North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on the country’s army earlier this week to step up its combat training. He hosted another major military event in the capital, Pyongyang, during which he criticized US military exercises. It was held between July 24 and 27, nknews.org reported. No mention is made of new weapons or plans related to nuclear technology, as during the party congress in January.
Kim criticized the joint US-South Korean military exercises ahead of their preliminary launch in the coming weeks. As is well known, Pyongyang sees them as a provocation. But earlier this week, it became clear that the North and South had re-established communications after more than two years of stalemate in US-led diplomacy aimed at depriving North Korea of its nuclear weapons.
“Hostile forces are stepping up their fanatical and stubborn invasion practices by continuing to systematically expand their ability to strike preventive blows at our nation and increase their military spending,” the DPRK leader said, according to the Rodon Sinmun party. even more determined to end the vicious cycle of escalating tensions at the moment, he added.
He demanded that military commanders and political officers completely separate themselves from the non-revolutionary and non-military ideological point of view and style of work.
It also became clear that Pak Chen Chon retained his position as Chief of General Staff after and that Ri Yon Gill did replace Kim Jong Un as Minister of National Defense.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an increase in the country’s military power during a meeting of the Central Military Commission chaired by him, state media KCNA reported.
At a meeting in June, he called for increased attention to the changing situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Recall that in late May, North Korean state media accused the administration of US President Joe Biden of shameful double deals, canceling an agreement limiting the range of ballistic missiles in South Korea. President Biden and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in announced the end of the so-called “Revised Missile Guidelines” in a joint statement earlier this month.
The attention of both Koreas has also been distracted by the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
