Kim Jong-un fires top general, calls for 'offensive' war preparations
North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly dismissed his military's top general and called for "offensive" war preparations, including conducting more drills and boosting the production of weapons. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), this major development came at a meeting of the Central Military Commission on Wednesday, just a few days after the 39-year-old inspected numerous major arms factories.
Details on North Korea's new chief of general staff
Reportedly, the North Korean supremo dismissed Chief of the General Staff Pak Su II during the Central Military Commission's meeting without any explanation. In his place, Kim appointed the country's current Defence Minister, General Ri Yong Gil, as the new Chief of General Staff. However, it's still unknown if Gil will keep his defense minister's post or be replaced by someone else.
Key takeaways from Central Military Commission meeting
At Wednesday's meeting, Kim asked "all the munitions industrial establishments to push ahead with the mass-production of various weapons and equipment." He also called for "actively conducting actual war drills" to operate the newly deployed latest weapons and equipment efficiently. Preparations for the September 9 grand parade to mark the 75th founding anniversary of North Korea were also discussed during the meeting.
Top analyst gives possible reason behind military reshuffle
Speaking to the news outlet CNN, senior analyst at the private think tank Sejong Institute, Cheong Seong-chang, said Kim's military reshuffle might be for a variety of reasons. "Since Kim Jong-un has frequently promoted, demoted, and dismissed executives according to their ability to perform duties, dismissal of executives may be holding them accountable, but it is inappropriate to consider them as punishment," stated Cheong.
Possible impact of US, South Korea's upcoming military drills
For a long time now, the United States (US) has accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia for its ongoing war in Ukraine, including artillery shells, missiles, and rockets. However, both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied those allegations. The US and South Korea are scheduled to hold military drills between August 21 and 24, which Pyongyang views as a threat to its security.
