With the birthday approaching, the Korean people pay highest tribute to President Kim Il Sung, who founded and developed the armed forces.

On April 25, Juche 21 (1932), he founded the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA). The founding was tantamount to a declaration of war against the Japanese imperialists, as it solemnly declared the birth of a main unit capable of leading the overall Korean revolution.

Under his command, the KPRA waged an anti-Japanese armed struggle for 15 years, eventually defeating the Japanese aggressor forces to attain the country's liberation.

After the country's liberation, the President considered the building of regular forces to be an urgent task and paid big efforts to its materialization.

His energetic guidance led to the founding of the Pyongyang Institute and the Central Security Officers School, which served as bases for training military cadres.

From October 1945 onward, the President came to a munitions factory in Phyongchon-ri, Pyongyang on several occasions to inspire the workers to boost weaponry production.

In those days, the KPRA had developed into the regular armed forces, the Korean People's Army.

Under his wise leadership, the KPA defeated the U.S. imperialists, who boasted of being "the strongest" in the world, in the Fatherland Liberation War (1950-1953).

The victory in the war was absolutely attributable to his Juche-based military idea, strategy and tactics and his outstanding commanding art.

After the war, the President pressed ahead with economic and defence building on a simultaneous basis, while devoting tireless efforts to bolstering the KPA.

His inspection tour of KPA units of three services extends to 182 668 kilometers, covering 3 120 units.

The undying feats Kim Il Sung performed for the development of the army will remain long in the history of the country.