Korean Central Television (조선중앙방송) The first meeting of airpersons of the Korean People's Army (KPA) was held with splendor here on April 15. Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, guided the meeting. The meeting was a historic grand assembly attended by all airpersons of the KPA. Displayed on the platform of the meeting hall was the fighter of the KPA Air Force which shot down the U.S. imperialists' large spy plane EC-121 when it illegally intruded into the territorial air of the country on April 15, 1969. Kim Jong Un made an opening address. He pointed out that the enemies kicked off a combined air drill in the wake of the large-scale combined landing exercise, pushing the situation to the brink of a war and threatening peace on the Korean peninsula. The fact that the meeting of all airpersons of the whole army is being held in Pyongyang, leaving the whole territorial air of the country open under the grave situation in which the air over the south of the peninsula is covered with blowfly-like aircraft of the imperialists signifies the victory of the grit, pluck and mettle of the DPRK and proves that the mental power of the heroic airpersons prevails over the enemies, he noted, and continued: The Central Committee of the WPK highly appreciates the patriotic devotion the airpersons are making to protect the territorial air, while performing mentally and physically difficult combat duties all the year round despite sweltering weather and biting cold. He said the purpose of the meeting is to glorify the immortal exploits President Kim Il Sung and leader Kim Jong Il performed in strengthening the Juche-oriented air force, review the successes and experience gained by it and lessons drawn by it and fully prepare all airpersons including young pilots as phoenixes and death-defying corps in the sky. It is also designed to let the whole country know about their patriotic devotion and efforts and make the service personnel of the whole army learn from their noble ideological and moral spirit and thus bring about a fresh turn in rounding off the combat preparations and bolstering up the fighting capability of the KPA, he said. He declared the meeting open, expressing belief that the meeting being held on the occasion of the significant Day of the Sun (birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung) would mark a historic landmark occasion in developing the air force of the KPA. KPA Army General Ri Yong Gil, chief of the KPA General Staff, made a report at the meeting. He referred to the indefatigable efforts made by the peerlessly great persons of Mt. Paektu to build the air force and deep loving care shown by them. The reporter recalled that Kim Il Sung declared before the whole world the birth of the Juche-based air force by making the historic speech "Let Us Create the Air Force of New Korea," adding that the President organized the Korean Aviation Association before anything else right after the party founding and became its first chairman, devoting his all to developing the young flying corps of new Korea into a regular air force. The reporter also recalled that leader Kim Jong Il ceaselessly inspected flying units and sub-units and airfields in order to develop the air force of the KPA into elite one in the world and thus bolstered up the air force into invincible combat force. The air force of the KPA is now fully displaying its invincible might under the leadership of Marshal Kim Jong Un, the reporter said, adding: Kim Jong Un felt more painful than anybody else upon receiving a report that airpersons died while performing their flight duties. He made sure that they enjoyed an eternal life as they are always remembered by the party, the country and its people even after their death.

• published: 21 Apr 2014
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