SEOUL, February 08 (AJP) - North Korea has marked the 78th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces on February 8, with state media calling for the military to guarantee national prosperity ahead of a major political gathering.
The Workers' Party of Korea is scheduled to hold its ninth congress in Pyongyang later this month. The event, held every five years, is the highest decision-making body of the state and is expected to outline new development goals while reinforcing the country’s security posture.
An editorial in the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party, stated that the Korean People's Army must maintain its political and military power to match the status of the state. The publication urged the military to provide a strong defense for the party and people as they move toward what it described as a new stage of socialist development.
"The struggle of our party and people to raise the phase of national prosperity to a new high level must be firmly guaranteed by powerful arms," the editorial said. It added that the military has successfully suppressed challenges and threats from hostile forces to ensure the safety and rights of the people.
The state also emphasized the military's involvement in domestic economic projects, particularly the Regional Development 20x10 Policy. This initiative involves the military in the construction of local factories across the country. North Korea has newly organized 20 units known as the 124th Regiments, with each regiment assigned to a specific construction site.
The editorial called on the personnel of the 124th Regiments to act as the vanguard of the new year's struggle and to fulfill their duties in expanding the regional revolution.
February 8 commemorates the date in 1948 when the Korean People's Army held its official founding ceremony in Pyongyang. North Korea recognized this date as its Army Day until 1977, after which it moved the anniversary to April 25 to mark the 1932 formation of anti-Japanese guerrillas by Kim Il-sung. The country returned to observing the February 8 anniversary in 2018.
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