Kim Jong Un Responds To US, South Korean Army Drills With Field Training Games Of His Own — Aims For ‘Perfect War Preparedness

In response to the ongoing U.S. and South Korean military drills, North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, has commanded his military to escalate their war readiness.

What Happened: According to a Reuters report on Thursday, Kim supervised field training of troops at a significant military operations base in the western region of North Korea. The exact location of the base was not disclosed.

The inspection follows the annual combined military drills initiated by the U.S. and South Korean forces on Monday. This year, the drills involve twice the number of troops compared to the previous year.

Kim the military to “dynamically usher in a new heyday of intensifying the war preparations in line with the requirements of the prevailing situation,” as per the state KCNA news agency. He further emphasized the need to “steadily intensify the actual war drills aimed at rapidly improving its combat capabilities for perfect war preparedness.”

See Also: Amid Kim Jong Un’s Escalating Nuclear Threats, US And South Korea Launch Massive Military Drill

The KCNA did not clarify whether Kim directly referred to the U.S. and South Korean military drills during his inspection.

Why It Matters: This development comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions between North Korea and South Korea. Earlier in February, Kim had declared South Korea as the “primary enemy” and justified that “we have the legality to strike and destroy at any time.”

Following this, North Korea launched a series of cruise missiles, the fifth such incident in recent weeks, increasing security concerns in the region.

Earlier this week, in response to escalating threats from Kim, the United States and South Korea initiated a large-scale military exercise. North Korea, which views these drills as a rehearsal for invasion, has not yet responded.

Photo by Alexander Khitrov on Shutterstock

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