North Korea marked the 80th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) Air Force with grand celebrations at Kalma Airport, according to the state-run KCNA. The event highlighted the Air Force’s history of defending the country’s sovereignty and underscored its role as the “first-born service” of the KPA.
Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un attended the ceremonies, accompanied by his daughter, laying flowers at a bust of the Air Force hero Kil Yong Jo and reviewing the guard of honor. KCNA reported that service personnel greeted him with enthusiastic cheers, demonstrating loyalty and admiration for the leader, whom the agency described as having “ushered in a great heyday of the development of the DPRK’s armed forces.”
The celebration included a demonstration flight by Air Force pilots, featuring aerobatic maneuvers, low-altitude passes, and tricolour smoke trails. Kim Jong Un reportedly praised pilots individually, including female aviators An Ok Gyong and Son Ju Hyang, calling them “proud comrades representing the women of the country” and encouraging them to remain faithful to their duties. He emphasized that victories in the air are determined not by advanced equipment alone but by “pilots armed with indomitable spirit.”
KCNA described a commemorative meeting where Kim Jong Un conveyed congratulations to officers, pilots, and service personnel, including discharged generals, highlighting the Air Force’s 80-year history of “heroic feats” and “indomitable fighting spirit.” Air Chief Marshal Kim Kwang Hyok, commander of the Air Force, delivered a report praising the service as a core component of the KPA under the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
In a speech, Kim Jong Un underscored the Air Force’s contributions to protecting the country’s airspace and national interests. He announced the awarding of the Order of Kim Jong Il to the Air Force, the highest honor of the DPRK, which was affixed to the service’s colors during the ceremony. KCNA described the award as a historic moment, symbolizing the Air Force’s dedication and loyalty to the state.
The celebrations concluded with an art performance at Myongsasimni Theatre, featuring music and theatrical presentations that praised the Air Force’s service and revolutionary spirit. A banquet hosted by the Ministry of National Defence followed, attended by military and political officials, where Kim Jong Un reportedly shared the event with officers and pilots, receiving expressions of gratitude for his leadership and support.
KCNA emphasized that the 80th anniversary reflected the Air Force’s “glorious tradition of loyalty and feats” and its role in upholding the Juche revolution, portraying the event as a demonstration of unity, military strength, and ideological commitment under Kim Jong Un’s leadership.
