The outstanding fighting spirit and bravery of the Korean People’s Army reliably guaranteeing the ever-victorious tradition of the Juche revolution with invincible arms are writing a legendary biography of heroes unprecedented in history, raising the mightiness and sacred prestige of our state to the top of the world.
The combatants of the armed forces of the Republic who took part in overseas military operations in hearty response to the order of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea demonstrated before the whole world the transparent and outstanding ideological and spiritual superiority and fighting mettle of the KPA which no army in the world can match and the indomitable spirit of Koreans by braving heavy gunfire in bloody life-and-death battles.
A ceremony of awarding state commendations to the commanding officers and combatants of the overseas operation units of the KPA was held at the headquarters building of the Central Committee of the WPK.
Officials of the WPK Central Committee warmly greeted the brave soldiers who participated in the war, as they entered the yard of the Party Central Committee after travelling thousands of miles in response to the ardent desire and affectionate call of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un eager to glorify the life of the great successors and representatives, who firmly carried forward into the new century the tradition of victory peculiar to our state, with the honour of gold star.
Secretaries and other senior officials of the WPK Central Committee warmly congratulated the laudable sons of the country putting garlands around their necks and giving them bouquets.
The venue of the ceremony was full of respect for the brave combatants boundless loyal to the order of the country.
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, attended the ceremony.
Present at the ceremony were commanding officers and combatants who performed distinguished feats in overseas military operations, and bereaved families of martyrs.
Present there were members of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, leading commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence and military and political commanding officers of the large combined units of the KPA.
The DPRK national anthem was played solemnly.
The solemn melody of the national anthem, which redoubled pride in being the sons of the powerful country and the ardent patriotic desire in every moment of their life in the days of the decisive battles and inspired them to be in the van of the charge and to win immortal victories, made the hearts of the brave soldiers full of strong emotion.
Kim Jong Un made a significant speech.
Expressing his emotion of seeing again at the meaningful ceremony the proud sons, the heroes of the country, who are a source of great pride for the state and for whom all the people have waited and of awarding the title of Hero of the DPRK and other high commendations to them, he, on behalf of the Party and the government, extended heartfelt thanks and warm militant greetings to the commanding officers and combatants of the overseas military operations units, who fought bravely as befits Koreans and the Korean People’s Army under a hail of bullets and bombs in the do-or-die battles in the alien land and have returned home with dignity.
He continued: Out of the desire to put forward in front of their country and fellow people the laudable heroes who have performed feats on the battlefields in the alien country in defence of the sacred prestige and dignity of their motherland and to make the whole country hold them in respect and esteem, the Central Committee of our Party has arranged a grand ceremony of awarding state commendations to them at its headquarters building.
These are special and valuable commendations the country and people confer on the honourable victors for their great feats that can be performed only in a bloody struggle.
As we are holding the first awarding ceremony today, I am reminded of the combatants who must be totally engaged in their tasks, even at this moment, true to the order of their motherland, as well as of the martyrs; and I am sorely sorry for failing to share this place of honour with all of them.
Then he proposed a moment of silence praying for the eternity of the martyrs who laid down their lives in the overseas military operations.
At the proposal of Kim Jong Un, all the participants observed a moment of silence in memory of the martyrs who won the priceless victory with their indomitable fighting spirit and noble self-sacrifice.
Saying that all the combatants in the war are all great men, great heroes and great patriots as they performed great exploits to be etched in history for all eternity to bring lasting prosperity and strength to their country, Kim Jong Un proudly declared that the victory won by the combatants constitutes a great exploit that firmly defended the great honour of the Korean People’s Army, which must never be allowed to be stained, and provided a sure guarantee for the existence of our state and its development, a victory worth being recorded as a miracle in the history of our army building and in the chronicles of anti-imperialist revolutionary struggle, and at the same time, an epochal event in the world history of wars, which reformulated the thousands-of-years-old logic of the strong.
Stressing that the combat actions, which the overseas operations units, representing the armed forces of our Republic, carried out on the battlefields in the limelight of the world, fully demonstrated the mightiness of the heroic Korean People’s Army whose invincibility is based on the definite superiority of the ideological and spiritual preparedness and the Juche-oriented strategy and tactics, he continued that what the Party Central Committee prioritizes and appreciates with satisfaction before anything else is the fact that the prestige of the ever-victorious Korean People’s Army has been verified most rigorously in its history of over 70 years, and that the true picture of our army fully prepared for war has been clearly confirmed.
Today’s ceremony is an expression of gratitude and high praise of our Party, state and people for your historic feats of having carried out perfectly the political decision of the Party and the government for the destiny and future of the country and safeguarded the great honour maintained by all the generations of the Republic for decades, he added.
Referring to the outstanding valour and noble self-sacrificing spirit displayed by the service personnel in the operational area where bullets and bombs showered, he stressed that they deserve to be called model heroes, and the overseas operations units, heroic units and that the secret to victory in the recent overseas military operations lies not in the exploits performed by some outstanding military commanders or heroes, but entirely in the mass character of heroism and the spiritual and moral traits, both ennobling and beautiful, which definitely dominated the thoughts and feelings of all the service personnel of the overseas operations units.
He continued: They were thoroughgoing in implementing the orders from their superiors, as they ought to be as soldiers, and every one of them cherished a high sense of patriotism, loved their comrades-in-arms so ardently and was strong in the spirit of devotion. They were all excellent in terms of morality, performing their duties with credit and choosing to act honourably as dictated by their conscience, even when they were facing death. Witnessing such exceptional, their unique traits, the world has come to realize why our army is so powerful and what the key factor is in guaranteeing its victory in whatever battle it engages in. This is a landmark event in which the concept of a powerful army and the law of war victory have been clearly inscribed in the annals of the times and history.
Having such an army as the pioneer and defender of their revolutionary cause is a source of pride and honour for the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The country defended by this heroic army will remain powerful forever, and the cause advancing forward with such an army standing in the vanguard will be ever-victorious.
Referring to the important measures to be carried out as a national undertaking to hand down forever the feats of the great war participants, he affirmed that the glorious path pioneered by the combatants at the cost of their blood on the battlefields in the alien land and the ennobling lives of the martyrs will not come to an end and that the blood-stained combat records inscribed with their names will shine their eternal brilliance in the most precious pages of the history of the country.
Then he added: Our state will remain dignified, powerful and strong forever as it has such great heroes as you. Our army will carry forward the great history of war victory for all ages by displaying its unique loyalty and heroic mettle. I wish immortal glory to the heroic officers and soldiers of the overseas operations units who have elevated our people’s long history of victory and the absolute strength of our revolutionary armed forces to the highest and most glorious plane.
The speech of Kim Jong Un, full of ardent love and true heart of the great father, stirred up the hearts of all the participants.
All the participants expressed their greatest respect and boundless gratitude to Kim Jong Un, who clarified the clear strategy for victory in the battle with his outstanding military idea and extraordinary strategic and tactical wisdom, instilled the might and courage of annihilation into them with his warm parental affection and now puts them forward as great heroes and great patriots at the peak of honour.
A decree of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK on conferring the title of DPRK Hero, orders and medals on commanding officers and combatants who performed feats in overseas military operations was conveyed.
Kim Jong Un personally awarded the title of DPRK Hero to the skilled military commanding officers who led the combat sub-units of the armed forces of the Republic to victory and to the soldiers who performed distinguished feats.
He personally fixed the DPRK Hero Medal beside each of the portraits of the martyrs, recollecting with reverence the noble images and last moments of the martyrs, who sacrificed their youth and lives with their hearts pulsating with one faith and one will to thoroughly carry out the order of the country.
At the venue of the ceremony, the Song of Comradeship, reflecting the sacred history of the Korean revolution pioneered, advancing and emerging victorious on the strength of comradeship, resounded. And a touching scene to be immortal in the history of the country was unfolded conveying the warm blood ties between the leader and the soldiers.
Kim Jong Un laid a flower before the memorial wall and paid silent tribute, wishing that the noble life of the martyrs who participated in the war to defend the dignity and honour of the great state with their precious lives would shine forever as a star of eternal feats in the memory of the country and the people.
Members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK, commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence, military and political commanding officers of the large combined units of the KPA and the bereaved families of the martyrs laid flowers before the memorial wall.
Kim Jong Un met the bereaved families of the martyrs and consoled them, sharing the pain of loss with them.
Army Colonel General Kim Yong Bok, commander of the special operation units, made an oath-taking speech on behalf of all the officers and men of the overseas operation units.
Expressing his impression on having the greatest honour of receiving the highest commendation of the DPRK at the headquarters building of the Party Central Committee, the general staff of the Korean revolution, he said that the officers and men of the overseas operation units more keenly felt in the foreign battlefield the good fortune of soldiers of being led by the great brilliant commander and kept as their faith the iron truth that they would surely win if they fight only as taught by Kim Jong Un.
All the commanding officers and combatants of the overseas operation units, faithful soldiers of Kim Jong Un, guards of the Republic and sons of the heroic Korean people, will devotedly defend the authority of the Party Central Committee and firmly safeguard the honour of the country, the KPA and the Koreans till the day of returning home, he said, solemnly pledging to remain faithful to the mission and duty as the army of the Party, the people and the Supreme Commander, cherishing today’s valuable commendations as absolute trust.
Kim Jong Un once again extended sincere thanks and noble tribute to all the officers and men of the overseas operation units who defended the trust of the Party and the country in the KPA and fully displayed the great honour of the KPA, braving the fierce battle fire with the glorious national flag kept in their hearts, and to the heroic martyrs who laid the foundation of sure victory of our state and army with great feats and biographies to be handed down to generations to come.
The indomitable fighting spirit, mass heroism and immortal feats displayed by the combatants of the overseas operation units of the armed forces of the DPRK will shine forever in the history of building a rich country with a strong army as an example of the absolute loyalty to the Party and the revolution peculiar to the KPA and a symbol of the eternal victory of our great state and our cause.
KCNA
