January 02, 2012 09:55
New North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday made his first order of business since his father's funeral a visit to the armored division that gave birth to the regime's "songun" or military-first doctrine, the official KCNA news agency reported.
Aug. 25, 1960, when former leader Kim Jong-il first visited the 105th Seoul Ryu Kyong-Su Guards Division, is portrayed as the start of the songun doctrine. The tank division was the first North Korean unit to enter Seoul during the Korean War, and Kim senior usually visited around Jan. 1 every year.
A South Korean security official said Kim Jong-un "made a pilgrimage to a sacred site of the military-first doctrine" to show that he means to carry on his father's policies.
That was backed up by the three official newspapers in their traditional joint New Year's editorial, which used the term "songun" no fewer than 16 times, and called for the perpetuation of the "revolutionary legacy."
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