Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, oversaw a live artillery firing drill of the 75th-term graduates of O Jin U Artillery Academy on the eve of their appointment as active commanding officers of the core arm of the Korean People’s Army. 

Accompanying him were Ri Yong Gil, chief of the KPA General Staff, Jong Kyong Thaek, director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, Jong Myong Do, first deputy chief of the KPA General Staff, and Kim Yong Bok and Ri Chang Ho, deputy chiefs of the KPA General Staff. 

Kim Jong Un was greeted at the firing range by commanding officers of the academy. 

Inspecting the academy, a “pedigree” establishment for training core artillery forces of the DPRK, early in September, he had clearly indicated the important guidelines for training all its undergraduates, who will shoulder the future of the Juche-based artillery forces, into all-round, a-match-for-a-hundred artillerymen and artillery talents possessed of full combat command capability. Then he had made a promise to make time to oversee a live firing by its graduates. 

The firing range was filled with militant enthusiasm of the teachers and cadets of the academy, who were to show him the marksmanship they had refined single-mindedly with the day’s highest honour and deep gratitude of meeting the great iron-willed brilliant commander on their campus and learning the truth of the Party’s philosophy of the artillery. 

At the observation post, Kim Jong Un was briefed of the plan for artillery firing and the decision of the rector of the academy according to the simulated battle conditions. 

The cadets of the academy quickly judged the firing data and launched the firing all together. 

Shells, charged with the high spirit of the cadets to annihilate the enemy and safeguard the territory of the country with merciless and fierce shellfire, hit the targets one after another. 

The cadets fully displayed the actual war capabilities, which they had stoutly cultivated, mindful of the ideas of the Party Central Committee of getting well versed in the Juche-based artillery tactics and artillery pieces of different missions and making full preparations for promptly responding to any situation and overwhelmingly containing and destroying the enemy. 

Watching their skilled handling of artillery pieces and good marksmanship with satisfaction, Kim Jong Un said that he could see that the academy had attached importance to the military theoretical education and the training for real war, and expressed great satisfaction over the live firing results. 

He stressed the need to make the cadets continue to strive to attain new goals by further raising the standards of judgement in accuracy and concentration in the future live firing. 

The live firing results shown by cadets of the academy today are a demonstration of the validity and vitality of the Party’s policy on military education and on bringing about a radical turn in training and a proud level reached by the field of artillery education, he said, calling on the academy to fully meet the requirements of the Party’s policy on hitting the targets without test firing and improve the quality of artillery education with the main stress put on constantly teaching the guerrilla war tactics to wipe out the enemies through rapid mobile and surprise operations in conformity with the actual conditions in the operational areas. 

Saying that to raise the standards of overall sci-tech knowledge and practical qualifications of the artillery officers and men is a more urgent and pressing task, he set forth the goals to be attained by the artillery education sector in the future. 

He said that the graduates’ records are a voucher to their ability of military studies and a guarantee for the security of the country and the people. He stressed that the graduates from the academy should ensure the steady progress of the artillery forces with their high political consciousness of being commanding officers in charge of core arm of our army, operational and tactical insight and excellent marksmanship. 

After watching the live artillery firing drill, he went to the firing position and warmly congratulated the reliable reserve commanding officers who demonstrated the honour of the academy with marksmanship of never missing targets. 

Expressing belief and confidence that the graduates of the academy would become an engine for making the artillery positions of the entire army the solid support points for hastening the war victory and always remain faithful to the honourable duty of the KPA commanding officers with absolute loyalty to the Party and revolution, the country and the people and the spirit of devoted service, he had a photo session with them. 

Looking up with great excitement to Kim Jong Un who personally guided the live firing of the graduates who are to take the first step as the commanding officers of the first arm of our revolutionary armed forces and instilled high confidence and matchless courage into them, the cadets raised stormy cheers of hurrah. 

Commanding officers, teachers and cadets of the academy hardened their will to make positive contributions to demonstrating the might of the artillery forces as the strongest arm in the world by upholding with perfect practice the leadership of the great brilliant commander, who is devoting himself to the development of the Juche-based artillery forces while making continuous field inspection of the army.