THE EMBASSY OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO SWITZERLAND
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No 61/23 July 28, 2023
Grand Military Parade Held to Celebrate 70th Anniversary of Great War Victory
Pyongyang, July 28 (KCNA) -- The 70th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War is being celebrated across the DPRK as an auspicious holiday of the country and its people in the glorious course of glorifying heroic Korea's history and traditions of great succession and dashing toward a greater victory under the uplifted banner of independent in politics, self-supporting in economy and self-reliant in national defence, guided by the ever-victorious Workers' Party of Korea.
All the people are filled with the great pride and confidence of greeting the 70th war victory anniversary with the unshakable faith and will to give eternal continuity to the undying history of the war victory which saved the new-born republic from the danger of collapse and preserved human peace by averting a new world war with the inexhaustible strength resulting from the single-minded unity around the great leader and the great Party and indomitable fighting spirit.
A grand military parade took place in Pyongyang, the capital city of the DPRK, on the evening of July 27, the eternal war victory holiday of the glorious DPRK, in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War.
The sculpture "Victory", symbolic of heroism of the army and people of the DPRK who inflicted the most miserable defeat upon the U.S. imperialists in the history of war and brought about the beginning of ruin for them, was shedding its bright rays on Kim Il Sung Square, where an endless stream of military paraders of the strong revolutionary army, a reliable defender of the DPRK government, and entities of its inexhaustible national defence capabilities, would go past representing the history of ever-victorious Juche Korea.
The strategic reconnaissance drone and the multi-purpose attack drone which were newly developed and produced and are to be furnished for the KPA air force made circular flights in the sky above the square for the military parade to add to the joy of the people who have celebrated July 27 representing victory and glory of Juche Korea generation after generation.
Then, youth and students started their dancing party to rev up the festive atmosphere around the magnificent sculpture "Victory" representing the costly self-sacrifice of the victorious wartime generation for the country and the noble soul and reflecting the dignity and spirit of the great country and the great victors on the eminence of the world.
When the defenders of the country and heroes of the myth of the epoch-making war victory in the 1950s, who have provided the great privilege and honor of celebrating the great war victory generation after generation, entered the military parade square amid the display of fireworks, youth and students presented bouquets and flowers to them and the audience loudly applauded them.
The State Merited Chorus in charge of playing military parade music entered the square.
A combined military band started its ceremonial performance as a curtain-raiser to the military parade.
With cheerful melodies and dynamic rhythms, the music players represented the great joy and excitement that filled the square celebrating the war victory 70 years ago and the proud history of the victorious war by revolutionary armed forces which have reliably carried forward the spirit of the heroic generation.
The members of the guards of honor of the KPA showed the invincible spirit and militant optimism of the one-match-for-a-hundred army through their peculiar and skilful handling of rifles to the tune of exciting revolutionary military music.
Then, the parade units of the ever-victorious heroic army, the elite armed forces of the DPRK, dignified with its invincibility, entered the square to the tune of music played by a grand parade orchestra.
Colors of the guard units which glorified the 1 129 days of the Fatherland Liberation War with feats and the matchless elite units which have demonstrated invincibility in the confrontation with the U.S.-led imperialists spanning the two centuries were brought and lined up at the entrance to the square.
All the members of the military parade were looking up to the platform of the square, greatly excited to be reviewed by Kim Jong Un, symbol of the mightiness and absolute dignity of socialist Korea and banner of all victories and glory.
A solemn reception ceremony of the guards of honor of the Korean People's Army (KPA) took place when Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, arrived at the square.
After receiving a salute from the head of the guards of honor of the KPA, he reviewed the guards of honor and the colors of major units of the KPA.
Kim Jong Un, Supreme Commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, was greeted by commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence, the large combined units and combined units of the KPA.
The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un came out to the platform of the military parade square amid the playing of welcome music.
The moment, all the members of the military parade and the participants in the celebrations broke into stormy cheers of "Hurrah!" as a token of their highest tribute to Kim Jong Un, outstanding leader and the great brilliant commander, who has injected tremendous vitality into the lifeblood of the Korean revolution and provided a firm guarantee for eternally carrying forward the ever-victorious history of Juche Korea.
He was presented with bouquets of fragrant flowers by pretty children.
He warmly waved back to the enthusiastically cheering paraders and participants.
Taking the platform were Ri Pyong Chol, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK and secretary of the C.C., WPK, commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence, commanders and political commissars of the KPA large combined units, and commanders of the combined units.
Senior Party and government officials and veteran cadres who had worked at the Party, the government and the military for a long time took the special seats of the platform.
Present there on invitation were General Sergei Shoigu, minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Li Hongzhong, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress, and other members of the Russian military delegation and the Chinese party and government delegation visiting the DPRK to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War, and diplomatic envoys of Russia and China here.
The participants in the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War, including war veterans, persons of wartime merits, persons of exemplary traits in supporting the army, persons of merits, labor innovators, exemplary service persons and descendents of martyrs, were present on the reviewing stands.
A ceremony for hoisting the national flag of the DPRK was solemnly held.
To the tune of the song "Our National Flag" that instills patriotism into all people, demonstrators in formation depicting the DPRK Hero Medal entered the square, being reviewed by the colors of the KPA combined units at all levels.
Along with the spotlighted Hero Medal that represents the spirit of the heroic people who defeated the two formidable imperialist enemies in one generation under the guidance of the great leader and symbolizes the valuable dignity and honor of Juche Korea winning the most brilliant victory in the face of the stern tempest of the revolution, war veterans handed the flag of the DPRK, which they defended at the cost of their blood in the flames of the war, to members of the KPA guard of honor.
The sacred national flag, the undying banner which was held aloft at the fore of advance by the victors of the great years, the flag which represents the prestige and might of the country being powerful as an independent nation and reflects the boundless pride and happiness of the Korean people, was hoisted slowly amid the solemn playing of the national anthem of the DPRK.
All the participants paid high tribute to the national flag, looking up to it with a surge of excitement.
Fireworks were displayed in the sky of significant July and the square of the military parade was filled with emotion and joy when the flag of the DPRK shining as a symbol of eternal victory and justice began fluttering at the top of the flagpole.
A 21-gun salute was fired to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.
Kang Sun Nam, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK and minister of National Defence of the DPRK, made a speech.
He said that it is a great honor of the service personnel of the armed forces of the DPRK and a great auspicious event for all the Korean people to hold a military parade for celebrating the war victory day at the square where the shouts of "Hurrah!" reverberated with the joy over the great victory after firmly defending the country from the armed invasion by the U.S. imperialists and their vassal forces 70 years ago.
Saying the military parade, which will show the history of the great victory through a striking demonstration of great strength, shall be the greatest-ever one in the world, the most unique and powerful festival for marking the victory in the war, the speaker stressed that the DPRK, led by the invincible revolutionary Party and the outstanding leader, will prosper forever and the great Korean people propelling the revolutionary cause of Juche, the cause of socialism, will always emerge victorious in glory.
Then followed a review of the preparations for the parade.
KPA Marshal Ri Pyong Chol, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, was told by Army General Kang Sun Nam, minister of National Defence of the DPRK, that the military parade units lined up to be reviewed for the parade preparations.
He reviewed the parade units.
Then he reported the Supreme Commander of the armed forces of the DPRK that the military parade for celebrating the 70th anniversary of the great victory in the Fatherland Liberation War was ready to start.
The grand parade began with the entry of a column of paraders in wartime officer uniform carrying a picture depicting the venerable image of President Kim Il Sung who glorified the history of the hard-won great war victory.
Ri Myong Su, a war veteran, was in the van of the marching column holding the portraits of the brave anti-Japanese and anti-U.S. fighters including Kim Chaek, Kang Kon, Kim Il and Ryu Kyong Su who performed the undying feats to be eternally recorded in the history of the great war victory, deeming their loyalty to the leader conscience and honor, morality and obligation, before regarding it as their duty.
Led by a war veteran Choe Yong Rim, the column of the paraders in wartime bodyguard company uniform marched past the square with the portraits of the ardent loyalists including Hyon Chol Hae, Yon HyongMuk and Pak Song Bong, who became a fortress and shield to devotedly defend the Supreme Command during the war, to remind the spectators of the historical iron truth that the outstanding leader and the genuine revolutionaries who devotedly defended him are always together in the history of the great war victory.
Columns of the first guard unit of the revolutionary armed forces, legendary guard divisions and guard regiments entered the square one after another, holding aloft their colors reflecting the immortal feats they performed to make a breakthrough for advance at every strategic stage of the Fatherland Liberation War.
The column of the Guards Kang Kon 2nd Infantry Division, whose soldiers destroyed a large number of enemy troops and combat equipment in each stage of the fierce war, performed matchless feats in the battles for defending Height 1211 and plunged the aggressors into a "trap valley" of ruin, started its march, holding the portraits of Commander of Division Choe Hyon and KPA heroes produced by the division, including Ri Su Bok and An Yong Ae.
They were followed by the column of the Guards Seoul 3rd Infantry Division, the arrow unit of advance which performed the admirable feats in the operation for liberating Seoul, annihilated the "Smith commando", a scouting unit of the U.S. imperialist aggressors, in the Osan battle and set a brilliant example of the modern siege in the operation for liberating Taejon, and the column of the Seoul Kim Chaek 4th Infantry Division, a world-famous brave combat unit.
The column of the Guards 6th Infantry Division renowned for its high mobility and serial strike warfare and the column of the Andong 12th Infantry Division, a unit of tigers which fought in the eastern mountainous areas, went past the square holding the portraits of Hero Han KyeRyol who pioneered the movement of "My Height" and Hero Jo Sun Ok and Hero Kang Ho Yong who became human bombs during the war.
Then, the columns of the Guards 10th Infantry Regiment which produced 16 brave fighters of Phohang, the Guards 18th Infantry Regiment, a winged tiger unit which ran over 40 km in a single night to block the enemy's retreat and conclude the siege on Taejon, and the Guards 14th Infantry Regiment and the Guards 86th Infantry Regiment whose soldiers stroke horror into the enemy by becoming human bullets and swords standing in the van of the victorious advance directed by the Supreme Command, marched past the square, fluttering their colors reflecting their great exploits.
The columns of the Guards 56 Pursuit Aircraft Regiment, whose propeller planes shot down the then latest fighter planes of the enemy, including B-29 heavy bomber advertised by the U.S. imperialists as an aerial fortress, in the early days of the war, and the column of the Second Torpedo Boat Squadron whose four torpedo boats destroyed the heavy cruiser "Baltimore" and a light cruiser of the enemy in the Jumunjin naval battle, a miracle unprecedented in the world war history, went past the square to remind the spectators of the heroic phoenix-like pilots and death-defying sailors during the war.
The audience loudly applauded the columns symbolic of the feats of the wartime guard units which provided the traditions of eternal victory of the country by demonstrating the mettle of heroic Korea in turning the crime-woven tradition of "upturn" of the U.S. imperialists into the one of disgrace and defeat.
The column symbolic of the railway soldiers who performed matchless feats in munitions transport in the flames of war and the column representing the Ministry of the Interior whose soldiers discovered in time the enemy's aggression war plan in the battle fields without gunfire and promptly detected and purged many spies and saboteurs to make distinguished contributions to the victory of the war, marched past the square. Then, the columns symbolic of the children, men and women guerillas who had fought against the aggressors in the death-defying battles against aggressors by inheriting the invaluable traditions of the anti-Japanese war appeared on the square with fluttering red flags and the flags of the Children's Union to represent the history of indomitable resistance.
The columns of wartime mechanized units entered the square filled with the heroic fighting spirit and stamina of the victorious wartime generation.
Led by Tank No. 312, which had plunged itself into the citadel of the enemy three days after the start of the war before any others, mercilessly smashing the aggressors, and hoisted the flag of the DPRK on the rooftop of the puppet capitol building, the column representing the wartime unit which liberated Seoul went past the square, reminding the spectators of the excitement and joy on the historic liberation day.
The column symbolic of the guards anti-air artillery regiments, which successfully carried out the capital city anti-air defence duty to defend the security of the Supreme Command and shot down or damaged more than 640 enemy planes during the war, moved past the square with artillery pieces shining with their heroic feats.
The column of the heavy machinegun carriages, whose crack shots mercilessly killed the aggressors to dauntlessly defend every inch of the homeland during the war, cantered past the square, telling the signal military exploits they performed by overpowering the U.S. imperialists' numerical and technical superiority in the spirit of devotedly defending the country and with the Juche-oriented war methods and tactics.
They were followed by the representatives of the army strong in idea and faith, the elite revolutionary army filled with the spirit of devotedly defending the Party Central Committee and the heroic fighting spirit.
The column of honorary cavalrymen trotted past the square in the spirit of advancement of the heroic KPA which is carrying forward generation after generation the precious traditions of defending the leader pioneered in the bloody anti-Japanese war and further consolidated in the flames of the anti-U.S. struggle, and dashing along the single road of victory indicated by the leader.
The columns of the Guard Office of the WPK Central Committee, the Guard Department of the State Affairs Commission, the Bodyguard Department, the Bodyguard Command, marched past the square in majestic appearances, eloquently proving the invincible philosophy and the immutable truth that the eternal victory of Juche Korea and the happiness and prosperity of the posterity lie in devotedly defending the Party Central Committee.
Led by their commanders holding the swords for annihilating the enemy, the columns of the frontline corps marched past the square, proudly flying the colors of the invincible divisions and brigades which have always emerged victorious in the decades-long confrontation with the U.S.
The column of the naval and air forces, which are renowned for a series of myth-like historic victories they achieved by inflicting defeats upon the arrogant U.S. aggressors in the battles for protecting the territorial waters and sky of the country, and the columns of the Strategic Force and the Special Operations Force, which are symbolic of the tremendous strength of the DPRK armed forces, appeared on the square demonstrating their strong will to make the tradition of the bitter defeat a fate of the U.S. imperialists.
The columns of the unit for mountain warfare in the rear of the enemy and the 41st Amphibious Shock Battalion, which are fully ready to inflict a unimaginably terrible defeat on the enemy by infiltrating into the enemy positions at a lightening speed with the Korean-style Juche-based war methods and in the spirit of a-match-for-a-hundred attack, marched past the square, looking up to the platform.
Kim Jong Un extended warm militant greetings to the columns of the paraders marching in high spirits, holding high their glorious colors associated with the great feats they performed by winning one victory after another in the long-standing confrontation with the U.S., with their hearts burning with the unshakable class awareness, the uncompromising fighting spirit and the will of merciless punishment.
The military paraders loudly shouted "Hurrah!", looking up to the peerlessly brilliant commander who turned the KPA into the strong fist of justice filled with the revolutionary spirit of Paektu, the spirit of defending the country in the 1950s and the invincible fighting spirit, and into the invincible army capable of defeating any formidable enemy.
The columns of the corps, which are responsible for defending the capital city, and the columns of the corps, which are firmly guarding the coastal area of the country, the border and the depth of the rear, went past the military parade square rocked by the chants of the ardent resolution to unhesitatingly dedicate their lives to implementing the plan, intention and order of the Party and the leader just like the great revolutionary generations who braved the flames of the anti-U.S. war, and to win all the glory of life in doing so.
They were followed by the proud march-past by the columns of tank divisions, the units of iron-claw tigers, the columns of mechanized infantry divisions and the General Reconnaissance Bureau, which will hoist the flag of victory before anyone else on the target spots specified by the Party Central Committee in the same spirit, morale and mettle as the wartime guards tankmen, the columns of Kim Il Sung Military University, the highest seat of Juche-based military education for training the brave fighters for the showdown with the U.S.-led imperialists, and Kim Jong Il University of Military and Politics, the center for training the highest-ranking military officers of the country, and Kim Il Sung University of Politics, the pedigree institution for training the political officers of the KPA.
The columns of revolutionary schools, the ranks of the reliable successors who are successfully carrying forward the original lineage of the revolution and the traditions of victory generation after generation at the pedigree institutions for training the backbone of the revolution for guaranteeing the eternal purity of the revolutionary cause of Juche, and the column of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards, who are making full preparations for all-people resistance by turning every part of the country into iron wall, went past the square with loud footsteps.
Entering the square with the militant spirit to perform feats in the frontline of the class struggle were the columns of the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Public Security and the armed mobile unit of the Public Security Forces, which are demonstrating their might as the WPK's reliable political security units reliably defending the precious gains of the socialist country and the security of the people and the elite units holding a part of the revolutionary armed forces.
Kim Jong Un waved his hand as a token of his encouragement at the paraders who filled their single mind of upholding the Party Central Committee with the spirit of the victorious wartime generation out of their pledge of faith to glorify for seven hundred, seven thousand years the history of the great war victory and the 70-year-long history of struggle for preserving that victory.
The square was rocked by the loud chants of pledge by all the paraders to continue their dynamic advance for the permanent might and victory under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, the most brilliant commander in the world.
A parade flight of the people's air force began over the square overflowing with the great joy and festive mood on the war victory day.
A flight column depicting five-pointed stars and figure "70", flied across the sky of July above the square, representing the history of the great war victory of the DPRK unprecedented in the history of the world wars in the light of ferocity and heroism.
The columns of mechanized units started their parade, showing the mightiness, modernity and will of the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK to deal merciless blows at the descendants of aggressors in the acute confrontation which continues generation after generation.
The columns of the main tanks, which will dash ahead in the van of the decisive battle for territorial restoration while giving vent to the bitter grudge of the victorious wartime generation who had to stop their advance near the southern coast of the country due to the lack of weapons, and the columns of artillerymen, the primary service of the People's Army, who will open up the road of advance of the frontline units with merciless gunfire, roared past the square.
The columns of tactical and long-range cruise missile units, which are on standby for fire, entered the square, declaring before the world the toughest stand of the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK to mount unprecedentedly powerful final annihilating strikes upon the enemy in response to their frontal challenge.
The columns of the latest weaponry, which have become stepping-stones for giving eternal vitality to the name and the flag of the DPRK and rapidly enhancing its prestige, fully demonstrated the spirit of the nuclear combat force of the DPRK.
The columns of the DPRK's strategic weapons roared past the square.
Let's react to nuclear threats and all-out confrontation in kind!
The excitement and great joy of the spectators reached its height when the Second Red Flag Company of the General Missile Bureau entered the square with the ICBM Hwasongpho-18, the most powerful core mainstay of the strategic force of the DPRK, which is fully deterring and overwhelmingly countering the hostile forces' various nuclear war threats and provocative acts of aggression against the DPRK and reliably defending the security of the DPRK.
The column of the ICBM Hwasongpho-17 representing the might of the strategic force of the DPRK, an absolute entity of the might of the powerful state and its people capable of putting an end to the imperialist tyranny on the earth and saving the future of mankind, and a treasured sword for justice and peace, passed the square, led by the hero launcher in its van.
All the participants broke into cheers of "Hurrah!", looking up to Kim Jong Un, peerless patriot and invincible iron-willed commander who adds glory to the fame and honor of the DPRK, won by the victorious wartime generation 70 years ago, at the highest-ever level in the history of the nation and provided an ever-victorious treasured sword to be handed down to posterity with his strong pluck, far-sightedness and extraordinary leadership ability.
At the end of the parade, thunderous cheers of excitement again reverberated far and wide and fireworks were displayed in the nocturnal sky of the war victory day.
Kim Jong Un warmly waved his hands to acknowledge the enthusiastically cheering crowds.
The military parade for celebrating the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War will be recorded in the history of the country as a grand political and military festival which demonstrated to the world the unshakable will of all the service personnel and people of the DPRK to accelerate the overall prosperity and development of socialism and create a new myth of war victory in the era of Kim Jong Un in the sacred war against the U.S.-led imperialists in their great heroic spirit and fighting traits.