PYONGYANG, March 3-- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on Monday visited a monument in honor of 14 pilots who died for a satellite program in 2009, the official KCNA news agency reported Tuesday.

Kim walked around the monument when he visited the Unit 447 of the Air and Anti-Air Force of the Korean People's Army (KPA) and planted trees with the combat pilots on the country's tree-planting day.

The monument, which was built on the instruction of Kim himself, was erected to commemorate the 14 pilots who sacrificed their lives in the operation for the launch of Kwangmyongsong-2 in April 2009.

Kim spoke highly of the pilots who "defied death to carry out the order of the party," saying that they embodied a "suicidal-attack spirit" that serves as a guide of ideological work in the army.

He also took pictures with the combat pilots of the unit in front of the monument.

The DPRK launched Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite on April 5, 2009 and the whole country hailed it as a "magnificent feat." But the United States and South Korea said the launch was a failure with the second and third stages falling into the Pacific.