North Korea’s Kim Jong Un oversees air drills, urges enhanced war readiness
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the nation’s air force drills on Thursday, stressing the need for intensified war readiness across all military units, said media reports.
According to KCNA’s report, Kim inspected anti-aircraft combat and air strike drills by the Guards First Air Division of the Korean People’s Army (KPA).
Fighter jets on patrol responded to airspace violations in a simulated alert scenario, engaging and destroying aerial targets in order to prepare for actual wartime conditions.
North Korean state TV footage showed a MiG-29 jet launching a missile, which appeared to be a North Korean version of a Russia-developed mid- to long-range air-to-air missile, said Hong Min, North Korea analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
Over the drill, Kim called for “all units in the entire military” to bring about “a breakthrough in war preparation.”
Furthermore, he expressed satisfaction with the drills, saying they were “extremely useful in training pilots in modern aerial combat methods.”
Kim added that victory in war is determined by rigorous training, asserting that North Korea’s territory, land, sea and air would become an “impregnable fortress” if all troops committed themselves fully to both combat and ideological preparation.
He also slammed the US State Department for placing his country on a list of countries that are not fully cooperative with US counter-terrorism initiatives.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, Pyongyang has been placed on the list every year since 1997.
“The more the US provokes the DPRK with unnecessary and inefficient malicious acts, the further it will escalate the irreconcilable hostility between the DPRK and the US,” a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, using the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“The DPRK will... take effective and proper measures to cope with the US hostile provocations in all spheres.”
The drills were a part of North Korea’s current five-year defense development plan concluding this year.
This month, Kim has overseen a missile test, inspected tank and munitions plants, made a visit to the Russian embassy in Pyongyang to reaffirm the country’s alliance with Russia, and supervised tank firing drills and special operations unit training.
South Korea's presidential election
Russia, North Korea start building first road link as alliance grows
North Korea's Kim orders navy ships to be equipped with nukes
Iran to inject over $10bn of oil revenues to its sovereign fund: Report
Israeli army recalling PTSD-affected troops amid recruitment crisis: Report
Yemen warns of attacks on Israeli airports over Gaza assault
Iran removes parts of subsidies given to diesel fuel consumers
140 Palestinians killed across Gaza as Israel announces ‘extensive’ ground assaults
Hamas condemns killing of 5 journalists across Gaza in a single day
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Iran will continue enrichment with or without a deal with US, Araghchi
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
