editorial

The DPRK’s national defence capability has reached the highest level beyond anyone’s denigration in the past five years thanks to the wise leadership of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un who intends to build a powerful and prosperous socialist country, regarding the self-reliant defence as the mainstay of defending the revolution and developing the country.

The respected General Secretary solemnly clarified the revolutionary standpoint that the national defence capability, the cornerstone for the existence of the state and a reliable guarantee for defending the dignity and security of the country and people and peace, should be strengthened continuously, at the Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He said that as long as imperialism remains on the earth and the threat of war of aggression by the hostile forces against the DPRK remains, the historic mission of the revolutionary armed forces can never be changed and the country’s national defence capability must be steadily bolstered along the new track of development.

With a firm will to train the revolutionary armed forces into invincible elite ranks that no one dares provoke, he guided the First Workshop of Commanders and Political Officers of the Korean People’s Army and the Eighth Conference of Military Educationists of the KPA. He also attended the Fourth Conference of the Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors of the KPA and made an important speech.

When he visited Kim Il Sung Military University, Kim Jong Il Military and Political Academy, O Jin U General Artillery Academy and Kang Kon General Military Academy, he indicated the tasks for training more military personnel and reliable commanding officers, who are fully prepared for modern warfare.

He guided military exercises and training matches of various services and arms, including a drill of tactical nuclear operation units of the KPA, fire strike drill of long-range artillery sub-units on the front and flying corps and training match among the large combined tankmen’s units, encouraging the officers and men of the People’s Army to raise a hot wind of intensive training as befits the army of Mt Paektu and vigorously conduct the movement to win the title of crack shots so as to defend the forefront and sovereignty of the country with matchless military capabilities.

Thanks to the leadership of the respected General Secretary who firmly defends the destiny of the country and people with the strongest national defence capability, the defence industry of the DPRK has entered a higher stage of development since the Eighth Congress of the WPK.

Saying that the essence of the Party’s defence policy is to defend the country and people by their own efforts and to contain any threat and challenge and reliably and steadfastly safeguard peace by consistently developing a powerful defence capability, he indicated the tasks and ways for bolstering up the defence capability on various occasions including an important Party meeting.

The defence development exhibition Self-Defence 2021 was held with splendour in October 2021 as an intensive, visual demonstration not only of the far-sighted ambition, leadership ability and executive capability of the Party in bringing about a fresh turn in consolidating the country’s defence potential by invariably holding fast to the invincible line of self-defence, but also of the remarkable level of development of the state’s defence science and munitions industry and their bright future.

The legalization of the state nuclear forces policy, which was carried out in September 2022 in accordance with the general will of the Korean people, was a historic event that fully demonstrated the independent decision of the WPK and the DPRK government and their steadfast will to defend the sovereignty and national interests.

Major military activities were conducted in an offensive way to overwhelmingly counter the frantic war drills staged by the US and its followers.

The ICBMs Hwasongpho-17, Hwasongpho-18 and Hwasongpho-19, unmanned underwater nuclear attack boat Haeil, an underwater strategic weapon system, and reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1 were successfully launched, a tactical ballistic missile in which a new guidance technology was introduced was test-fired, a strategic cruise missile launching drill was conducted, and unmanned weapons were developed.

The test-fire of a submarine-launched strategic cruise missile was successfully conducted to demonstrate the rapid development of the Juche-based naval force and convince people of the good prospects of the buildup of the naval force, and newly-built tactical nuclear attack submarine Hero Kim Kun Ok and destroyers Choe Hyon and Kang Kon were launched in succession.

The military hardware exhibitions Defence Development-2024 and Defence Development-2025 served as significant occasions in demonstrating the inexhaustible development of the national defence capability of the DPRK and heralding the changes of the armed forces which will become more powerful beyond comparison.

The military parade held in celebration of the 80th founding anniversary of the WPK fully demonstrated the inexhaustible potentiality of defence technology and eye-opening development speed of the DPRK as well as the valiant spirit of the KPA as the ranks of elite soldiers firmly armed with the ideas and will of the Party, the ranks of strong soldiers that always win victory in every battle and the ranks of point-men who make a breakthrough in socialist construction.

As the eternal victory, genuine peace, happiness and wellbeing are underpinned by the inexhaustible strength that is upgraded constantly, the Korean people are continuously putting spurs to bolstering up the national defence capabilities with the will that there is no satisfaction or accomplishment in cultivating strength for defending themselves.