North Korea promises ‘expanded, intensified’ military drills
BB News International Reporter I 07th February 2023.
North Korea has said it will expand and intensify military drills to ensure its armed forces are prepared for any war, according to state media.
The decision came at a meeting of the central military commission of the ruling Workers’ Party on Monday that was chaired by leader Kim Jong Un.
Top of the agenda was “the issue of constantly expanding and intensifying the operation and combat drills of the [Korean People’s Army] strictly perfecting the preparedness for war,”
The commission’s meeting took place with North Korea widely expected to stage a military parade on Wednesday to mark the founding anniversary of its armed forces and showcase the latest hardware from its growing nuclear weapons and missile programme.
Commercial satellite imagery has shown North Korean troops practising in formation in Pyongyang.
Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a briefing that the South Korean military had detected a “significant increase in personnel and vehicles” in areas related to parade rehearsals but declined to share a specific assessment on when the event would take place.
He added that the South Korean military was closely monitoring developments related to North Korea’s possible creation of a new military bureau related to missiles but did not provide further details. Some analysts say that the new department could possibly handle the development of nuclear warheads and ballistic systems.
North Korea celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces on February 8 and the Day of the Shining Star on February 16. The latter is the birthday of Kim Jong Il, the son of founder Kim Il Sung and father of Kim Jong Un.
