committee.
The columns of the first and the second corps marched past with dignity, demonstrating their pride as the eldest corps and the unit where the a-match-for-a-hundred spirit was born.
They were followed by the columns of the fourth corps standing guard over the gate to the southwestern part of the country and the fifth corps, backbone corps of the People’s Army, flying their colours permeated with proud military merits.
Making powerful strides towards the square were columns of the navy, air force and air-defence force.
The masses warmly applauded the column of the strategic force.
The columns of ground, sea and air snipers and lightly-armed infantrymen demonstrated the spirit of invincibility of the revolutionary army of a-match-for-a-hundred combatants that have nurtured their wisdom and courage of annihilating the enemies under the care of the great illustrious commander.
The columns of corps of anti-aircraft artillerymen, 91st corps and 3rd corps standing guard over the capital city of Pyongyang and the columns of the corps defending the coasts and border gateway of the country as firm as an iron wall marched past in fine arrays.
The columns of tank units and columns of armoured infantry divisions rolled past the square, displaying the might of the revolutionary armed forces that have grown to be invincible elite forces.
They were followed by columns of mountain warfare infantrymen and reconnoiters and such professional arms as electronic harassment unit and then the column of armed mobile unit of public security which marched past demonstrating heroic spirit.
The Supreme Leader warmly acknowledged the marchers.
Then there was flight, paying respect to the great Party Central Committee.
Following the formation of guard planes, the red hawks of the Party, in the pattern of the Party emblem, flew past the sky above the square letting off the fireworks to brighten the sky.
The column of planes depicted number “8” with fireworks in the nocturnal sky, reflecting the happiness and emotion of having glorified the 8th Congress of the Party as another political event of special record in the militant path of our Party.
The columns of mechanized units began their procession led by the column of armoured vehicles.
The column of prototype tanks roared past the square, which was followed by those of ultra-modern tactical rockets.
This was followed by the procession of the ultra-modern self-propelled artillery pieces, grandly showing off the might of our artillery force.
The columns of rockets possessed of powerful striking capability for thoroughly annihilating enemies in a preemptive way outside the territory, roared past.
Other proud-worthy Juche-type weapons rolled past the square one after another, demonstrating to the world how our defence industry built up tremendous might since it started its first step with the production of sub-machine gun after the liberation of the country, while covering the untrodden path of army-building.
The world’s most powerful weapon, submarine-launch ballistic missile, entered the square one after another, powerfully demonstrating the might of the revolutionary armed forces.
The people raised cheers as it demonstrated the tremendous might of our Party which accomplished the great cause of building a powerful might for prosperity of the country, the 5000-year-old desire of the nation, in such a short period of five years of fierce struggle between the 7th and 8th Party Congresses.
At the end of the military parade, fireworks were shot off again.
The Supreme Leader warmly waved back to the enthusiastically cheering crowds.
The square was full of high revolutionary enthusiasm of all the participants determined to always follow the path of our-style socialism to the end, full of confidence and optimism about the bright future with great national pride and honour of making the revolution under the leadership of Kim Jong Un.
KCNA
