Commemorative photo of Kim Jong Un with officers and service members of a company subordinate to KPA Unit #233 which appeared top-center on the front page of the January 19, 2017 edition of the WPK daily newspaper Rodong Sinmun (Photo: Rodong Sinmun/KCNA).
KJU’s last observed appearance was his visit to the Ku’msanp’o Fishery and Pickling Factory
DPRK state media reported on January 19 (Thursday) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) inspected a company subordinate to Korean People’s Army [KPA] Unit #233 (formerly known as KPA Large Combined Unit [taeyonhap pudae] #233) “in the western sector of the front.” Also in attendance were KPA General Political Department Director and State Affairs Commission Vice Chairman VMar Hwang Pyong So (Hwang Pyo’ng-so) and Director of the KPA General Staff Operations Bureau and 1st Vice Chief of the KPA General Staff Colonel-General Ri Yong Gil (Ri Yo’ng-kil).
His first stop was a company barracks where he was briefed abut the quarters’ heating and remarked that “a good heating system would enable to live in a warm room even in a cold winter and make successes in combat and political training in good health.” Kim Jong Un moved on to a political and ideological education center and he underscored the “need to conduct education in the greatness of the leaders, education in Kim Jong Il’s (Kim Cho’ng-il) patriotism, education in faith, anti-imperialist and class education and moral education in a unique and effective manner.” He said that “no weapon is more powerful than political and ideological might of soldiers and when a priority is given to ideology can the People’s Army win the fight against the enemies.”
Detail of the commemorative photograph showing KPA General Political Department Director and State Affairs Vice Chairman VMAR Hwang Pyo’ng-so [a] and Director of the KPA General Staff Operations Bureau Colonel-General Ri Yo’ng-kil (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).
Whilst “watching with a broad smile on his face the barracks nestles in dense woods,” Jong Un noted the “surrounding environment is very excellent” and called “for planting more trees and taking good care of them in the future, too, turning areas around the barracks of the sub-unit and mountains near it into thick woodland, forests and orchards.” He toured the company’s military posts and was briefed about their training and preparedness, “satisfied to learn that the company is conducting training under the simulated conditions of an actual war and firmly preparing soldiers to be a match-for-a-hundred fighters possessed of strong mental power, staunch fighting spirit and high combat ability and qualifications.”Kim Jong Un was also “pleased that they are keeping weapons and combat and technical equipment always ready to go into action, thinking of combat readiness only awake or asleep on high alert, and have turned their post and positions into invulnerable fortresses.” He said that the “company has a very important duty to perform” and issued “important tasks which would serve as guidelines for rounding off combat preparations.” Jong Un expressed his “belief that the soldiers of the company would defend the socialist homeland as firm as an iron,” prior to a small ceremony at which he presented the company with a ceremonial pair of binoculars, a machine gun and automatic rifle. He then posed for a commemorative photo with members of the company.
Expressing belief that the soldiers of the company would defend the socialist homeland as firm as an iron wall, he gave them a pair of binoculars, an automatic rifle and a machine gun as gifts. Then he had a photo session with them.
Filed under: Central Committee, Central Military Committee, colonel general, corps command, corps commanders, Events Management Section, Executive Policy Bureau, Gen. Ri Yong Gil, gsd, gsob, Guard Command, Hwang Pyong So, Hwang Pyong So (GPD; KPA VMAR), ideological slogans, Kim Chong-un inspections, Kim Family, Kim Jong Un Visits, Kim Jong-il, 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 basic party organizations, KPA branch party organizations, KPA General Political Bureau, KPA General Political Department, KPA General Propaganda Department, KPA General Staff, KPA infantry corps, KPA Large Combined Units, KPA Party Life, KPA Supreme Command, KPA West Sea Command, Military Affairs, military security command [msc], Ministry of State Security, MPAF GPB, Organization and Guidance Department, party life, Political Bureau, State Security Department