He was greeted on the spot by Army General Ri Yong Gil, chief of the KPA General Staff; Army Col. Gen. So Hong Chan, first vice-minister of the People's Armed Forces; Army Lieut. Gen. Kim Chun Sam, first vice-chief and director of the Operational Bureau of the KPA General Staff; and Army Lieut. Gen. Yun Yong Sik, director of the Artillery Bureau of the KPA General Staff.

Taking part in the contest were units directly under the first infantry divisions in echelon formation of KPA 1st, 2nd and 5th Corps.

After hearing a report on the form and way of the contest by the officer in charge of training, the supreme commander issued an order to start the contest.

He expressed great satisfaction over the success of soldiers of the Seoul Guards 3rd Infantry Division of the 2nd Corps, who destroyed the pillbox in a distance of 1 500m even under unexpected conditions.

The contest demonstrated the fighting spirit of the ever-victorious powerful Paektusan revolutionary army.

The above-said division took the special place in the contest. The 2nd Corps came first in the corps standing, the Seoul Guards 3rd Infantry Division of the 2nd Corps in the division standing, and the unit directly under the 25th Infantry Division of the 5th Corps in the artillery unit standing.

A diploma of crack-shot was conferred on the winning unit and crack-shot medals and badges on successful soldiers.

The supreme commander personally awarded a diploma of crack-shot to the Seoul Guards 3rd Infantry Division and crack-shot medals and badges to its soldiers.

The crack-shot diploma, medal and badge are the most precious gift of loyalty the service personnel present to the country and people, he said, adding that the first master gunners for 2015 emerged from the unit where the spirit of a-match-for-a-hundred came into being and that they are entitled to return to their unit, loudly singing the "Song of Pride of Guards Unit".

The Seoul Guards 3rd Infantry Division of the 2nd Corps fought brave battles for the party, revolution, country and people in the last Fatherland Liberation War, he said, urging its soldiers to keep on glorifying the honor of guards unit, inheriting the tradition of their forerunners, and intensify the movement for becoming crack-shots true to the intention of the party.

Then, he posed for a picture with service personnel of the Seoul Guards 3rd Infantry Division.

He said: As training the soldiers to be crack-shots is a fatal problem concerning the destiny of the country, the party initiated the movement for becoming crack-shots. This movement serves as a turning point and landmark in increasing the military strength. The military-political work should be oriented to making the movement become one for the sake of soldiers.

He called for intensifying the military drills in the new year, too, and decisively raising the quality of training.

Accompanying him were KPA Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So, director of the KPA General Political Bureau; Army General Hyon Yong Chol, minister of the People's Armed Forces; Col. Gen. Yun Tong Hyon, vice-minister of the People's Armed Forces; Senior Vice Admiral Kim Myong Sik, commander of the KPA Navy; Col. Gen. Choe Yong Ho, commander of the KPA Air and Anti-Air Force; and O Il Jong, Han Kwang Sang, Ri Pyong Chol and Kim Yo Jong, leading officials of the WPK Central Committee.