North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently issued an internal mandate to resupply the Kim Jong Un National Defense University with high quality winter uniforms, according to sources on Dec 19.

“There were sudden orders on Dec. 14 to resupply students of the Kim Jong Un National Defense University with winter uniforms,” one of the sources told Daily NK. “This is the first time that Kim Jong Un paid attention to the winter clothes worth by students at the National Defense University and gave orders to address it.”

“On Dec. 13, after being briefed on the successful test results from the university’s researchers and technicians, [Kim Jong Un] was commenting on the need to gain complete mastery of the national defense research field when he caught sight of a proposal sent by the dean of the university,” said the source. “It said that because of the poor quality of winter uniforms supplied by the university, students were paying out-of-pocket for their own clothes.”

On seeing the proposal, Kim reportedly said that “there are serious problems here” and issued the decree to provide improved winter clothes for the students.

Kim has long paid attention to the welfare of the country’s younger elite given their future role in the country’s scientific and technological development. The majority of the university’s graduates reportedly become researchers at the Academy of National Defense Science, technicians at munitions factories, or join the faculty at the Kim Jong Un National Defense University itself.

Kim’s decree was met with positive reactions at the university. Students admitted that the existing uniforms were so low in quality that they were embarrassing to wear. Some students expressed relief that Kim had agreed to help improve their winter clothes so they could save money.

Sources also told Daily NK that the university’s political and academic affairs offices have informed the student body that there is a strict ban on non-standard issue uniforms. The university has also strengthened inspections of standard-issue uniforms to ensure they meet existing regulations.

The university’s sartorial department is coordinating closely with the Ministry of People’s Armed Forces (MPAF) to produce the new winter uniforms. The factory where the new clothes will be made is run by the MPAF and is said to be under strict orders to complete production before Feb. 16 (Kim Jong Il’s birthday).

Uniforms issued to Kim Jong Un National Defense University students feature unique epaulettes, cap emblems, and belts that do not exist anywhere else in the North Korean military. Although students are also supplied with standard military uniforms, these three components are considered a key sartorial tradition of the university’s students.

While the overall design slightly changes whenever the North Korean military reworks its uniforms, the basic look of the cap emblems, epaulets, and belts has not changed since they were first approved by Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s first leader.

*Translated by Violet Kim

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