North Korea marked the 78th anniversary of its People’s Army founding on February 8, rallying troops and vowing to strengthen its military into a world-class force.
The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper declared in an editorial that the nation is celebrating the Korean People’s Army’s 78th anniversary at a pivotal moment, with the revolutionary armed forces standing as stalwart defenders of the party’s mission, the cornerstone of national defense, and the bulwark of peace.
The paper lauded the sacrifices of service members, asserting that the nation’s strength, dignity, and the people’s self-reliant way of life are built upon the military’s hard-won achievements. It hailed the armed forces as the architects of the people’s prosperity, spearheading socialist construction.
Highlighting the transformative progress of the past five years, the newspaper urged a bold advance toward the new horizons set by the upcoming 9th Party Congress. It stressed the importance of reinforcing the party’s centralized command to maintain the elite force’s unwavering unity with the party leadership.
The editorial emphasized that safeguarding the nation’s security and sovereignty is the People’s Army’s sacred duty. It called for urgent implementation of the party’s five revolutionary training directives to enhance combat readiness, scientific advancement, and modernization across all service branches, aiming to forge the world’s most formidable military.
The paper underscored the necessity of backing the party and people’s efforts to elevate national revitalization with robust military might.
While Army Day is an annual event, this year’s observance carries special significance, the newspaper noted. It comes as the nation guarantees the success of its initial phase of comprehensive socialist development through military power, propelling the country into a new era of transformation.
Concurrently, North Korea announced plans to convene the 9th Party Congress later this month, its highest decision-making body. In the lead-up to this crucial meeting, Pyongyang appears to be promoting its vision of comprehensive socialist development, arguing that a powerful national defense is essential to achieve this goal.
This year’s Army Day was marked with less fanfare, as it doesn’t fall on a major anniversary. This contrasts with last year’s 75th anniversary, which featured a grand military parade and the unveiling of the new Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
North Korea’s Army Day commemorates the establishment of its regular military force, the Korean People’s Army, on February 8, 1948. From 1978 to 2017, the country celebrated this event on April 25, marking the founding of anti-Japanese guerrilla forces, before reverting to the February 8 date in 2018.