SEOUL, Oct 23 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for the country’s Army company units to be transformed into elite, self-sufficient combat units during a two-day meeting of company commanders in Pyongyang, the state news agency KCNA reported on Saturday local time.
The event underscored Kim’s persistent political priority of strengthening the armed forces.
In a speech delivered at the conference of North Korea Army company commanders, held on October 22 and 23 — which KCNA said was the first meeting of the entire Army since the 9th Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea in February — Kim urged all companies to be fully prepared so that “the goal of strengthening the military of the new era” could be achieved.
“We will make the Army stronger and accelerate a military revolution in our style,” Kim said.
During the 9th Congress of the ruling party of North Korea, in February — which sets the country’s direction for the next five years — Kim called for strengthening conventional armed forces, in addition to reaffirming efforts to develop nuclear weapons and missiles.
(Reported by Joyce Lee)
