North Korean leader Kim Jong-un praises students and young workers who participated in a massive military parade for demonstrating ardent patriotism, May 1. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un praised students and young workers who participated in a massive military parade for demonstrating ardent patriotism like no other country, state media reported Monday.

At the photo session held Sunday, Kim noted the "rosy future" of "our-style socialism" belongs to the youth and urged them to hasten their efforts toward this "sacred patriotic cause," according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

"Our youths have regarded the loyalty to the Party and revolution as their high honor and pride and spent their youthful days with ardent patriotism and high enthusiasm for the revolution and struggle," Kim was quoted as saying.

He stressed such proud traits are "peculiar to the Korean youths that can neither be seen nor be imitated in any society of the world."

Kim also expressed appreciation for their contribution in glorifying the anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA) as an "unprecedented, grand festival of single-minded unity" and a "showcase theatre" of its national power.

Last Monday, the North staged the nighttime parade to celebrate the 90th founding anniversary of the KPRA and showcased key weapons, including its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile.

The latest session comes after Kim earlier held photo sessions with the soldiers, broadcasting workers and commanding officers who took part in the parade, in a move seen as aimed at bolstering internal unity and loyalty.

Other officials attended the photo session, including Ri Il-hwan, a member of the ruling party's powerful politburo. (Yonhap)