The Korean People's Army, the ever-victorious elite ranks, has formulated the new concept of a powerful army and a new law of victory with its unique ideological and moral superiority of remaining absolutely loyal to the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea, unparalleled mass heroism, matchless bravery and indomitable fighting spirit, and the honour of the revolutionary armed forces has reached its peak for its absolute might. It is marking its founding anniversary with pride, adding a page of shining victories and miracles to the great army-building history.

The KPA is adding to the greatness of the Party and the state and ushering in a new era of prosperity and development in the vanguard of the revolution advancing through struggle and transformation for the eternal prosperity of the country and the well-being of the people, true to the sacred letters embroidered on its glorious colors. Its legendary feats and dynamic advance constitute a great pride of the state and the people and a symbol of their strong dignity and inexhaustible strength.

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, paid a congratulatory visit to the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK on February 8, the 78th founding anniversary of the KPA to congratulate and encourage all officers and men of the army.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un was accompanied by Pak Jong Chon, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK and secretary of the WPK Central Committee.

All the commanding officers were filled with boundless excitement and joy as they came to greet the great brilliant commander visiting the Ministry of National Defence with his ardent desire to put his trust, deepest ever for the existence and development of the revolutionary armed forces, in them again on the significant army-founding day.

There was a solemn ceremony of greeting the Supreme Commander.

Kim Jong Un reviewed the guard of honour of the Korean People's Army.

The Ministry of National Defence presented him with bouquets of fragrant flowers reflecting the boundless reverence of all the service personnel of the People's Army for him.

He was courteously greeted by major commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence and commanders of the KPA large combined units.

He reviewed the flags of victory, symbols of honour of the large combined units and combined units of the KPA at all levels.

All the participants raised stormy cheers of "Hurrah!", looking up to the greatest commander in the world who has led the Juche-based cause of building a powerful army to victory with his outstanding army-building idea and commanding art, fully demonstrating the dignity, might and fame of the armed forces and adding eternal glory to the long army-building history.

The national flag of the DPRK was hoisted.

The guard of honour of the KPA marched with pride, being reviewed by the Supreme Commander.

Kim Jong Un delivered a significant speech on the occasion of army-founding day.

In the speech, he said:

All the generals and other officers and soldiers of the heroic armed forces of the Republic,

Generals and other officers at the Ministry of National Defence, the supreme commanding organ of the Korean People's Army,

I congratulate you on the February 8 Army Founding Day.

This day, when we recall with pride our army's heroic building history and its ever-victorious course, is a revolutionary holiday which is significantly celebrated not only by the service personnel but also by all the people throughout the country.

On behalf of the Party and government, I extend warm congratulations and militant greetings to all the officers and soldiers on the occasion of Army Founding Day in reflection of my mind always thankful to our army that is playing every role and making infinite devotion for our great state and people, shouldering a great mission and heavy duty incomparable to those of other armies in the world.

I also pay my respects to the responsible efforts of the commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence and the military and political cadres of the large combined units, who are doing their best to perfectly embody the military lines and policies of the Party in the military and political activities of the entire army.

In particular, I extend warm encouragement and congratulations to the commanding officers and other combatants of the overseas special operations units, who are carrying out the order of their homeland in combat positions in the faraway alien land, staking the honour of their heroic army, as I want to see them all the more today.

Comrades,

We greet this day every year, but today I have come here with a really special feeling.

As it is the day we are celebrating in the lead-up to the Ninth Party Congress, which will open soon, I feel more keenly the greatness and preciousness of our army.

In looking back upon the victorious journey of our army over the past turbulent five years as it has always been since its founding, today's glory would never be conceivable separated from the enormous role our army has played. At this thought, I can hardly find enough words to express my heartfelt thanks to all the officers and soldiers of our army.

Officers and soldiers of the KPA,

You have done really great things to support the Party's cause and defend the security of the national sovereignty and safety of the people in the vanguard of the pioneering struggle, the struggle for achieving transformation, which was challenging year after year.

I would like to praise you for having done greater things last year than you had done in all the years of the past.

Last year was a year especially filled with unheard-of dramatic events and distinguished feats that could be performed only by our army. For this, it can be called a year when the Party's and people's trust in and affection for their army grew stronger and greater.

Our army has proved before the times and history that it is its mettle and original features to quicken more enormous and vigorous strides for loyalty and feats the greater the trust in and expectation for it is.

As you are all prepared for, this is a year of tremendous transformation, when the fighting front of our army will become more widened and which will demand more strenuous efforts.

Likewise, the coming five years that will be indicated by the Ninth Congress of the Party will be years when our army's outstanding role that no one else can perform will become further enhanced.

Our Party is always filled with confidence and feels proud as if it had won the world, as it has put in the vanguard of the struggle to create a new world the revolutionary armed forces, our army, boundlessly faithful to its cause.

Comrades,

On the occasion of Army Founding Day, I offer my warm congratulations once again to all the officers and soldiers of the army, and I hope you will make more strenuous efforts.

Our brave army will further accelerate its advance for the country and the people, and its fighting course will be adorned with brilliant feats and fame.

Long live the heroic Korean People’s Army!

His speech, filled with profound trust and affection of him who always places the armed forces of the Republic in the vanguard of the drive for implementing the sacred cause of the WPK, deeply moved all the service personnel.

When he finished his speech, the service personnel chanted the slogan of loyalty to him and sang a revolutionary military song in chorus as a token of their militant enthusiasm to dedicate themselves to ensuring the eternal prosperity and security of their socialist country and the happiness of the people by regarding as stimulants of their growth and lifeblood of their destiny the trust and loving care shown by him, who injects vitality into the revolutionary armed forces to be strong, signally glorious and invincible, and by becoming the service personnel, strong in their faith, moral obligation and ideology, who never deviate from the path indicated by the Party Central Committee, fully embodying its revolutionary idea.

He had a photo session with the major commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence and commanders of the large combined units of the KPA.

A ceremonial performance was given by the central military band of the Ministry of National Defence.

The festive mood on the Day of Army was further deepened by the performers' rhythmic formations ever changing to the tune of revolutionary military songs full of the militant spirit, reminiscent of a bugle signal to the entire army for an advance toward a new victory, and smart and amazing rifle-handling skills shown by KPA honour guard members.

Kim Jong Un had a photo taken with the generals and other officers of the headquarters of the ministry in commemoration of the army-founding day.

All the participants paid the highest glory and respect to the Supreme Commander who has led the service personnel step by step with his warm encouragement so that they win great victories and perform immortal exploits in the forefront of the struggle for carrying out the great cause of building a rich country with a strong army.

Kim Jong Un said that the course of eye-opening development and offensive advance of our country, which has brought about miraculous transformation and remarkable successes during the eighth term of the Party Central Committee, is associated with the undying exploits of the KPA service personnel, admirable sons and daughters of the country and the people, who have made, by their ennobling devotion and priceless feats, a breakthrough for victory and effected new upsurges in the revolution in order to bring the great transformation to be seen in the future to present reality.

From the army-founding generation to the present generation, the revolutionary nature of our army voluntarily shouldering the heavy burden for the revolution has never changed and to be proud of is the militant path it has covered by making a bold advance to gain a series of victories in the face of trials and difficulties, and yet more worthwhile and glorious is the path ahead of it, he said, adding that the worksites of gigantic struggle, to be indicated by the Ninth Congress of the Party, are calling the service personnel of the KPA, the strongest in the world, invincible and heroic.

He expressed belief that the KPA, which has deemed the decisions of the Party the absolute truth and supreme military order and always said "Yes" in response, will glorify the current era by performing miraculous exploits transcending heroism of all historical ages in the ensuing new struggle and add lustre to the honour of the present generation to be admired by posterity.

All the participants loudly chanted the slogan of "Death-defying Defence", out of their firm pledge to add eternal brilliance to the great fame and glory of the KPA which has adorned the past years with legendary victories and miracles by dint of its unique spirit and soul, always living up to its sacred title - army of the Party and army of the people.

Kim Jong Un watched a sports game of commanding officers of the ministry held in commemoration of the army-founding day.

Then he met the retired generals invited to the celebrations.

Saying that recorded in every page of the long army-building history, which always goes alongside the leadership history of the Party, is the ennobling devotion made by the retired generals who faithfully upheld the Party and the country with their unbounded self-sacrificing indomitable spirit during their long service in the revolutionary army, he had a photo session with them who dedicated themselves to bolstering up the military muscle.

His congratulatory visit to the Ministry of National Defence was a meaningful occasion for renewing the noble sense of mission of the service personnel and redoubling their efforts to remain faithful to their role as the vanguard of the revolutionary armed forces in the sacred struggle for safeguarding the national sovereignty and right to development and the people's destiny and future.