North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony marking the 80th founding anniversary of the country's air force, saying it will be given new strategic military assets and a "new important duty," state media reported Sunday.
Kim made the remarks during the celebration event held Friday at Kalma Airport of the 59th Kil Yong Jo Hero Flying Group of the Second Air Wing, to mark the founding anniversary of the Air Force of the Korean People's Army, Yonhap news agency reported quoting the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Delivering a speech at the anniversary celebration, Kim said, "The Air Force will be given new strategic military assets and entrusted with a new important duty," although he did not specify what those strategic assets would be.
"The expectations ... for the Air Force which will play a role in the exercise of the nuclear war deterrent is very great, and that the Air Force should resolutely repulse and control all sorts of espionage acts and possible military provocations of the enemies to encroach upon the sovereign airspace," he noted.
As North Korea continues to push the modernization of its conventional military forces, the country is also focusing on bolstering its air force, unveiling its first live-fire air-to-air drill involving military aircraft in May and an airborne early warning and control aircraft system in March.
Kim's daughter and heir apparent, Ju-ae, accompanied him to Friday's event, marking her first media appearance since she traveled to China in early September with her father to attend a military parade in Beijing.
The event also included Kim watching a demonstration flight of the air force from an observation platform and an art performance, as well as awarding the Kim Jong Il Order to the air force, the highest order in the country.