Kim orders N. Korea;s military to bolster combat readiness

USPA News - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has urged the country`s military to bolster its combat readiness and capabilities, reminding them that a war could break out "without any prior notice." It comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula following the execution of the leader`s uncle.

Kim, while accompanied by senior military officials, made the comments during a visit to the Command of Large Combined Unit 526 near the western port city of Nampo on Tuesday, the same day when his late father Kim Jong-il was appointed supreme commander of the Korean People`s Army (KPA) in 1991. Kim described his father`s assumption of supreme leadership of the armed forces as a "historic event of great significance." The leader toured the military unit and received a report on the unit`s training and performance, but he emphasized for the soldiers to bolster their combat readiness and capabilities. "He instructed the unit to put utmost spurs on rounding off its combat readiness with the firm viewpoint and stance that it should be wholly responsible for its combat readiness before the party, always bearing in mind that a war breaks out without any prior notice," state-run media reported on Wednesday. Noting that the unit has a "very important duty" to perform, Kim also gave "important tasks" in order to help the unit bolster up its combat capability, the report said. The leader further expressed his satisfaction over the well-organized command rooms for military research, helping commanding officers and soldiers to map out and command combat operations. "Expressing expectation and belief that the service personnel of the unit would firmly defend with arms the socialist country, dynamically advancing toward a final victory while keeping themselves in perfect combat readiness, he had a photo session with them," the report added. The comments come amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula following the shocking execution of Kim`s once-powerful uncle, raising questions about the regime`s stability. Countries such as South Korea and the United States have urged the North against taking any "provocative acts." Jang Song Thaek, who was considered to be the second most powerful man in the reclusive state, was executed earlier this month after being accused of organizing groups to overthrow the regime. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) called the once-respected official a traitor, describing him as "despicable human scum" and "worse than a dog."