North Korea’s state-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on April 5 that Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, observed modernized combat training exercises conducted by special operations units.
The newspaper devoted its first two pages to coverage of Kim’s visit to the North Korean People’s Army special operations forces’ training base on April 4, where he supervised comprehensive drills. Kim emphasized that the core objective in military development is to forge a formidable fighting force where all personnel operate as a single entity, united in ideology and purpose.
According to the report, the exercises focused on developing and implementing novel tactics and methodologies to enhance special operations capabilities in line with evolving modern warfare trends. The primary aim was to ensure that all operatives were thoroughly prepared to execute their missions reliably and skillfully under any combat scenario.
On page 3, the newspaper highlighted progress in the construction of 10,000 residential units in the fourth phase of the Hwasong District development project. It also reported that a visiting delegation from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation held discussions with Kim Song Nam, director of the International Department of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, on April 3. Party officials were urged to maintain a mindset that prioritizes the will and demands of the people in all matters.
The fourth page covered various events of the 14th National People’s Sports Festival, which took place at venues including the Chongchun Street Sports Complex and the Taekwondo Palace. The newspaper also announced that North Korean athlete Pang Chol-mi secured a gold medal in the 52kg category at the 2025 International Boxing Association Women’s World Boxing Championships.
Page 5 emphasized the importance of ideological training for economic officials, urging them to enhance their practical skills and qualifications. The newspaper also praised the Yeongsan Farm in Tanchon City for its agricultural practices, noting that 20 tons of high-quality compost, which have been kept for more than a year, are produced per hectare annually and a substantial amount of soil is secured and utilized for land improvement.
On the sixth page, the newspaper stated that one’s personality is elevated through acts of giving, urging the readers to adopt this as their life motto. The newspaper also briefly reported on the impeachment of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, stating that on April 4, South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously ruled to remove Yoon from office, effective immediately.