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, had a photo session with the participants in the Fourth Conference of Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors of the Korean People’s Army on November 21.

The venue for the photo session was full of boundless reverence for and trust in the respected Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un, who gave the precious name of the most beloved comrades-in-arms to battalion commanding officers performing the vanguard mission in strengthening the armed forces of the DPRK into the unshakable mainstay of the WPK and the revolution and into an entity of great and matchless strength honourably defending the sovereignty and dignity of our state and who has shown them warm affection and trust so that they could become passionate warriors consolidating the foundation for the invincibility of the KPA.

When Kim Jong Un arrived amid the playing of welcome music, stormy cheers of “Hurrah!” was raised.

He was courteously greeted by No Kwang Chol, minister of National Defence of the DPRK, Ri Yong Gil, chief of the KPA General Staff, and Jong Kyong Thaek, director of the KPA General Political Bureau.

All the participants paid the highest tribute to the great father who made the conference of battalion commanders and political instructors, the fourth of its kind in the history of building the Juche-oriented army, a great historic meeting for bolstering up a powerful motive force for building a strong army in the new era, showed them benevolent affection and bestowed on them the glory and happiness they had desired even in dreams, by making precious time once again.

Warmly acknowledging the enthusiastic cheers, Kim Jong Un sent militant encouragement to the participants, who were full of great enthusiasm for bringing about a fresh dynamic turn in rounding off the war preparations under the militant slogan set forth by the WPK Central Committee, which regards the strengthening of the battalion as the key link in the whole chain of strengthening the whole army, at the conference, so as to firmly guarantee the mightiness and invincibility of the armed forces of the DPRK.

The battalion is a reliable base which the Party Central Committee consistently attaches importance to and relies on in the process of strengthening the KPA politically, ideologically and in military technique and its combat capability is the fighting power of our armed forces, he stressed again. The battalion commanding officers should bear in mind our Party’s standard and goal in strengthening the battalion and its fundamental requirements and thoroughly realize them, and thus creditably discharge their mission and duty as the advance force and vanguard in implementing the line of building a strong army in the new era, he said.

He affirmed that when every achievement, which is associated with the loyalty that has become the integral part of faith and special quality, firm will and indomitable efforts of the battalion commanders and political instructors, leading officers of the main combat units of our armed forces, is piled up as the cornerstone and strong pillar, innovations will surely be made in building up the battalion and our army's political and military superiority and combat power will be further augmented.

He expressed expectation and belief that the participants in the conference would fully embody in their future political and military activities the main spirit of the meeting which calls for preparing all the battalions of our armed forces as those capable of going into action and engaging in battle as soon as they have received an order of the Party Central Committee and as all-purpose battalions capable of perfectly performing any mission, and vigorously propel the perfection of war readiness through the proper combination of military and political work. Then, he left a picture of love that would shine forever along with the history of army building.

When the photo session was over, the participants broke into stormy cheers, chanting slogans of “Kim Jong Un” and “Death-defying defence” in reflection of their ardent loyalty and pledge.

Bearing in mind the lofty intention and deep trust of Kim Jong Un in great excitement, all the participants hardened their will to strengthen the battalions of the whole army into a crystal of absolute loyalty to the Party and the revolution, the country and the people and elite ranks of a-match-for-a-hundred combatants and thus reliably defend and add glory to the sacred sovereignty of the country and the honour of the people with the steadfast revolutionary faith, strong patriotic spirit and matchless heroism and mettle of the great strong army of Kim Jong Un.