North Korean leader calls on army to prepare for war

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called on his army to prepare for war, state news agency KCNA reported on Monday. He made the call in a speech to a battalion of commanders and instructors in Pyongyang on Friday.

Kim accused the US and South Korea of bringing tensions on the Korean peninsula “to the worst stage ever”, KCNA reports, and the military must therefore improve its capacity to wage war.

North Korea recently ratified a historic defence agreement with Russia, sealing their rapprochement against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. On Saturday, the Financial Times reported that North Korea was sending not only troops and ammunition to Russia but also heavy equipment such as missile launchers. 

Around 11,000 North Korean soldiers have reportedly been deployed in the Kursk region, a small part of which has been occupied by Ukrainian forces since August. 

Last week, Kim ordered the prioritisation of mass production of kamikaze drones while attending a test of the devices at a factory, state media report.

The drones are explosive-laden craft that deliberately crash into enemy targets and are used as guided missiles. During the test, the drones reached targets "with precision", KCNA said.

^{Kim Jong Un attends the 4th Battalion Commander and Battalion Political Instructors Conference of the Korean People's Army in Pyongyang, 15 November 2024 © PHOTO STR / KCNA VIA KNS / AFP}

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