Kim Jong Un Attends 7th Military Education Officers’ Meeting

Kim Jong Un delivers a speech at the 7th National Meeting of Military Education Officers. In his remarks Kim emphasized the role of the party’s management of DPRK military policies and the KPA’s role in developing the DPRK economy (Photos: Rodong Sinmun).

DPRK state media reported on November 5 (Thursday) that Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) attended the 7th national meeting of Korean People’s Army [KPA] education officers held at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang November 3 (Tuesday) and November 4 (Wednesday)  Also in attendance were VMar Hwang Pyong So (Director of the KPA General Political Department), Gen. Pak Yong Sik (Minister of the People’s Armed Forces), Gen. Ri Yong Gil (Chief of the KPA General Staff), Lt. Gen. Ryom Chol Song (Deputy Director of the KPA General Political Department), senior KPA command staff, KPA professional military educators and instructors and staff of KPA educational institutes.

View of the venue of the 7th National Meeting of Military Education Officers at April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang (Photo: Rodong Sinmun).

Participants at the 7th National Meeting of Military Education Officers, held at the April 25 House of Culture on November 3 and November 4, 2015 (Photos: Rodong Sinmun).

VMar Hwang Pyong So delivered a report at the meeting.  According to KCNA VMar Hwang said:

The great Generalissimos Kim Il Sung (Kim Il-so’ng) and Kim Jong Il (Kim Cho’ng-il) hewed the arduous path at the outset of the Military-First (So’ngun) revolution and in this course founded the Chuch’e-oriented idea and theory of military education and wisely led the struggle for embodying them, thus performing immortal feats which would go down in the history of the development of revolutionary armed forces.

Their idea of the Chuch’e-based military education and educational tradition are being successfully carried forward and developed on a new high stage under the wise leadership of Marshal Kim Jong Un.

Let us bring about a radical turn in military education true to the noble intention of the Supreme Commander who provided a big assembly of military education officers to be specially recorded in the history of army building and thus usher in a new heyday in bolstering up military muscle.

Hwang’s report was followed up by speeches from KPA military educators and KPA officers.

Jong Un also delivered what KCNA described as “an important speech.”  Note in the passages disseminated by KCNA how Kim Jong Un reiterates the Workers’ Party of Korea’s management of the North’s military and underscores the “Party’s [military] policies.”

According to KCNA he ” highly appreciated once again the achievements the military education officers have made in the military education in the past and indicated tasks and ways for improving and strengthening the military education as required by the developing reality by thoroughly implementing the Party’s policy of making a revolution in military education.”  Jong Un “noted that military education is a very important and responsible work for training core and backbone elements of the KPA and patriotic one of lasting significance for the development of the revolutionary armed forces and the prosperity of the country.”

View of the platform of the 7th National Meeting of Military Education Officers, held at April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang on Novmeber 3 and November 4, 2015 (Photos: Rodong Sinmun).

He remarked that “the great leaders always paid deep attention to strengthening military education in the whole period of founding and leading our revolutionary armed forces and energetically led the work for consolidating the core base of the KPA by channeling great efforts into military education even in the period of the most rigorous trials” and he “stressed that if the KPA is to creditably discharge the noble mission and duty it assumed before the era and history, it should bolster up the military capability in every way by thoroughly carrying out the Party’s policy of making a revolution in military education.”

Kim Jong Un pointed out the “aim of the said revolution is to usher in the greatest heyday in boosting the military capability by decisively raising the qualitative level of military education as required by modeling the whole army on Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, he said that the Party hopes at present to see the KPA duly become a model and a pace-setter in the society in the education and the work of training talents” and he emphasized that “it is the duty of military education for the military schools at all levels to train all cadets as the strongest in thinking and the sense of moral obligation who absolutely trust and follow and devotedly defend our Party and field commanding officers and persons of ability capable of skillfully organizing and commanding modern operations and combats.”

View of and from the platform at the 7th National Meeting of Military Education Officers (Photos: Rodong Sinmun).

Jong Un said that the “seed of the revolution in military education is to build up well the ranks of teachers of military schools at all levels, decisively raise their responsibility and role and the said revolution is, in essence, the work for bringing about a radical change among teachers.  The main link in the chain efforts for making the said revolution is to arouse great enthusiasm for learning among cadets and they are main players in the said revolution.  The main thrust of the said revolution is to effect steady innovation in the contents and methods of education. It is necessary to focus efforts on improving educational contents and methods as required by the era and developing revolution.”

According to KCNA Kim Jong remarked that “in order to thoroughly implement the Party’s policy of making a revolution in military education it is necessary to improve the educational administration and regularize and standardize the management and operation of schools” and he “underscored the need to properly establish the system of guidance over military education, raise the responsibility and role of guiding officers and improve the Party’s guidance over the military education.”

At the conclusion of the two day meeting, KCNA reported that meeting participants adopted a letter pledging their loyalty to Kim Jong Un.