North Korea’s Kim Sacks Top General, Urges more Arms Production

By Staff, Agencies

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has replaced his military’s top general and called for increased weapons production, expansion of military drills, and preparations for the possibility of war.

Kim made the comments at a meeting of the Central Military Commission, which discussed plans for countermeasures to deter North Korea’s enemies, the country’s state media KCNA has reported on Thursday without naming those enemies.

For its part, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency said that North Korea appears “focused on flexing its military muscle”.

North Korea’s top general, Chief of the General Staff Pak Su Il was also “dismissed”, KCNA reported, without elaborating. He had served in his role for about seven months.

Pak was replaced by General Ri Yong Gil, who previously served as the country’s defense minister, as well as the top commander of its conventional troops. Ri had also previously served as the army chief of staff.

When Ri was replaced in 2016 his sacking and subsequent absence from official events in North Korea sparked speculation in South Korea that he had been executed. Ri reappeared a few months later when he was named to another senior post.

KCNA said the agenda of Wednesday’s meeting between Kim and the Central Military Commission was “the issue of making full war preparations” including “securing more powerful strike means” to ensure “perfect military readiness for a war”.

Kim called for “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 efficiently operate [the] newly deployed latest weapons and equipment,” it added.

According to KCNA, Kim set a target for expansion of the country’s weapons production capacity. The report did not provide details.