North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has stressed the importance of training elite military personnel to modernize the military into a high-tech force.

The country's state-run television reported on Thursday that Kim gave a speech the previous day during a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the elite Mangyongdae Revolutionary School.

The school in Pyongyang is known to educate future senior leaders in the military and the government.

With prolonged economic sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic apparently in mind, Kim said that if the country is to achieve national glory even in the face of adversity, it must have trustworthy core personnel who will flawlessly carry out the duties they are given.

Kim went on to say that his country should dramatically strengthen military education for students.

Kim stressed that personnel training is an extremely important duty as North Korea's military aims to transform itself into a high-tech modern force.

Kim's speech appears to reflect his desire to step up efforts to produce well-trained military personnel, such as those capable of working on nuclear and missile development, amid prolonged economic stagnation and a long-term confrontation with the United States.