Kim visits National Defense University

 

2016-6-13-1-01 2016-6-13-1-02

National Defense-uni-2016

Rodong Sinmun and KCNA report that Kim visited National Defense University. The story is not in English on their web sites yet, but the university is in Ryonsong District in Northern Pyongyang (39.169469°, 125.777240°). The Google Earth imagery of it is a little dated, but you can see where those two statues are going to be erected.

NDU-statue-site

Here is the story in Rodong Sinmun:

Kim Jong Un Visits National Defence University

Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, provided field guidance to the National Defence University.

He paid tribute to the statues of President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il at the university.

Watching the statues of smiling Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, he said with deep emotion that the university is associated with the exploits they performed by tirelessly working heart and soul for developing the Juche-oriented national defence industry in the whole period of their revolutionary careers.

He said that the statues of the great leaders were erected at the university on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s visit to it, adding that this was a great event of weighty significance in adding eternal shine to the immortal revolutionary exploits of the great leaders recorded in the history of education in the Juche-oriented national defence science and constituted an immense pride and happiness of all teaching staff and students of the university and personnel in the field of the national defence industry.

He went round the room for the education in the revolutionary history and room dedicated to the history of the university.

Kim Il Sung proclaimed the founding of the National Defence College, the predecessor of the National Defence University, in October, 1964 and visited it several times and took meticulous care of it including the establishment of departments, students’ uniform, cap-badge and collar badge and clearly indicated the road to be followed by it.

Kim Jong Il took a measure to newly build the university in an excellent place and led it with loving care so that it could fulfill its mission and duty as a center for training national defence scientific and technical personnel.

Watching historic data, Kim Jong Un said that the university has developed into the highest seat of training Juche-oriented national defence scientific and technical personnel having hundreds of persons with academic degrees and titles, several colleges, faculties, a doctorial institute, etc.

Looking at photos on the board introducing heroes one by one, he said that there are many acquaintances at the university, a clear proof that it has covered a proud path following the party. The university has produced a lot of personnel who have protected our party, he added.

He went round various places of the university including an exhibition hall of education science, e-library, weaponry hall, etc. to learn in detail about the teaching and education and scientific research.

He set forth the tasks to be fulfilled by the university.

Noting that the National Defence University is one of the universities for which he has the deepest affection and to which he attaches importance, he said he would frequently receive reports on the problems arising in the teaching and education at the university and personally settle them. He promised to turn the university into the most prestigious one in the country, an iconic university training hardcore personnel and talents who would shoulder upon themselves the national defence science and the world first class one.

He had a photo session with the officials and teachers of the university.

He was accompanied by Ri Man Gon, vice-chairman of the C.C., the WPK, Yu Jin and Jo Yong Won, vice department directors of the C.C., the WPK.

Here is coverage of the story in Yonhap:

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his intent to stick to nuclear weapons when making his first military-related public activity since the party congress in May, the North’s state media showed Monday.

Kim conducted the so-called field guidance at National Defense University, which the communist country says contributes to its defense industry, according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It did not specify the date of his visit.

Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA that the mission of the university is to nurture talented people in a bid to further consolidate the country’s status as a nuclear power state in the East.

It marked the first inspection into the defense sector since the country concluded the congress by the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) on May 9.

Since the party event, the North’s young leader has focused on economy-related public activities including visits to a tree nursery and saltern, as he has stressed the need to boost its fragile economy on the principle of self-reliance.

At the party congress, Kim called his country a “responsible” nuclear state, saying that he will “permanently” defend the pursuit of his signature policy of developing nuclear weapons and boosting the country’s moribund economy.

The KCNA said that the National Defense College, the predecessor of the university, was set up in October 1964 during the regime of the country’s founder Kim Il-sung.

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