Kim Jong-un holds military rally over New Year's goal

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently held a military rally to implore his troops to accomplish goals he'd laid out for the new year, Pyongyang's media reported on Sunday. The Rodong Sinmun, the communist regime's main newspaper, said Kim presided over the meeting of troops under the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces in Pyongyang on Saturday. The paper noted that Jang Jong-nam, minister of the People's Armed Forces, and Ri Yong-gil, head of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, were present at the rally. Choe Ryong-hae, director of the General Political Bureau, however, was not named as being among the attendees. Choe has emerged as a new key figure of the North Korean leadership among Pyongyang watchers after the North's young leader executed his uncle in a purge. In his New Year's address, Kim stressed that the North will continue to strengthen its military, saying bolstering its defense capabilities is "the most important of all state affairs."    According to the Rodong Sinmun, the rally started with Jang's briefing on the state of the military, followed by a discussion among military officers and drafting of their resolution. The paper reported that the troops reaffirmed their drive to solidify Kim's leadership and to establish the "elite, revolutionary force" through rigorous training. The soldiers also said they would cooperate with the civilian sector to reach goals in major construction and economic projects. Last year, Kim had held similar rallies with the military, factories and cooperative farms across North Korea. For the second consecutive year, Kim began his series of early-year meetings with the armed forces, further highlighting the regime's military-first policy.