Officials from the top two departments under North Korea’s ruling-party Central Committee were reported on Thursday to have met with a high-profile army unit earlier this week, representing a rare format and presentation for such a visit.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the officials “paid a congratulatory visit” on Tuesday to the artillery battalion of the 3rd Corps of the Korean People's Army (KPA), which won last week’s artillery competition overseen by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.