Kim calls on youth to defend his regime

PYONGYANG — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on young people to be a “death-defying corps” in defending his regime, official media said yesterday.

Mr Kim’s request was made in his speech delivered at a rare congress of North Korea’s main youth association in Pyongyang, at a time when his regime is keen to secure strong support across the board.

The congress of the Kim Il-sung Socialist Youth League, which is governed by the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and plays an important role in the country’s social system, held its first congress in 23 years over the weekend.

In his speech, Mr Kim stressed the need for the youth league to “strengthen its organisations and increase their militant function and role in every way”, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

Mr Kim was also quoted as saying that the organisations and North Korean young people should become “vanguards and shock brigades in building a socialist power”.

The two-day congress of the youth league, formed in 1946 by the country’s founder, adopted a decision to rename the association Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League, according to the news agency.

The congress, the ninth of its kind, was not held while the current leader’s late father Kim Jong-il was in power.

A torchlight gala was held at Pyongyang’s May Day Stadium on Sunday to mark the latest convention, which was also attended by the current leader, who is now in his early 30s.

The events took place after the ruling party held its first congress in 36 years in May and at a time when North Korean officials are apparently more concerned about the possible impact of the influx of information from foreign countries and market-oriented elements gradually expanding in North Korean society.

The country’s major organisation for women, the Democratic Women’s Union of Korea, is scheduled to hold its first congress in 33 years in November.

North Korea’s official media had earlier said the congress of the youth league would kick off last Friday.

However, it seems it did not and the reason behind the delay of the opening remains unclear.

On Sunday, North Korea hit back at a United Nations Security Council statement condemning its latest test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and threatened to take further steps as “a full-fledged military power”.

The 15-member council agreed on Friday to “take further significant measures” against North Korea, just days after the SLBM launch.

North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology, but has carried out several launches following its fourth nuclear test in January.

Mr Kim on Thursday described the latest SLBM test as the “greatest success” and said it put the US mainland and the Pacific within striking range.

The missile was fired from a submarine off the north-eastern port of Sinpo on Wednesday. It flew 500km towards Japan, far exceeding the range of the North’s previous sub-launched missiles.

Analysts say that while Pyongyang has made faster progress in its SLBM system than originally expected, it is still years away from deployment. AGENCIES