North Korea leader Kim Jong Un emphasized the necessity for heightened war preparedness due to the unstable military and political environment surrounding his country, as reported by the KCNA news agency on April 11. Kim conducted an inspection at the Kim Jong Il University of Military and Politics on Wednesday, which is named after his late father and is deemed the country’s foremost institution for military education. Under Kim’s leadership, North Korea has intensified its weapons development efforts and strengthened military and political ties with Russia, purportedly in exchange for assistance in strategic military projects.
Addressing university staff and students, Kim affirmed North Korea’s readiness to swiftly respond with decisive action in the event of military confrontation with its adversaries. He highlighted the imperative for thorough war preparation given the complex international landscape and the uncertain military and political circumstances surrounding the country.
Earlier in the month, Kim oversaw the test launch of a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile, a move seen as enhancing North Korea’s missile deployment capabilities compared to liquid-fuel variants.
North Korea has criticized the United States and South Korea for escalating military tensions through what it perceives as provocative military exercises. The allies have conducted military drills with increased intensity and scale in recent months, according to North Korean statements.
Following an inspection of troops at a major military operations base in North Korea’s western region, leader Kim Jong Un in March ordered heightened readiness for potential conflict. According to KCNA, Kim emphasized the need for the military to adapt to the current situation by intensifying war preparations to usher in a new era of combat readiness.
Kim stressed the importance of conducting actual war drills to enhance the military’s combat capabilities and ensure thorough war preparedness. His directives come amidst ongoing large-scale military exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea, known as Freedom Shield, which include various field exercises such as missile interception drills, bombing, air assault, and live-firing. The annual drills involved a significantly larger number of troops compared to the previous year, indicating the heightened military activities in the region.
