The Korean People’s Army (KPA) has taken the lead in accomplishing the great cause of building up a rich country with a strong army, while displaying its glory and might as the armed forces of the great Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) that built a powerful socialist country, independent in politics, self-supporting in the economy and self-reliant in national defence, for the first time in the 5 000-year-old history of the nation. 75 years of its heroic struggle are shining in the history of the Juche revolution.
The KPA, which inherited the revolutionary traditions of the Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Army as its lifeblood, has covered the steady course of victory, performing brilliant feats in the struggle to defend the country and the people while regarding the absolute loyalty to the idea and leadership of the WPK as a duty for its existence and development. And it has developed into the iron fist of Juche Korea and entity of the tremendous national power which has placed our country in the front rank of world powers.
A grand military parade was held at Kim Il Sung Square in the capital city of Pyongyang on February 8 to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of the KPA, the revolutionary armed forces of the WPK.
At the parade venue where the birth of the regular armed forces, the soul and symbol of an independent and sovereign state, was declared, the KPA made the first stride towards attaining the goal of becoming an elite army with its sacred mission and grand ambition, amid the enthusiastic cheers and great expectation of all the people.
Our young regular armed forces developed into the most powerful entity that stockpiled overwhelming force capable of successfully frustrating the arbitrary practices of the imperialists, by building up their capabilities with the red idea and self-reliance in the arduous and protracted course of the revolution thanks to the WPK’s original self-defensive military idea and distinguished leadership. Today they will enter the square of the significant parade celebrating the 75th birthday of the KPA, demonstrating their tremendous strength to the whole world.
At the square and main roads leading to it, there were units of all services and arms and ultra-modern military hardware of the mighty revolutionary armed forces.
The State Merited Chorus entered the square to play the parade music.
Encouraging the militant zeal for the parade, reliable paratroopers set off beautiful fireworks in the night sky and dropped with the flying flags of the DPRK and the WPK.
Then followed a ceremony of a combined military band resounding throughout the square with the melodies of revolutionary army songs.
Impressing the audience with the dynamic and militant tune like the sound of the footsteps of a mighty division crushing the enemy’s position, the bandsmen showed a human five-point star symbolic of the history, tradition, supreme mission and invincibility of the People’s Army and figures such as “2.8” and “75” and then the emblem of the Party and word “Kanggun” (strong army) at the square. And a KPA guard of honour gave a wonderful performance with arms.
The birth of the KPA inheriting the revolutionary spirit of April 25 was declared on February 8, Juche 37 (1948).
The ceremony revved up the festive atmosphere with dynamic rhythms and melodies showing the fact that the DPRK has dynamically advanced along the ever-victorious road with a firm guarantee for its dignity, sovereignty and right to development thanks to this day when the regular revolutionary armed forces were founded under the leadership of the great Party and that the KPA emerged as an invincible army defeating any formidable enemy.
Displaying the appearance of our revolutionary regular armed forces which have reliably defended the territorial land, waters and sky of the country, parade units entered the square with their glorious colours in front of them to the tune of the orchestral music of the parade.
Our revolutionary armed forces have created only the history of loyalty and feats in the sacred struggle for defending the Party and the revolution and the country after building an impregnable fortress around the Party Central Committee.
The parade soldiers and their arms reflected the might of the most powerful army that performed a historic feat in preventing another world war coming to the planet in the 1950s by fighting against the imperialist allied forces at its foundation period and that has upheld our country’s invincibility and mightiness and reliably defended the global peace and justice with its matchless military force.
There was a ceremony of displaying the colours of KPA combined units at all levels. Those colours associated with the proud history of struggle of the heroic and patriotic army that has won victory after victory and glory after glory for the Korean revolution and for our great state and people century after century entered the square.
The colours of the KPA, the symbol of the strong revolutionary army’s dignity and honour and the signpost of its faith, were displayed on the square course.
All the parade soldiers who lined up at the square, the officers and men of the whole army, were waiting for the historic time in solemn feeling when they would be reviewed by the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, the great leader of our Party, state and people, invincible and iron-willed commander and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the DPRK.
Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, arrived at the square together with his beloved daughter and his wife Ri Sol Ju.
There was a solemn welcome ceremony of the KPA guard of honour.
Kim Jong Un reviewed the KPA guard of honour and the colours of major units of the armed forces of the Republic.
He was politely saluted by the commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence, commanders of large combined units and other KPA general officers.
The commanding officers paid the highest tribute to Kim Jong Un, who trained the People’s Army into an reliable army of the Party, the people, the government and the class and made sure that the 75th anniversary of the Day of Army Founding was significantly celebrated as a great auspicious event of the whole country, the greatest parade which is a grand political and military festival, and as a great glory of the DPRK.
Kim Jong Un warmly encouraged the commanding officers who are demonstrating the militant spirit of the revolutionary army at the outposts of beefing up the military muscle and at every worksite for prosperity of the country and the people’s happiness.
Amid the playing of welcome music, Kim Jong Un appeared at the tribune of the parade square.
In a moment, all the parade soldiers and participants in the celebrations raised stormy cheers of “Hurrah!”, shouting “Kim Jong Un” and “devoted defence” looking up to the great brilliant commander who opened up a period of great upturn in the development of the revolutionary armed forces and a new chapter of beefing up the military muscle with his outstanding military strategic ideas and rare commanding art and instilled them with confidence in rosy future of a powerful country of Juche, to turn the whole square into a scene of emotion.
Kim Jong Un warmly waved back to the enthusiastically cheering parade soldiers and the audience.
He was presented with bouquets by Children’s Union members.
Taking the tribune were Kim Tok Hun, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK, vice-president of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and premier of the Cabinet, Ri Pyong Chol, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK, vice-chairman of the Party Central Military Commission and secretary of the Party Central Committee, Ri Yong Gil, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK and secretary of the Party Central Committee, Kang Sun Nam, Pak Su Il, Jong Kyong Thaek and other leading officials of the armed forces organs and military and political commanding officers of KPA large combined units and combined units.
Together with the respected daughter of Kim Jong Un, Jo Yong Won, Presidium member of the Political Bureau and secretary for Organizational Affairs of the WPK Central Committee, and Ri Il Hwan, Kim Jae Ryong and Jon Hyon Chol, secretaries of the WPK Central Committee, took the reserved seats for VIPs.
The reserved seats were also taken by the participants in the celebrations of the 75th KPA birthday and activists in displaying noble traits for assistance to the army who were invited as special delegates.
A ceremony of hoisting the DPRK’s national flag was solemnly held.
The DPRK’s flag proceeded to the flagstaff, held by the guards of honour, surrounded by the colours of all the units participating in the parade and KPA combined units at all levels.
The national flag of glory associated with the militant spirit of the strongest revolutionary armed forces with the sacred mission of elevating the national prestige and defending the sovereignty of the country and national interests was hoisted gradually amid the solemn playing of the DPRK national anthem.
The participants in the military parade, service personnel of the entire army and all the people of the DPRK paid the highest tribute to the national flag of Juche Korea associated with the noble life of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il, founder and builders of our Party, state and army, and being flown high in the sky by the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.
Fireworks were displayed and many balloons flew up displaying the unshakable will of all the people to ardently love and glorify the socialist country of Juche forever, to fill the square of military parade with emotion and joy.
Amid the solemn playing of the song “Glorious Motherland,” 21 salute guns were fired.
Then followed a review of the preparations for the parade.
Kang Sun Nam, minister of National Defence of the DPRK, reported to Marshal Ri Pyong Chol, vice-chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission, that the military parade units lined up for the review of the preparations for the parade.
Ri Pyong Chol inspected the parade units.
He courteously reported to Kim Jong Un that the military parade for celebrating the 75th founding anniversary of the KPA was ready.
At last, the grandiose military parade of the powerful revolutionary army which has recorded the glorious DPRK’s ever-victorious history started.
Showing the true nature of our People’s Army which has invariably and dynamically advanced along the road pioneered by the leader of the revolution and the history of succession of reliably carrying forward the guerrilla spirit, the honorary cavalry column appeared at the square at the head of the parade.
The column, symbolic of the 7th Regiment in the anti-Japanese war period which established the sacred tradition for steady continuation of the lifeline of the Juche revolution by creating the spirit of devotedly defending the leader, the soul and lifeblood of the Korean revolution, advanced with the first colours of our revolutionary armed forces bearing the letters “Anti-Japanese People’s Guerrilla Army.”
Photos showing the solemn images of the anti-Japanese revolutionary forerunners including Kim Chaek, An Kil, Choe Yong Gon, O Jung Hup, Kim Il, Kim Ju Hyon, O Paek Ryong and Kang Kon who provided the victorious tradition to be recorded in the history of revolutionary armed forces’ struggle, were displayed in the van of the column along with the colours.
A column, symbolic of the Bodyguard Company which devotedly safeguarded the Supreme Headquarters during the Fatherland Liberation War, entered the square with portraits of such veteran revolutionaries from the company as Hyon Chol Hae, Yon Hyong Muk, Pak Song Bong, Sim Chang Wan and Jon Pyong Ho in its van.
The audience threw their eyes to those images of loyalists recorded in the history of army building, being convinced once again of the truth that the life of soldiers devoted to the most sacred revolutionary cause under the guidance of the great leader is everlasting in the memory of the Party, the country and the people despite the passage of time and replacement of generations.
The columns, symbolic of the 1st national defence division, the 2nd lightly-armed infantry division, the 3rd independent infantry brigade and the 4th infantry division recorded in the history of the great Fatherland Liberation War, also entered the square, displaying the spirit of the guards who defeated the nuclear-armed enemies with rifles and showing the portraits of Choe Kwang, Choe Hyon, Ryu Kyong Su, O Jin U, Nam Il and other commanding officers who left a distinct trace in the history of the units and the history of the development of our revolutionary armed forces.
Following the symbolic columns which clearly showed the sacred tradition and succession of the Juche revolution, the columns of soldiers under the Guard Office of the Party Central Committee, the Guard Department of the State Affairs Commission, the Bodyguard Department and the Bodyguard Command proudly marched along the square, proving the ever-victorious philosophy of service that devotedly defending the Party Central Committee precisely means the defence of the country, the advance and victory of the revolution.
Felt on each face of the military parade soldiers was the immutable truth that to devotedly safeguard the leader is the greatest mission our revolutionary armed forces have put forward as a signpost of faith since its foundation, the most brilliant feats they performed in the army-building history and the highest honour of our officers and men.
The columns of army groups keeping the highest alert on the frontline for defending the country took vigorous steps at the square, flying the flags of elite units, even the call of whose names strike terror into the enemy, with commanders in the van with their swords.
Felt on each column of field armed forces at the foremost frontline, which have taken the lead in carrying out the operational plan of the Party Central Committee, demonstrating the might of the KPA’s eldest son corps and pivot corps, was the high spirit of forefront servicepersons in full readiness to annihilate the enemy.
Marching past the square were also the columns of the naval and air forces demonstrating their might as death-defying corps of the sea and shield of the sky, the columns of the strategic forces and special operation forces, symbolic of the irresistible might of the DPRK armed forces. They were filled with the fighting spirit to annihilate the enemies and bring victory when the Party Central Committee gives an order.
Kim Jong Un extended warm militant greetings to the guards who have devotedly defended the lineage of the Korean revolution and the idea and cause of our Party, always and reliably standing at the forefront of the revolution and class under any circumstances.
The parade members shouted “Hurrah!” at the top of their voices, looking up to the iron-willed brilliant commander who set forth the general duty of building the powerful army in the new era of the Juche revolution and the four-point line of strengthening the army and indicated a shortcut to bolstering up the military capabilities to remarkably strengthen our revolutionary armed forces into the powerful army moelling after the WPK, strong in politico-ideological, moral and ultra-modern technical aspects.
The columns of army corps defending the capital city of Pyongyang and the coasts, border line and depth of the rear in the country dynamically past the square seething with the dignity and high pride of parade columns marching with their colours of glory and the high pride and the militant spirit of the powerful army.
Marching past the square were columns of tank amour division and mechanized infantry division which are the iron striking groups to conquer the operational theatres at a go on the order of the Supreme Headquarters, and the column of the reconnaissance general bureau, and columns of specialist servicepersons including the 191 Command Intelligence Brigade.
When the column of the 1st mobile hospital entered the square, the audience extended warm congratulations and applauded the combatants in the field of military medicine who performed distinguished military feats, fully demonstrating the noble spiritual world of the reliable detachment of our Party and the revolutionary army in the great era of Kim Jong Un during the emergency anti-epidemic campaign for quelling the public health crisis created in the capital city last year.
The columns of Kim Il Sung Military University, the highest seat of Juche-oriented military education, Kim Jong Il University of Military and Politics, the centre for training top-level military commanding officers of the country, Kim Il Sung University of Politics, the pedigree establishment for training political officers of the People’s Army, and other military schools at all levels marched past the square, showing the pledge to contribute to the Party’s cause for strengthening the army by bringing about a revolution in military education kindled by the Party Central Committee.
Amid the playing of the eternal paean to the socialist country “We Are the Happiest in the World,” the students of revolutionary schools, who are fully prepared as competent talents to give steady continuity to the revolutionary mainstream at the pedigree establishments for training the backbone guaranteeing the eternal future of the Juche cause, marched through the square in high spirits, decorating the end of the walking columns.
Kim Jong Un held high his hand to encourage the successors to the revolution marching with dignity, full of pledge to shoulder the rosy future of our revolutionary armed forces and the country by carrying forward the tradition of loyalty and patriotism handed down by the forerunners.
The conviction in the rosy future of the Juche power shining with the great sun and the boundless emotion erupted like lava.
The flight parade of the Juche-based air force began in the nocturnal sky of the square for celebrating the Day of Army Founding.
The death-defying airmen with the indomitable combat spirit instilled by the Party Central Committee flew in the air.
Air squadrons, in formations depicting the five-pointed star and the number “75,” flew past the sky above the square while letting off fireworks to brighten the sky in February, representing the feats of the KPA’s air force which has defended the blue sky of the country as the star of loyalty defending the sun in the nearest distance and the history of the powerful army.
The audience repeatedly exclaimed as a squadron in a fan-shape formation flew in the air to reflect the iron pledge of the pilots to make matchless myth in the air while flying only the route of devotedly defending the Party Central Committee.
The parade of columns of mechanized units started to show the history of self-reliant defence building recorded by the WPK which led the untrodden path of army building to the broad avenue of building a world-level military power for the dignity and security of the country and the people and genuine peace.
Entered the square were columns of carriages carrying the heavy machine-guns, which annihilated the enemy in the battles on Height 351 and Height 1211, and motorcycles, antitank artillery, direct-firing guns and tanks, symbolic of mechanized units in the period of the Fatherland Liberation War.
They were trifling weapons to stand in total confrontation with the imperialist allied forces led by the US imperialists boasting of the myth of “mightiness.”
But those artillery pieces, which went through the hail of shells, are associated with the feats performed in the great years when the revolutionary armed forces guided by the great leader defeated the imperialist armed aggressors’ numerical and technical superiority by dint of the politico-ideological and strategic and tactical superiority.
Appeared at the square following the columns of mechanized units were main military hardware of the KPA, displaying advanced, modern and strong nature of the DPRK’s defence capabilities.
The demonstration of strength of justice started with cutting-edge military hardware of Juche Korea which rapidly emerged as the matchless superpower under the extraordinary military strategic idea and wise guidance of the great Comrade Kim Jong Un, the invincible and iron-willed commander.
The column of main battle tanks, symbolic of the combat efficiency of the KPA and iron-fist, rolled past the square followed by the column of artillery force.
When the KPA’s core offensive weapons with great mobility and striking ability appeared in the square, the audience enthusiastically clapped them.
The columns of tactical missiles and long-range cruise missiles entered the square.
The tactical nuclear weapons operation units entered the square, demonstrating their dignity, matchless spirit, powerful war deterrent and counterstrike ability.
The columns of ICBMs appeared in the square resounding with the enthusiastic cheers of the people full of pride and self-confidence, demonstrating the signal development of the military capability and tremendous nuclear strike capability of the DPRK.
Nuke for nuke and an all-out-confrontation for an all-out-confrontation!
The square was full of the high spirit of the fighters of the strategic missile units prepared for fulfilling their strategic mission anytime, only true to the order of the leader. The giant entities of the DPRK strategic forces passed the square, demonstrating their dignity.
All the participants broke into stormy cheers of “Hurrah!”, looking up to Kim Jong Un, the peerless patriot and outstanding leader of our Party, state and people, who pioneered a shortcut to the development of the Korean-style defence with his extraordinary foresight, firm determination and outstanding leadership and demonstrated before the world the prestige and dignity of our state with the specially great event of perfecting the strongest strategic weapon in the world.
When the military parade of the KPA, heroic army with the invincible arms which any formidable enemy does not dare to provoke, was over, spectacular fireworks were displayed again in the nocturnal sky on the Day of Army Founding, with the highest tribute by all the service personnel and people to the great brilliant commander and their cheers of glory resounding through the sky and land.
Kim Jong Un warmly acknowledged the enthusiastic cheers of the audience.
The square was filled with the high revolutionary spirit and enthusiasm of the strongest army for reliably guaranteeing the victorious advance of the revolutionary cause of Juche, eternal security of the country and the overall prosperity and development of socialist construction and for surely realizing the people’s dream and ideals with the inexhaustible might which worked world-startling, eye-opening military miracles and the absolute will of heroic Korea which knows no word impossibility, holding fast to the arms of justice and ever-victorious treasured sword sharpened by the Party Central Committee.
The greatest dignity and the source and eternal vitality of the invincible might of the powerful revolutionary army lie in the fact that it is led by the great leader and the great Party and herein lies the honour and pride peculiar to the KPA which no country and no army can have. This is the most brilliant review of the glorious history of the army building, and the current military parade is, indeed, a proud epitome showing the undying feats of the WPK which has built invincible military muscle to wipe out all evils and unjust forces of the planet.
The military parade for celebrating the 75th founding anniversary of the KPA, which put the long and sacred history of our revolutionary armed forces on the highest level of glory, will shine long in the history as a great political event that demonstrated to the whole world the militant spirit of the a-match-for-a-hundred powerful revolutionary army advancing under the unfurled red flag of the WPK as the first colours under the leadership of the great Comrade Kim Jong Un, the greatest brilliant commander, and the rosy future of the revolutionary cause of Juche.
KCNA
