▲ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un waves to participants in the Eighth Congress of the Socialist Women's Union of Korea, in this photo released by the Korean Central News Agency on July 18, 2026. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had photo sessions with participants in a women's association meeting and members of a construction and engineering military unit, the Korean Central News Agency reported Saturday.

The meetings, held Friday with participants in the Eighth Congress of the Socialist Women's Union of Korea and with exemplary officers and soldiers of the construction unit, were seen as part of efforts to rally loyalty and solidify internal unity.

"When Comrade Kim Jong-un arrived at the venue, all the participants broke into stormy cheers of 'Hurrah!' looking up to the tender-hearted father who put forward our women before the era and has shown them great trust and love," the KCNA said.

Kim said it is his "highest pride and our state's great strength to have the women's organization full of the noble spirit of firmly trusting and following our Party only and passionately loving and defending socialism, a powerful group of women patriots without a parallel in their active role and fighting efficiency," according to the KCNA.

During the visit to the construction unit that the KCNA did not identify, Kim "extended warm militant encouragement to the service personnel who are displaying the unconditional execution spirit and implacable power of execution in carrying out our party's order," the KCNA said.

"He expressed the belief that all the officers and men of the unit would continue making remarkable achievements, the desires of the country and the people, in the vanguard of construction revolution for building structures of eternal value this year, too."

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[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]