NDC Chairman Kim Jong Il and the Korean People’s Army

The Korean people mark the 15^th anniversary of the election of Kim Jong Il as the Chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission on April 9.

Under the guidance of Kim Jong Il, Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Korean People’s Army is displaying its might as the reliable defender of the socialist cause, frustrating challenges of imperialists.

His leadership has further strengthened the KPA into an army with strong ideology and faith.

Kim Jong Il stresses that an arm, which is not backed up by ideology, is no more than a stick.

He has always paid primary attention to the politico-ideological preparation of the army and put forth the ways and means of the political and ideological work in keeping with the demands the situation in each period. Giving continuous on-the-spot guidance to the KPA units, he looks round several places such as servicemen’s hall and library to acquaint himself with the process of political work among soldiers. He sees soldiers’ simple artistic performances and appreciate their noble ideological and spiritual features displayed in the performances. In November 2007, he saw the artistic performances of companies’ soldiers taking part in the 31^st servicemen’s art festival, and said with great satisfaction that the KPA grew into an army with strong ideology and faith, whose soldiers not only obtained high spiritual cultural attainment but also were prepared politically and ideologically.

Under his leadership, the KPA has strengthened into an army with strong ideology and faith, which is filled with the spirit of defending the leader at the cost of their lives and whose soldiers don’t hesitate to throw themselves into thick and thin for the sake of the country and people.

“Defend the leadership of revolution headed by the great Comrade Kim Jong Il at the cost of our lives!”-this is the slogan of faith upheld by KPA soldiers. Among them are a hero who met his death on a plane on fire for the safety of the leadership, 15 soldiers who left a writing “Long live Kim Jong Il’s great, prosperous and powerful nation!” and met the end of their life after drafting for nearly three months on the ocean due to a sudden accident, and soldiers who protected the portraits of the leader from fire at the cost of their lives.

We will surely win when we are led by NDC Chairman Kim Jong Il-this is the nucleus of the ideological and spiritual features of the KPA and underlies its invincibility as an army with strong ideology and technology.

His firm army-building strategy is to strengthen the People’s Army into a strong army, which is fully prepared not only politically and ideologically, but also militarily and technically. From long ago he attached great importance to strengthening of the KPA’s military and technical capabilities. At the end of the 20^th century, he put up higher the banner of Songun politics and took some important measures to arm the People’s Army with unique strategy and tactics and to remarkably enhance it’s military and technical preparation in conformity with the characters of modern warfare and the requirement of the acute situation.

The KPA has strengthened into an invincible army under his leadership. Upholding the slogan “Training is also a battle!” all officers and men have been prepared physically and tactically through intense training and units of all services and arms been equipped with modern weapons of powerful striking force and high mobility. The US military and technical “superiority” in air attack, long-distance strike and electronic warfare, have been overcome by the strategy and technical equipment of the KPA. As everybody knows, the DPRK has created a powerful war deterrent that can defeat any formidable imperialist enemy.

Kim Jong Il’s leadership has turned the KPA into powerful forces based on the single-hearted unity of all officers and men.

The unity between officers and men is a traditional trait of the KPA. The relationship between officers and men of the army is not merely the one of subordination, but of comrades. And it is like the one of flesh and blood.

Kim Jong Il said that soldiers do not exist for the sake of officers but that latter exists for the sake of the former, and has led the KPA commanding officers to take care of the soldiers like their own parents do.

Officers are striving to solve trivial problem in soldiers’ life while looking after their health. Some officers covered with their bodies hand grenades that were about to explode unexpectedly, thus saving the life of soldiers. Soldiers sincerely respect and follow their officers and thoroughly carry out their orders.

Love, respect, and comradeship between officers and men are further cementing their single-hearted unity-this is the source of the KPA’s invincibility.

The KPA led by NDC Chairman Kim Jong Il emerge ever-victorious as a peerless army.