Kim Jong Un reviews planning for a live fire tactical artillery exercise conducted by KPA Unit #526 (Photo: Rodong Sinmun)
DPRK state media reported on 21 February (Thursday) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) guided the tactical attack exercises of Korean People’s Army [KPA] Large Combined Unit (taeyonhap pudae) #526 and toured the renovation of the Fatherland Liberation War (Korean War) Museum. KJU’s last reported pubic appearance was his field inspection of KPA Unit #323. Kim Jong Un’s first appearance was to KPA Unit #526, which is part of the KPA General Staff Operations Bureau. He was accompanied by VMar Choe Ryong Hae (Director of the KPA General Political Department), Gen. Hyon Yong Chol (Chief of the KPA General Staff), Gen. Kim Kyok Sik (Minister of the People’s Armed Forces), Lt. Gen. Ri Yong Gil (Commander of the V Army Corps), KPA Supreme Command staff members and senior KPA officials Col. Gen. Son Chol Ju, Gen. Yun Tong Hyon, Lt. Gen. Ryom Chol Song, Gen. Pan Kwang Bok, Yun Tong Hui, Hong Yong Chil and Korean Workers’ Party [KWP] Deputy (vice) Director of the KWP Organization Guidance Department Hwang Pyong So.
Kim Jong Un was greeted and debriefed by the unit’s commanders and proceeded to the observation post, a bird’s eye view, to observe tactical artillery exercises. According to KCNA, ”signals flared up from all trenches of the “enemy” on mountain ridges after they were occupied at a breath and hurrahs were heard from soldiers” and KJU “highly appreciated the successful exercise.” Kim Jong Un issued instructions to the KPA commanders “to be carried out to get the KPA ready for combat as required by the prevailing situation.” Kim Jong Un “noted that it is necessary to continue directing big efforts to strengthening the KPA in order to accomplish the revolutionary cause of Chuch’e, Military-First (So’ngun) revolutionary cause started in the forest of Mt. Paektu generation after generation” and “called for preparing all service personnel as stalwart fighters possessed of Kim Il Sung’s and Kim Jong Il’s strategy and tactics, bold offensive methods and perfect capability to fight an actual war.”
Kim Jong Un said “”It is important for defeating the enemies to steadily round off the study of the Korean style combat methods suited to a modern war and promptly wipe them out, not giving them a breathing spell, once a war breaks out” and according to KCNA he “underlined the need for the soldiers to always keep themselves highly alerted and step up combat preparations, aware at all times that they should be ready to fight against the enemies any time.” KJU also said, “”Service personnel are fully determined to return fire for fire and mercilessly annihilate the aggressors once they intrude into the territory of the DPRK even an inch” and he called “on them to deal merciless, just retaliatory blows at the enemies if they perpetrate a provocation.”
Kim Jong Un (2nd R) tours the renovation work at the Fatherland Liberation War (Korean War) Museum in Pyongyang. Also in attendance is VMar Choe Ryong Hae (R), Director of the KPA General Political Department (Photo: Rodong Sinmun)
Kim Jong Un’s second visit was to the ongoing renovation of the Fatherland Liberation War (Korean War Museum) in Pyongyang. He was accompanied by VMar Choe Ryong Hae. Kim Jong Un arrived at the construction site was greeted by the commanding officers of the rear services units involved in the museum’s renovation and was briefed about the progress in the construction and renovation work at the museum. He “he repeatedly expressed satisfaction [and ] said the museum is located in a very good place and its design is done well.” During his tour of the construction, KJU inspected the a dock under construction where USS Pueblo will be displayed. Kim Jong Un. He toured various places under construction at the museum including the memorial tower, an outdoor education area, monuments and an outdoor weapons exhibition.
According to KCNA, Kim Jong Un “praised the soldier-builders for the work done by them, noting that they removed frozen earth and pavement of thousands of square meters under hard conditions in winter and completed the project for creating a turf area in a short span of time” and “underscored the need to arrange environment such as planting trees in good season and properly establish irrigation and drainage systems.” Kim Jong Un then visited the museum building and reviewed the lobby where a statue of his grandfather, late DPRK founder and president Kim Il Sung will be unveiled and “ ”he examined the design for the main building and appreciated its good design.” KJU also toured the museum’s second floor and its exhibitions and “underlined the need to build them well in line with the appearance and nature of the museum.”
Kim Jong Un said that “the museum serves as a base for anti-U.S. education as it equips service personnel, working people and youth and students with the Chuch’e idea, the anti-imperialist revolutionary idea, outstanding commanding art, and military strategic tactics and war methods of President Kim Il Sung.” According to KCNA KJU “called for winding up the construction of the museum before the 60th anniversary of the victorious Fatherland Liberation War so as to glorify for all ages the immortal exploits performed by Kim Il Sung for the victory of the war and the spirit of devotedly safeguarding the leader and defending the country displayed by the army and people in the 1950s.”
Filed under: Artillery Corps, Central Committee, Central Military Committee, Choe Ryong Hae, Col. Gen. Son Chol Ju, Events Management Section, Fatherland Liberation War (Korean War), Gen. Kim Kyok Sik, Gen. Pak Kwang Bok, Gen. Yun Tong Hyon, gsd, gsob, Guard Command, Hwang Pyong So, Hyon Yong Chol, Kim Family, Kim Jong Un Visits, Kim Jong-un, KJI Personal Secretariat, Korean People's Army (KPA), Korean People's Army Supreme Command, Korean People's Internal Security Forces, Korean Workers' Party (KWP), KPA General Political Bureau, KPA General Political Department, KPA General Staff, KPA Large Combined Units, KPA V Army Corps, kpif, Lt. Gen. Ri Yong Gil, Lt. Gen. Ryom Chol Song, ministry of people's security, Ministry of State Security, Ministry of the People's Armed Forces (MPAF), MPAF GPB, National Defense Commission (NDC), NDC Administration Department, North Korean press, Organization and Guidance Department, Political Bureau, Secretariat, State Security Department
