North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said that the most “crucial task” for the country’s armed forces is to make “full preparations for war”. After he observed special forces exercises, the dictator said that his country had to be ready for “all levels of modern warfare”, according to state media. In a video of the drills, North Korean tanks could be seen manoeuvring over uneven, sandy terrain as Kim, in his usual leather coat and black trousers, looked on. He was surrounded by military officials in uniform, including the minister of national defence, the chief of staff and the director of the general political bureau.
Kim appeared enthralled by the exercises, at one point holding up binoculars to watch the tanks fire into the distance. The drills also involved physical exercises, as well as sea and air drills. In the video, the soldiers could be seen disembarking from rubber boats and running to shore as well as rappelling from helicopters. The dictator said his country’s “viewpoint on training” was changing to “perfect military and technical preparations” and enhance “the combat efficiency and effectiveness of our weapon systems”.
Kim also emphasised the need to prepare for “all levels for modern warfare”, which includes introducing “IT system and scientific judgement system into training”. It was recently confirmed by Kim and Vladimir Putin that North Korean forces fought alongside Russia against Ukraine. Kim praised the soldiers for their “fighting spirit and heroism” and defined it as a “sacred mission for further consolidating as firm as a rock” relations between the two countries.
Credit: TASS
Pyongyang “regards it as an honour to have an alliance with such a powerful state as the Russian Federation”, state media reported.
