On April 9 Juche 82 (1993) Kim Jong Il was elected chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission by the unanimous will and aspiration of the Korean army and people.

Having him at the top post of the state administration in charge of building up national defence and overall national power was a landmark event in shaping the destiny of the country and developing the Korean revolution.

The past 16 years are the proud years during which the DPRK has foiled the vicious moves of the imperialists, safeguarded people-centered socialism and opened up the dawn of a thriving nation with creation and revolution.

Leader Kim Jong Il said:

“Our People's Army and people have burnished the new era of the Juche revolution as a great Songun era under the leadership of the Party.

We will victoriously advance the revolutionary cause of Juche and bring it to completion under the banner of Songun.”

A faithful successor to the Songun tradition of the Korean revolution, he regards the military affairs as the mainstay of the country and has administered unique Songun politics in order to raise the country’s profile in the face of the worldwide political upheavals and lead the cause of building a great, prosperous and powerful nation to victory.

He has built up the political and ideological strength of the Korean revolution by dint of Songun politics embodying the idea of attaching importance to military affairs.

He has set the People's Army, which is stronger in the revolutionary spirit and unity than any other groups of society, as an example of single-minded unity among the revolutionary ranks, and given priority to cementing the cohesion of the entire army.

Always finding himself among the soldiers, he shows close concern for their military service and life.

On inspection tours to army units he familiarizes himself with their meal, uniform and bed.

His affection for the soldiers has brought about the solid unity based on ties of kinship between the Supreme Commander and servicepersons.

With the comradely unity of the People's Army as a model, he has ensured that the army and people share the same idea and working morale, thus consolidating army-people unity.

Now all members of society learn from the spirit of the army, and the people help the army and vice versa, which has developed single-minded unity of the whole of society onto a high level.

The DPRK’s single-minded unity is the unity between the army and people in idea, purpose and morality around the leadership of the revolution.

It is more powerful than nuclear weapons and constitutes the prime mover of the revolution and construction.

With his Songun revolutionary leadership he has built up great defence capabilities of the country.

He has paid primary attention to developing the People's Army, the core of the self-defensive capabilities, into an invincible revolutionary armed force.

Thanks to his constant inspection tours to army units the People's Army has grown into powerful armed forces, strong in ideology and faith and fully prepared in military technique.

He put forth the policy of preferentially developing the defence industry and saw to it that it was thoroughly implemented, with the result that the defence industry has turned into a self-supporting and modern industry that ensures the modernization of the army, arming of all people and fortification of the country in line with the trend of the development of military science and technology and provides a self-defensive war deterrent.

Under his Songun leadership the all-people and nationwide defence system has been cemented, the trait of giving priority to the military affairs prevails in society, the whole country has turned into an impregnable fortress and the country’s military strength has been boosted.

He saw to it that the status and function of the DPRK National Defence Commission were newly defined and, on the basis of this, established the state hierarchy with the NDC as the nerve center. This provided a sure guarantee for consummating the cause of the Korean revolution, which was started and developed with arms.

In the teeth of the nuclear war threat and moves of the imperialists he has made great efforts to speed up the economic construction and the building of a thriving nation.

He elucidated the way to develop the socialist economy in a Korean way and led the efforts to modernize the national economy.

He has pushed the updating of the industry and agriculture to bring about an upsurge in production and construction in the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance.

In the hard times he directed Jagang Province in its efforts to build minor power stations and inspired the provincial population to take the lead in overcoming difficulties.

Their positive examples were a source of inspiration to the whole country including the Songjin Steel Complex and the Ranam Coal-mining Machine Complex and helped bring about surge in production and construction and a turning point in the building of an economic power.

Large hydropower stations, industrial establishments equipped with latest facilities, livestock farms, fish farms, gravity-fed waterways and other structures of lasting value came into being up and down the country.

All these achievements are the fruition of the seasoned leadership of Kim Jong Il.