FOURTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF VETERANS HELD

The 4th National Conference of Veterans took place here with splendor Saturday.

Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, was present at the conference.

Also present there were Hwang Pyong So, Pak Yong Sik, Ri Yong Gil, anti-Japanese war veterans and war veterans, persons who performed merits in wartime, former unconverted long-term prisoners, veterans who performed feats in the showdown with the U.S. and the struggle for protecting socialism in the post-war period and officials of the party, armed forces organs, ministries and national institutions.

Officials of the new generation, service personnel of the KPA, youth and students were present as observers.

Kim Jong Un made a congratulatory speech at the conference.

KPA Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the WPK and director of the General Political Bureau of the KPA, made a report at the conference.

The reporter said:

The proud history of the Korean revolution which has always emerged victorious in the confrontation with imperialism and the U.S. which has lasted for several decades is recorded with the noble soul and the patriotic devotion of veterans who have remained true to the guidance of the party and the leaders.

The anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters who were veterans of the first generation of the Korean revolution and brave service personnel of the KPA who inherited the tradition of the anti-Japanese struggle defended the dignity and sovereignty of the country in the Fatherland Liberation War and made a shining history of the war victory in hearty response to the call of

President Kim Il Sung.

Kim Il Sung, invincible and iron-willed commander and gifted strategist, aroused the service personnel and people of the DPRK to all-people resistance for crushing the enemy, bearing the whole brunt of the war, and thus created a heroic epic unprecedented in the world history of wars.

In the flames of the hard-fought war the KPA fighters created the spirit of defending the country, the immortal spirit of the era, under the wise leadership of the President and recorded in history with blood the truth that those with strong mental power are sure to win victory.

The spirit of defending the country is the noble revolutionary spirit the core of which is the spirit of devotedly defending the leader, the ardent patriotic spirit of valuing the country like one's own life and defending an inch of land at the risk of one's life and the staunch fighting spirit full of the conviction of victory, optimism and indomitable will.

The veterans who are creators and appliers of the spirit of defending the country made undying contributions to demonstrating the revolutionary mettle and might of Juche Korea, heroic Korea in the van of the confrontation with the U.S. and the struggle for building socialism, remaining true to the party and the leader for more than six decades after the war.

It is the extraordinary feats of veterans that they took the lead in the drive to carry out the tasks of national history for carrying forward the revolutionary cause by firmly establishing the organizational and ideological foundation of the party and its leadership system, holding leader Kim Jong Il in high esteem at the helm of the party and revolution.

The undying exploits performed by them remain shining generation after generation under the warm loving care of Kim Jong Un.

Under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, the greatest-ever commander, the service personnel and people of the DPRK will make a clean sweep of the aggressors by carrying forward the spirit and tradition of the victors in the great years and thus achieve the reunification of the country, the behests of the President and Kim Jong Il and the cherished desire of all Koreans and the veterans.