Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a key political school of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) to mark its 80th founding anniversary, calling it a "strategic fortress" ensuring the party's existence, state media reported Tuesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim paid a "congratulatory" visit to the Central Cadres Training School of the WPK the previous day, accompanied by senior party officials. The Central Cadres Training School is North Korea's top political education institution designed to cultivate and reeducate party cadres.

The school is "now glorifying its sacred original name ... as a strategic fortress guaranteeing the existence and development of the Party," Kim was quoted as saying in a speech by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). He emphasized that North Korea's people-centered policy approach will remain unchanged even amidst shifting times, despite issues such as abuse of power, bureaucratism, and corruption emerging.

After touring the facility, Kim watched a friendly match between North Korea's U-17 women's football team and its women's football club Naegohyang in celebration, according to the KCNA report. Naegohyang Women's FC recently visited South Korea for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Champions League and secured the top Asian women's football title. North Korea's U-17 women's football team won the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup in May.

Prior to the match, Kim warmly "took the trustworthy women players, proud daughters of the motherland, to his arms," and held a photo session with them, it said.