Kim Jong Un orders North Korean military to improve war readiness

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has instructed his military to increase their combat drills and to improve their readiness for war. This decision was made as North Korea continues to show aggression through weapon demonstrations amid rising tensions with neighboring countries and the US. Kim Jong-un presided over a meeting of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party on Monday, where he urged the armed forces to achieve victory and to showcase unrivaled military strength, according to the Korean Central News Agency's report.

The members of the Central Military Commission reportedly discussed tasks aimed at producing significant change in the military, such as increasing and intensifying operational and combat exercises, and enhancing preparedness for war with greater strictness. The meeting comes at a time when North Korea is planning a large-scale military parade in Pyongyang to commemorate the founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army, which falls on Wednesday. Kim Jong-un may use this event to display the newest weapons from his expanding nuclear weapons and missile programme, which is causing concern in the US.

Pyongyang is concerned about US-South Korea's military exercises

The recent meeting indicated that Pyongyang intends to increase its military capability. It is important to flag that this developent comes on the heels of a year when North Korea conducted a record number of missile tests. North Korea is concerned that the US and South Korea are conducting larger military drills. Pyongyang has warned that it would respond to US military actions with its "powerful nuclear force". Pyongyang is objecting to the US' plans to increase joint exercises with South Korea as that would entail more advanced military equipment such as bombers and aircraft carriers entering the region. US and South Korea maintain that they are conducting these exercises in response to North Korea's sabre rattling.