Seoul 10 Aug : North Korean leader Kim Jong Un dismissed the top general of the military and directed officials to make more preparations, in the wake of the increasing possibility of war, by expanding military drills and increasing weapons production, reported on Thursday .
The comments were made by Kim at one of the meetings of the Central Military Commission in which they discussed plans for countermeasures to deter the enemies of North Korea, which was not named, said the report.North Korea’s top general Chief of the General Staff Pak Su Il was “dismissed”. The official had been serving the government as the military’s top general for about seven months.General Ri Yong Gil, who had earlier held the position of the country’s defence minister and also the top commander of its conventional troops, replaced Pak.
Ri was also previously appointed as the army chief of staff. In 2016 when he was replaced, Ri’s sacking and his non-attendance in official events had sparked rumours of his execution in South Korea. However, a few months later, he reappeared after his name was proposed for another senior post.Kim also decided on a target for the expansion of weapons production capacity, said the report, without giving any further details. The leader visited weapons factories last week where he asked to increase the number of missile engines, artillery and other weapons to be built.In the photos released by KCNA, Kim was seen pointing at Seoul and areas surrounding the capital of South Korea on a map.North Korea to stage militia parade on September 9North Korea has been accused by the United States of providing arms to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which includes artillery shells, rockets and missiles. The claims have been denied by Russia and North Korea.The military was also asked by Kim Jong Un to conduct drills with the latest weapons and equipment of the country to keep its forces ready for combat, stated the report.North Korea will be staging a militia parade on September 9, which will mark the 75th anniversary of the Day of the Foundation of the Republic. The country has numerous paramilitary groups which it uses to bolster its military forces.The United States and South Korea will be conducting military drills between August 21 and August 24, which is seen as a threat to security by North Korea.