(MENAFN- QNA) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a drill by fighter pilots, state-run media said Sunday, in his first military-related appearance after a long absence from the public eye.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said he guided a takeoff and landing drill by fighter pilots of the Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force Units 1017 and 458.
Hours later, the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling party, released several photos of Kim inspecting the military exercise and meeting with athletes. Kim was pictured using a walking stick, as in other recent appearances, according to (Yonhap) news agency.
Praising the pilots "for their excellent piloting and displaying a mastery of the art of aviation," Kim called for the thorough preparation of the airmen equipped to wage modern warfare.
The latest military inspection marks his first military-related appearance since his disappearance.
The 31-year-old Kim had not appeared in public since attending a concert in Pyongyang on Sept. 3, missing an important political anniversary on Friday as well as a recent session of the country's parliament.
Kim's absence from public view, the longest since he inherited power after his father's death in December 2011, had fueled speculation about his health and grip on power.
Silencing such rumors, however, the KCNA reported on Tuesday that Kim gave "field guidance" at a newly built apartment complex in Pyongyang for nuclear scientists.
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