Imperishable Army-building Exploits of Great Brilliant Commander

Today is a significant day marking the ６６th anniversary of the start of Chairman Kim Jong Il’s leadership over the revolutionary armed forces.

On August ２５, １９６０, the Chairman visited the Seoul Ryu Kyong Su Guards １０５th Tank Division of the Korean People’s Army (KPA).

Looking at the slogan "Let Us Defend with Our Very Lives the Party Central Committee Headed by the Respected Comrade Kim Il Sung!" displayed at the unit for a long time, the Chairman said that the slogan demanded that the People’s Army should absolutely trust and follow the leader only and sacrifice their lives without hesitation for the Party and the leader.

To defend the Party and the leader at the cost of life is the basic mission of our People’s Army and the core of the glorious fighting traditions, he noted and went on:

The People’s Army should bring earlier the final victory of the Korean revolution, holding aloft this slogan.

Since the very day, the Chairman’s energetic guidance started for training our revolutionary armed forces to be an invincible strong army.

In particular, during the days of the Arduous March when the imperialists’ moves to stifle the DPRK were at the worst-ever level, the Chairman administered the Songun politics on a full scale, put forward the People’s Army as the main force of the revolution and put his heart and soul into bolstering up the country’s defence capabilities.

He made painstaking efforts to modernize the national defence industry visiting wherever our soldiers were including Chol Pass, Mt Osong, Cho Islet and Panmunjom. His energetic guidance and devoted efforts still touch the heartstrings of our people and service personnel.

Thanks to his outstanding and seasoned leadership, the KPA strengthened into a powerful and invincible army strong in ideology and faith, which is imbued with Juche Idea, firmly established the command system of the Party and fully equipped with strategies and tactics of our own style, modern attack and defence means.

Once, the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un, recalling with deep emotion the start of the Chairman’s guidance over the revolutionary armed forces, warmly said that thanks to that significant day, a historic turn was brought about in the strengthening and development of our revolutionary armed forces and carrying out the revolutionary cause of Juche, and our sacred revolutionary history and traditions which were pioneered, advanced and recorded victory with arms could be dynamically carried on.

Today the undying army-building feats of the Chairman are shining more brilliantly under the leadership of the respected General Secretary.

Under the wise guidance of the respected General Secretary, the People’s Army grew into a politically and ideologically powerful army taking the lead in faithfully upholding the idea and leadership of the Party Central Committee and an invincible army which is possessed of the all-around Juche-oriented tactics and fully capable of coping with any modern warfare.

Indeed, the Chairman’s patriotic army-building exploits in the days of his guidance over the revolutionary armed forces will shine forever in the history of the country.

Rodong Sinmun