Rodong Sinmun   

   Friday, August 22, 2025 Page 1   

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The Highest Honor Bestowed Upon the Great Representatives of the Nation's Glory, Its Excellent Sons

State Award Conferment Ceremony Held for Commanding Officers and Fighters of the Overseas Operations Unit of the Korean People's Army

The exceptional combat spirit and bravery of the Korean People's Army, which reliably guarantees the tradition of a hundred victories of the Juche revolution with an invincible gun barrel, is elevating the might and sacred authority of our state imposingly to the pinnacle of the world, inscribing legendary heroic tales unprecedented in history.

The fighters of the Republic's armed forces, who participated in overseas military operations upholding the order of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, traversed the intense barrage of life-and-death battles, and demonstrated to the world the ideological and spiritual superiority of the Korean People's Army, its true fighting mettle that no other nation's military can match, and the indomitable spirit of the Korean people.

A state award conferment ceremony for the commanding officers and fighters of the Overseas Operations Unit of the Korean People's Army was held at the Headquarters Building of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.

In accordance with the ardent wish and deep call of Kim Jong Un to warmly embrace the great successors and representatives who have firmly carried our state's unique tradition of victory into the new century amidst the highest honor, officials of the Party Central Committee enthusiastically welcomed the war veterans who traveled thousands of miles to enter the courtyard of the Party Center.

Responsible officials, including Secretaries of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, placed floral garlands around the necks of the excellent sons of the homeland, presented them with bouquets, and offered congratulations.

The venue of the state award conferment ceremony was filled with solemn respect for the war veterans, infinitely loyal to the command of the homeland.

The respected Comrade 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, attended the state award conferment ceremony.

Participating in the conferment ceremony were commanding officers and fighters who performed outstanding feats in overseas military operations, as well as bereaved families of fallen heroes.

Members of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, key commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defense, and military-political commanding officers of the Combined Large Units of the Korean People's Army attended.

The national anthem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was solemnly played.

The majestic melody of the national anthem, which a hundredfold intensified the pride of being sons of a powerful homeland and the fervent desire for patriotism in every moment of life during the days of decisive battle, pushing them to the vanguard of the assault and inspiring them towards immortal victory, stirred the hearts of the war veterans with fierce emotion.

Comrade Kim Jong Un made a significant speech.

Comrade Kim Jong Un expressed his emotions about meeting again, on such a meaningful occasion, the excellent sons of our nation, its utmost pride awaited by the entire people, the heroes of the country, to confer upon them the title of Republic Hero and high-level state awards. On behalf of the Party and government, he conveyed heartfelt thanks and the warmest combat respects to the commanding members and fighters of the overseas operations unit who fought bravely as befits "Koreans" and "the Korean People's Army" amidst the smoke of battle on foreign soil where life and death were decided, and returned to the homeland with great honor and brilliant military feats.

Comrade Kim Jong Un said that the Party Center, wishing to highly elevate the excellent heroes who defended the sacred authority and dignity of the state on the battlefield before the country and people, and to have the entire nation respect and uphold them, grandly organized the state award conferment ceremony at the Headquarters Building of the Party Central Committee. He stated that this is a special and precious award from the homeland and people to the honorable victors who achieved great exploits impossible without a bloody struggle.

Comrade Kim Jong Un said that holding this first awards ceremony today brings to mind the images of fighters who, even at this hour, remain faithful to the command of the homeland and are devotedly carrying out their duties, and of the sacrificed fallen heroes, and the regret of not being able to place them all on this glorious stage is truly unbearable. He solemnly proposed a moment of silence to pray for the eternal life of the fallen heroes who sacrificed their precious lives participating in overseas military operations.

In accordance with the proposal of Comrade Kim Jong Un, all participants observed a moment of silence in memory of the fallen war heroes who brought precious victory through their indomitable combat spirit and noble sacrifice.

Comrade Kim Jong Un stated that all participants in overseas operations who performed great feats that will remain forever in the history of the nation for the endless prosperity and might of the homeland are great humans, great heroes, and great patriots. He proudly said that the victory achieved by the war veterans is a tremendous feat that firmly safeguarded the great honor of the Korean People's Army, which must never be tarnished, provided a solid guarantee for our state's existence and development, is a victory that will be recorded as a miracle in the history of our army building and anti-imperialist revolutionary struggle, and is an event in world military history that reestablished the theory of the strong that has been passed down for millennia.

Comrade Kim Jong Un emphasized that the combat activities of the overseas operations units representing our Republic's armed forces on battlefields where the world's focus was concentrated fully proved the power of the heroic Korean People's Army, which triumphs through a hundred victories thanks to the superiority of ideology and spirit and Juche-based strategy and tactics. He stressed that what the Party Center values most and evaluates with satisfaction is that the reputation of the ever-victorious Korean People's Army has undergone the most stringent verification in its over-70-year history, and the reality of our army, fully prepared for war, has been clearly confirmed.

He fervently stated that today's awards ceremony is an expression of gratitude and a precious evaluation from our Party, state, and people for the historical feat of perfectly executing the political decision made by the Party and government for the destiny and future of the homeland, and defending the great honor built and guarded by all generations of the Republic for decades.

Comrade Kim Jong Un, mentioning the exceptional bravery and noble spirit of sacrifice displayed by our soldiers in the operational areas where shells raged, said that they deserve to be called heroes among heroes, and the overseas operations unit should be called a hero unit. He emphasized that the fundamental secret behind the event of the victorious conclusion of the overseas military operations lies not in the feats of a few outstanding military experts or heroes, but thoroughly in the mass character of heroism, and in the fact that sublime and beautiful spiritual and moral traits firmly dominated the ideological sentiments of all soldiers.

Comrade Kim Jong Un said that the participants in overseas operations were equally thorough in the execution of orders, which is the essence of a soldier, equally passionate and devoted in their love for the homeland and comradeship, and equally excellent in their morality, knowing how to remain faithful to their duty and make choices honorable to their conscience even in the face of the final moment of life. He stated that the comrades, with such extraordinary spiritual qualities, made the world fully understand what makes our army strong and why it is destined to win in any fight, and this becomes an event that clearly imprints the concept of a powerful army and the law of victory upon the era and history.

Comrade Kim Jong Un emphasized that having such an army as the pioneer and guardian of its revolutionary cause is the pride and glory of the Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, that a country defended by a heroic army will be eternally powerful, and that the cause advancing with the heroic army at the vanguard is invincible.

Comrade Kim Jong Un mentioned major measures to be implemented as a national project to eternally pass on the feats of the great participants in the operations. He affirmed that the glorious path pioneered with the blood of the war veterans and the noble lives of the fallen heroes will never end, and the blood-stained combat records inscribed with their names will shine forever as the most precious pages of the homeland's history.

Comrade Kim Jong Un said that our state will forever be dignified, powerful, and strong with great heroes like the comrades, and our army will continue the flow of the great history of victory for millennia with its unique loyalty and heroic spirit. He wished immortal glory to the heroic soldiers of the overseas operations unit who set the highest and most brilliant pinnacle upon the long history of victory of our people and the absolute might of the revolutionary armed forces.

The speech of Comrade Kim Jong Un, filled with the burning love and sincerity of the great Parent, deeply moved the entire audience.

All participants, looking up with great emotion to Comrade Kim Jong Un who, with outstanding military thought and extraordinary strategic and tactical foresight, illuminated the clear path to combat victory, endowed them with irresistible strength and courage with paternal warmth and affection, and today elevated them to the peak of honor as great heroes and great patriots, respectfully offered the highest respect and endless gratitude.

The decree of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on conferring the title of Hero of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, orders, and medals upon commanding members and fighters who performed feats in overseas military operations was conveyed.

Comrade Kim Jong Un personally conferred the title of Hero of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea upon the skilled military commanders who led the combat detachments of the Republic's armed forces to victory in overseas operational areas and upon soldiers who performed outstanding feats.

Comrade Kim Jong Un, reverently recalling the noble images and brilliant final moments of the fallen war heroes who fought without sparing their youth or lives, heated with the blood of a single belief and a single will, upholding the command of the homeland with the most thorough spirit of execution, personally attached the Hero's Medal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea next to the portraits of the fallen heroes.

In the conferment ceremony venue, where the melody of "Song of Comradeship" resonated, a song imbued with the sacred history of the Korean revolution pioneered, advanced, and triumphant through comradely love, the deep feeling of the hot blood ties formed between the Leader and soldiers was conveyed, and a deeply moving scene immortal in the history of the homeland flowed solemnly.

Comrade Kim Jong Un wished that the noble lives of the fallen war heroes, who protected the prestige and brilliant honor of our great state at the cost of their precious lives, would shine eternally as stars of immortal feats in the memory of the homeland and people. He sincerely laid flower bouquets at the memorial wall and observed a moment of silence.

Members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defense, military-political commanding officers of the Combined Large Units of the Korean People's Army, and bereaved families of the fallen heroes sincerely laid flower bouquets at the memorial wall.

Comrade Kim Jong Un met with the bereaved families of the fallen heroes, shared the pain of loss with them, and offered consolation.

At the conferment ceremony, Comrade Kim Yong Bok, Army General of the Korean People's Army and Commander of the Special Operations Force, made a pledge speech on behalf of all soldiers of the overseas operations unit.

He expressed the emotion of receiving the priceless honor of being awarded the highest decoration of the Republic at the Headquarters Building of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the supreme general staff of the Korean revolution. He mentioned that the soldiers of the overseas operations unit felt more deeply the fortune of being soldiers serving the great Commander in the foreign battlefield, and held as a belief the iron truth that fighting exactly as Comrade Kim Jong Un teaches will surely lead to victory.

He stated that all commanding officers and fighters of the overseas operations unit, who are the loyal soldiers of the great Comrade Kim Jong Un, the guards of the Republic, and the sons of the heroic Korean people, will firmly defend the authority of the Party Center until the day they return to the homeland and staunchly safeguard the honor of the homeland, the honor of the Korean People's Army, and the honor of the Korean people. He solemnly pledged to cherish today's precious award with absolute belief and remain faithful to the end to the mission and duty of being the Party's army, the people's army, and the army of the Supreme Commander Comrade.

Comrade Kim Jong Un once again offered heartfelt thanks and sublime respect to the heroic fallen heroes who solidified the feats and epic tales that must be passed down through generations, the feats of all soldiers of the overseas operations unit who, holding the glorious national flag to their chests, broke through the fierce combat barrage, upheld the trust of the Party and homeland in our army, and highly demonstrated the great honor of the Korean People's Army, as the sure stepping stone to victory for our state and our army.

The indomitable combat spirit, mass heroism, and immortal feats displayed by the fighters of the Overseas Operations Unit of the Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will shine forever in the history of building a prosperous and powerful country as a model of our army's unique absolute loyalty to the Party and revolution, and as a symbol of the eternal victory of our great state and our cause.

Political Reporting Team of this Newspaper