Grand Welcome Ceremony Held for Korean People's Army Engineer Unit Returning After Carrying Out Party's Combat Orders in Overseas Operational Area

The unparalleled combat spirit and mass heroism of the Korean People's Army (KPA), which holds absolute loyalty to the Party and the revolution as its sacred mission and intrinsic nature, is endlessly engraving brilliant military feats that glorify the authority and prestige of our state.

Commanding officers and soldiers of the KPA Engineer Unit, who had been dispatched to an overseas operational area upholding the order of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, have returned home in triumph after successfully completing their assigned military mission.

A grand welcome ceremony for the 528th Engineer Regiment of the KPA, which carried out the Party's combat orders in an overseas operational area and returned home, was held with splendour at the April 25 House of Culture Square in the capital city of Pyongyang on December 12.

Following the KPA special operation force officers and soldiers who created legendary overseas combat feats in the history of the Juche-based army building, a fervent welcome for the commanding officers and soldiers of the engineer unit, who once again demonstrated the irresistible might of our army, surged powerfully across the square.

KPA soldiers and citizens of the capital warmly congratulated the splendid sons of the people who entered the square filled with immense pride for having defended the absolute dignity of our state.

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 welcome ceremony.

Participants in the 13th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK and combined large units of the KPA, family members of the engineer regiment soldiers, KPA soldiers, and citizens and youth students of the capital participated in the ceremony.

Upon the arrival of Comrade Kim Jong Un, thunderous cheers of "Long Live!" erupted endlessly from our army and people, reverberating to the skies of December, as they looked up to the iron-willed commander of ever-victorious genius who has nurtured our armed forces into an invincible and powerful army that always triumphs, based on superior ideological and spiritual and strategic and tactical advantages, with his outstanding military strategic thought, extraordinary art of command, and ocean-like trust and love.

Comrade Kim Jong Un conveyed a combat salute to the officers and soldiers of the engineer unit who returned to the homeland with honour, having safeguarded the immortal fame and prestige of the KPA.

The commander of the overseas engineer combat unit respectfully reported to the Supreme Commander of the armed forces of the Republic on the fulfilment of the Party's combat orders.

Comrade Kim Jong Un warmly congratulated the regiment on its laudable combat achievements.

Comrade Kim Jong Un made a speech congratulating the engineer unit on its return.

Comrade Kim Jong Un warmly encouraged all commanding officers and soldiers of the engineer regiment who brilliantly carried out the combat orders given by the Party by displaying matchless heroism and expertise and returned to the embrace of the motherland, mentioning the 120 days of concern during which he never forgot his beloved sons for a single day or hour, and the regiment's combat feats that will shine forever in the history of overseas military operations.

Comrade Kim Jong Un said that the blood, sweat, and sacrifices shed by our servicemen in the overseas operational area will never be in vain, and the exploits of the commanding officers and soldiers of the 528th Engineer Regiment will be handed down forever along with the fame of our powerful army.

Comrade Kim Jong Un expressed thanks and lofty respect for the devoted service of the officers and soldiers who are always faithful before the homeland, thus concluding his speech.

As Comrade Kim Jong Un concluded his speech, all participants, overwhelmed by boundless emotion and happiness of returning to the embrace of the beloved parent whom they missed even in their dreams, and by the priceless honour and joy of receiving the blessings of the great commander, again erupted in thunderous cheers of "Long Live!" looking up to Comrade Kim Jong Un.

Comrade Kim Jong Un proclaimed that, in order to highly evaluate and eternally glorify the bravery and brilliant combat feats displayed by the comrades' unit, the motherland has decided to award the regiment the First Class Order of Freedom and Independence, and to confer the title of Republic Hero, the First Class Order of the National Flag, and the First Class Order of the Soldier's Honour upon the nine soldiers who sacrificed themselves in the course of performing the combat mission.

Comrade Kim Jong Un, entrusted by the Party and the government of the Republic, attached the medal conferred by the motherland to the regiment's colours shining with immortal feats.

The immense excitement and joy of all officers and soldiers of the engineer regiment endlessly overflowed the ceremony site.

Comrade Kim Jong Un warmly congratulated the regiment soldiers who received the thanks and precious honour bestowed by the Party, homeland, and people.

A march-past of the KPA Overseas Engineer Unit Column, holding aloft the glorious colours, was held.

Participants gave enthusiastic applause to the engineer soldiers who had the priceless honour of receiving the review of the Supreme Commander, bearing the report of victory.

Comrade Kim Jong Un met the exemplary commanding officers and soldiers of the engineer regiment, highly appreciating their steadfast mental world and combat feats of being absolutely faithful before the orders of the Party and the homeland, and warmly encouraged them.

The heartwarming scene at the welcome ceremony site, where the noble feelings of kinship were exchanged between the leader and the soldiers, was a deeply moving picture that eloquently showed what makes our homeland truly great and with what strength our army is powerful.

Comrade Kim Jong Un said that the homeland and people will forever remember the military merits of the engineer combat soldiers who showed through their steadfast faith, will, and self-sacrificing struggle on the battlefield deciding life and death, not with words, what kind of person is a true soldier, a true commander, and a true human being, loyal and upright before the homeland and people; and the bravery and heroism displayed by our soldiers in the sacred war for defending justice and dignity will be kept as the foremost pride and boast of our state.

Comrade Kim Jong Un expressed expectation and conviction that the brave soldiers, who fully proved in the overseas battlefield the law of victory and development of the revolutionary army that is invincible and grows stronger through ideology, would continue to glorify the dignity and honour of the KPA with the precious military merits of our generation, and had a meaningful commemorative photo taken with them that will remain forever in the history of army building.

As the commemorative photo session ended, the steadfast faith and will of the war veterans to fight more courageously for the great Comrade Kim Jong Un and for the eternal victory of our great state and people exploded into enthusiastic cheers, shaking heaven and earth.

Comrade Kim Jong Un visited the memorial wall erected in the central hall of the April 25 House of Culture.

Comrade Kim Jong Un reverently recalled the noble lives of the martyrs who unsparingly dedicated their only lives in the sacred war for defending the honour and dignity of the homeland, and attached the Hero Medal of the DPRK, the Order of the National Flag, and the Order of the Soldier's Honour next to their portraits.

Comrade Kim Jong Un wished for the noble souls and spirit of the martyrs to live eternally on the podium of honour, sincerely laid white bouquets before the memorial wall, and paid silent tribute.

Commanding officers of the Ministry of National Defence of the DPRK and combined large units of the KPA, commanders of the engineer regiment, and bereaved families of the martyrs laid bouquets before the memorial wall.

Comrade Kim Jong Un met the bereaved families of the martyrs, sharing the pain of loss with them and warmly consoling them.

A performance congratulating the return of the engineer regiment soldiers who resolutely carried out the Party's combat orders in an overseas operational area was held.

As Comrade Kim Jong Un appeared in the auditorium together with the commanders of the engineer regiment, the excitement of the engineer combat soldiers, who embraced the most precious honour and happiness of their lives in the embrace of the homeland and the great parent whom they longed for even in their dreams, erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

On the performance stage were songs of blessing that the war veterans sang on distant battlefields wishing for the peace of the homeland, and revolutionary army songs that always instilled them with death-defying courage and inspired them towards victory.

Scenes that warmly reminded the audience of the self-sacrificing combat spirit and the soul of loyalty and patriotism of the engineer unit soldiers, who would unhesitatingly rush into minefields and seas of fire to carry out the orders of the leader and the Party, opening the road of victorious advance, filled the venue with solemn emotion.

Feeling the traces of bloody battles left by our soldiers on every decisive battlefield and their warm breath, the audience deeply engraved in their hearts the conviction that our homeland will always be powerful because there are reliable guards who have made absolute loyalty to our Party, matchless heroism, ardent patriotism, and comradely love their intrinsic qualities.

The performance, which splendidly unfolded through excellent ideological and artistic scenes the unshakeable will of the KPA soldiers to hold higher the unique ideological and spiritual superiority of our army, tighten the grip on the revolutionary arms more firmly, and reliably safeguard the peace of the homeland and people, received full acclaim from the audience.

As the performance ended, stormy cheers looking up to Comrade Kim Jong Un again shook the venue.

Comrade Kim Jong Un warmly waved to and sent words of encouragement to the commanding officers and soldiers of the engineer unit.

All soldiers of the engineer unit pledged their firm determination to cherish the heaven-like love and trust of the great Party Central as the lifeblood of their destiny and the nourishment that fosters heroism, and to engrave only records of victory on the glorious colours shining with laudable military merits in defending the homeland and safeguarding the revolution.

In the evening of that day, there was a return welcome banquet for the soldiers.

Commanding officers and soldiers of the 528th Engineer Regiment and their family members, and officials from relevant sectors were invited.

Senior officials of the Party and the government shared the meaningful occasion.

The spirit of resolutely carrying out the orders of the Party Central, mass heroism, and matchless self-sacrifice displayed by the commanding officers and soldiers of the 528th Engineer Regiment of the KPA in the overseas operational area will be handed down forever along with the ever-victorious history of the great Kim Jong Un's revolutionary strong army.

Political Reporting Team of This Newspaper