According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim made the remarks on Friday while attending a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League at Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang.
"Present here are also young soldiers who have recently defended the dignity and honour of their country in overseas special military operations by displaying the excellence, heroism, self-sacrificing spirit and character peculiar to their fellow people," Kim was quoted as saying. He added that such actions were something only young Korean people could accomplish.
Kim also said there were no soldiers in the world who would fight on the battlefield as faithfully as North Korean troops, "expecting no reward or private interest," stressing that the existence of such youth was a source of incomparable pride for the state.
He further addressed the significance of marking the youth league's 80th anniversary ahead of the Workers' Party of Korea's upcoming ninth congress.
"The 80-year history of struggle of the youth league is being reviewed in the light of socialist ideals, noble patriotism, a passionate sense of justice and a pure spiritual world," Kim said, adding that this had once again elevated the status and prestige of North Korean youth.
He went on to say that preparing the next generation and building a future that carries the country's proud past into a glorious present was a historic achievement of the North Korean youth movement that no one else could replace.
During the event, Kim awarded the Order of Kim Jong Il, the country's highest state decoration, to the youth league. He personally attached the medal to the league's flag and presented the certificate to its committee chairman.
Senior officials, including Choe Ryong-hae, Workers' Party secretaries Ri Il-hwan and Ri Hi-yong, and propaganda chief Ju Chang-il, also attended the ceremony, along with Youth League Chairman Mun Chol. Kim's daughter, Kim Ju-ae, did not appear to be present.
The Socialist Patriotic Youth League, North Korea's largest youth organization, was founded in 1946 under the name the North Korean Democratic Youth League. Membership is mandatory for all young people and students aged 14 to 30, with total membership estimated at around five million.
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