North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says 'military is country's top priority'

Pyongyang, Apr 16 (ANI): North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has vowed to continue placing military matters above the economy.

Kim, in his first ever public speech before a giant crowd gathered to commemorate his late grandfather Kim Il Sung's 100th birthday, also said that his regime would and keep trying to unify the Korean Peninsula under the North's leadership.

Kim's only reference to the country's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction came when he said that the time when North Korea could be threatened by the nuclear weapons of other countries was 'forever over.'

According to The Wall Street Journal, Kim said he will strengthen North Korea's defenses by placing the country's 'first, second and third' priorities on military might.

He also said peace was important, but 'the country's dignity and sovereignty is more important.'

According to the paper, tens of thousands of people participated by holding up placards to form tableau of the words and phrases, such as 'Kim Il Sung' and 'Military First.'

Kim began his speech by describing his 'purest respect and greatest honor to comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il,' his grandfather and father.

According to the paper, with the speech, Kim took his latest step to create a public image that is more like his grandfather, who could be gregarious in public settings, than his father, who was more reserved and whose voice was broadcast only once. (ANI)