North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un has dismissed his top general and called for preparations for war to be stepped up. State media on Thursday showed footage of Kim, cigarette in hand, addressing a room full of uniformed generals.
Kim Jong Un wants to press ahead with war preparations and fires top general
At the meeting of the Central Military Commission, he said he spoke about “major military actions” against South Korea. The state news agency KCNA reported that Kim had reached an “important conclusion about the further stepping up of the Korean military’s preparations for war” “in an offensive manner”.
At the meeting, Kim also fired his chief of staff, Pak Su Il, and replaced him with Lt. Gen. Ri Yong Gil. Ri has held this position for a long time before, said scholar Cheon Seong-chang.
The tense situation with South Korea continues to escalate
According to KCNA, Kim called on defense companies to “advance the mass production of various weapons and equipment.” He also called for “active actual war exercises” to “operate efficiently with the latest weapons and equipment”.
Relations between North and South Korea are currently at a low point. Pyongyang has recently carried out weapons tests again and again. Kim aims to expand weapons development, including tactical nuclear weapons. South Korea and the United States have intensified their defense cooperation and held joint military maneuvers in recent months.
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jpb/dpa