The Korean People’s Army has many proud names such as the “heroic Korean People’s Army,” “invincible revolutionary armed forces,” “elite revolutionary army”, etc.

The historical desire of the Korean people to have their own regular armed forces was realized when the KPA was founded on February 8 seventy-five years ago.

Reporting the joy and delight of all the Korean people of having their regular revolutionary armed forces to defend the safety and sovereignty of their nation from the enemy’s invasion and prevent the tearful history of a ruined nation from repeating on this land, a newspaper described the KPA as “our people’s army with dignified appearance.”

The KPA has since written proud chapters in its history appropriate to its title—a people’s army.

It defeated the imperialist aggressor forces in the Fatherland Liberation War (June 25, 1950-July 27, 1953) that could be called a confrontation between an atomic bomb and a rifle, earning such titles as the “heroic People’s Army,” “matchlessly courageous army” and “invincible army.” After the victory in the war it frustrated the anti-DPRK military provocations by the imperialists at every step, in the course of which it has fully demonstrated its might as the a-match-for-a-hundred army.

While reliably defending the dignity and safety of the country and the people by force of arms of the revolution, it has devoted its blood and sweat to creating the happiness of the people.

Under the slogan “Let us take upon ourselves both national defence and socialist construction!” it has performed brilliant feats both in the defence of the country and in the struggle for national prosperity.

Monumental structures such as the then February 8 Vinalon Factory, the West Sea Barrage and the Anbyon Youth Power Station, as well as rural communities and fishing villages are permeated with the patriotic devotion of its soldiers to the happiness of the people.

The Yangdok Hot Spring Resort, workers’ hostels, baby homes, orphanages, ideal streets for the people and beautiful socialist rural villages which have been built even in the face of trials are the crystallization of their sincerity for the country and the people.

That is why the Korean people proudly call the KPA the defender of the country and the creator of their happiness.

All these titles that symbolize the dignity, honour, pride and happiness of the heroic KPA are unthinkable apart from the leadership of great commanders.

President Kim Il Sung led the KPA to creditably discharge its mission and duty as the genuine revolutionary armed forces of the Workers’ Party of Korea from the initial days of its founding. Chairman Kim Jong Il developed it into a genuine army which unhesitatingly devotes itself to defend the WPK Central Committee. Having defined modelling the whole army on Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism as the general objective of army-building, the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un is now further developing it into an impregnable fortress of defending the WPK Central Committee.

As it has been led by the peerlessly great men, the KPA has remained loyal to its mission of defending the revolution, the country and the people in supporting the cause of the WPK by force of arms, and is fully demonstrating its invincible might as the elite army.

Yang Ryon Hui