Ceremony for Launching Newly-built Submarine Held with Splendour in Presence of Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un

A new powerful entity has emerged to demonstrate the rapid development of the Juche-based naval force all over the world in the glorious journey of ushering in a new era of a great prosperous and powerful country with the world-class tremendous national defence capabilities, unprecedented in the nation-building history of the DPRK, under the outstanding leadership of the ever-victorious Workers’ Party of Korea.

The heroic munitions industrial workers, scientists and technicians, boundlessly loyal to the revolutionary cause of the WPK, built a Korean-style tactical nuclear attack submarine and presented it as a gift to the motherland celebrating its 75th founding anniversary.

The submarine-launching ceremony heralded the beginning of a new chapter for bolstering up the naval force of the DPRK and made clearer the steadfast will of the WPK and the government of the DPRK to further strengthen the state nuclear deterrence both in quality and quantity and by leaps and bounds for regional and global peace and security.

The ceremony was splendidly held on September 6 in the presence of 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, with attendance of leading officials of the Party, government and military, including Marshal Ri Pyong Chol, Marshal Pak Jong Chon, Premier of the Cabinet Kim Tok Hun and Admiral Kim Myong Sik, amid the great joy and excitement of commanding officers and seamen of the East Sea Fleet of the Navy and all the workers, scientists and technicians of the Pongdae Dockyard.

The venue of the ceremony was full of deep gratitude and reverence for the WPK, the great motherly Party, which has realized the long-cherished desire of the nation by leading the great development of the self-reliant defence industry, the revolutionary industry, to further strengthen the nuclear force representing the national prestige and honour and the absolute might of the Republic and consolidate the irreversible status of the country.

When the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un arrived at the submarine-launching venue, all the participants broke into enthusiastic cheers as a token of their admiration for the iron-willed brilliant commander and outstanding leader of the people who is paving a broad avenue toward great victory and prosperity with his matchless pluck and courage, ardent love and trust in the people, and tireless dedication to the building of a prosperous country with a powerful army.

Amid the solemn playing of the national anthem of the DPRK, the guards of honour of the Navy of the Korean People’s Army slowly hoisted the national flag associated with the noble soul of the service personnel of the Navy who have fought to defend the vast sea of the country for more than 70 years, and symbolic of the eternal dignity and invincibility of the DPRK.

Then, Marshal Ri Pyong Chol conveyed the order of the Central Military Commission of the WPK on the transfer of the tactical nuclear attack submarine to the Navy of the KPA.

According to the order of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, tactical nuclear attack submarine No. 841, the first of its kind, was transferred to the relevant submarine squadron under the East Sea Fleet of the KPA Navy and named the “Hero Kim Kun Ok”.

Kim Jong Un conferred the transfer certificate on the commander of the submarine squadron under the East Sea Fleet of the Navy.

He made a meaningful speech congratulating the launching ceremony.

Saying that submarine No. 841 “Hero Kim Kun Ok” to be launched today will perform its combat mission as one of core underwater offensive means of the naval force of the DPRK, he highly praised it as the first entity, produced by the noble ideal and peerless creation struggle of the WPK and its revolutionary industrial workers, in the great cause of building an advanced maritime power.

He noted that the Party Central Committee decided to make greater leaps forward in the shipbuilding industry of the country in order to substantially guarantee a new heyday of bolstering up the naval force. There is no room to step back in the drive for the expansion of the naval vessel-building industry as it is the top priority task to be fulfilled without fail, he said, clarifying the strategic and tactical plan to continuously enhance the modernity of underwater and surface forces and push forward with the nuclear weaponization of the Navy in the future, too.

When Kim Jong Un finished his congratulatory speech, all the participants broke into cheers of “Hurrah!” to express their ardent loyalty.

The scientists, technicians and workers of the Pongdae Submarine Factory extended deep thanks to Kim Jong Un who is ushering in a heyday of bolstering up the naval force, clearly indicating the orientation of the development of the Korean-style submarine industry and the way for developing new-type submarine.

Kim Jong Un had a photo session with senior officials of the Party and the government, leading commanding officers of the Navy and senior officials of the submarine factory in commemoration of the launch.

Marshal Ri Pyong Chol ordered the launching of the submarine after being informed by the manager of the factory that it was ready to be launched.

When the signal was given, the newly built submarine was launched amid the shower of confetti and release of balloons, reflecting the excitement and joy of all the participants witnessing the historical moment of epochal significance in bolstering up the naval force.

Kim Jong Un repeatedly praised the workers in the munitions industry, saying that thanks to the inexhaustible strength and enthusiasm resulting from the loyalty and patriotism displayed by them upholding the revolutionary defence-building policy with pure conscience, sense of obligation and devoted implementation, it was possible to demonstrate the might of the country once again ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the Republic. He expressed belief that the officials and workers of the factory would continue to add glory to their great honour as the genuine patriots contributing to the development of the naval vessel-building industry in the new century and the front-line fighters defending the arsenal for the defence of the territorial waters.

On September 7, he inspected the tactical nuclear submarine “Hero Kim Kun Ok” preparing for a shakedown cruise.

A ceremony was hosted by the East Sea Fleet of the KPA Navy, to which the tactical nuclear attack submarine was assigned, to greet the Supreme Commander of the DPRK armed forces at the dock.

Kim Jong Un reviewed the honour colours of the East Sea Fleet of the KPA Navy and the guards of honour.

He was greeted by Admiral Kim Myong Sik, commander of the KPA Navy, Vice-Admiral Kim Chang Guk, political commissar of the KPA Navy, commanding officers of the East and West Sea Fleets of the KPA Navy and military and political officers of submarine squadrons.

He entered the tactical nuclear attack submarine to acquaint himself with its weapon system and underwater operation capability.

Saying that to arm the navy with nuclear weapons arises as an urgent task of the times and a crucial requirement for building the revolutionary armed forces, the fulfillment of which brooks no further delay, he stressed the need to enable the Navy to successfully carry out its strategic duty by hastening the transfer of underwater and surface vessels equipped with tactical nuclear weapons to the Navy.

He expressed expectation and belief that the officers and sailors of the submarine would become the model of the navy and the example to the whole army not only in the politico-ideological, spiritual and moral readiness but also in rounding off the preparations for a revolutionary war and continue to create new myth of the heroic navy in the van by firmly carrying forward the great sailor spirit of the preceding generations as befitting the ones of the submarine named after Hero Kim Kun Ok, the hero commanding officer of the first generation of the naval force of the Republic.

He had a photo taken with all the sailors of the submarine with the submarine “Hero Kim Kun Ok” in the background.

All the commanding officers and sailors of the submarine “Hero Kim Kun Ok” made a firm pledge to demonstrate their bravery as death-defying seamen and strong fist of the navy, regarding as lifeblood of their destiny the boundless love and trust by the great brilliant commander who provided them with an invincible treasured sword capable of defeating any formidable enemy, prayed for their safe navigation and feats and indicated the ever-victorious route aboard the submarine.

The ceremony of launching a tactical nuclear attack submarine, held just before the 75th founding anniversary of the DPRK, will be etched in the history of the country as a historic event worthy of special note in the history of bolstering up the Juche-based naval force and the history of building the state nuclear force in the great era of Kim Jong Un, and as a significant occasion that solemnly declared the start of the advance toward the attainment of the grandiose goal for turning the country into an advanced maritime power.

KCNA