North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Orders Intensified Military Training Amid Rising Tensions

Kim Jong Un visited a military training ground and emphasized the need for practical training and war preparedness. According to the North Korean Central News Agency report on the 7th, Chairman Kim visited a key operation training base in the western district of the North Korean military on the 6th and oversaw the training. /Yonhap News

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a military training ground and instructed to strengthen war preparedness. This represents a countermeasure against the ongoing U.S.-South Korea joint training, Freedom Shield (FS). Since declaring the hostile relationship between North and South through a plenary meeting in January, Kim has been gradually escalating provocations.

According to the North Korean Central News Agency, on the 7th, Kim visited a key operation training base in the western district of the North Korean military the day before (6th).

During his visit, Kim ordered that “our military must constantly strengthen practical training to dramatically improve combat capability” to “deter the constant threats of enemies with overwhelming power and thoroughly suppress even minor war provocations.”

The agency also reported that he “emphasized opening a new era of strengthening war preparedness in line with the demands of the situation created by the entire military.”

Pak Jong Chon, Chairman of the Party Central Military Commission, accompanied him on the day. Kang Sun Nam, Minister of National Defense, and Ri Yong Gil, Chief of General Staff, visited the site. Pak Jong Chon was also called the head of the military when Kim Jong Un visited the Naval Command last August.