Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has paid a visit to a prominent military and political university, emphasizing the "ideology-first" principle and the importance of loyalty in building a formidable military, as reported by the state's media on Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Jong-un visited the Kim Il Sung University of Politics, delivering a speech to the faculty and students. The university, named after North Korea's founder and Kim's grandfather, is acclaimed as the supreme military and political educational institution of the North Korean armed forces. In his address, Kim underscored the necessity for the Korean People's Army to evolve into the strongest in the world by bolstering its political, ideological, spiritual, and moral strengths.
Kim emphasized that imbuing the army with ideology is crucial before equipping it with military technology. He identified "soldiers, weapons, and ideology" as the three fundamental elements of the armed forces. The development strategy for the Korean People's Army, as outlined by Kim, should prioritize enhancing its political, ideological, and moral qualities over the advancement of military technology and equipment, including nuclear capabilities.
Kim was accompanied by high-ranking military officials during his visit, such as Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the party's Central Military Commission, and Defense Minister No Kwang-chol, as noted by the KCNA.
The Kim Il Sung University of Politics, established in 1945 in Pyongyang, is responsible for training political officers for the armed forces, in contrast to the Kim Il Sung Military University, which focuses on educating field commanders.