Kim Jong Un called on the DPRK army to be 'fully ready for war'

Call for combat readiness

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that the 'primary revolutionary task' of company commanders is to complete the combat training of their units in order to be 'fully ready to wage war,' and that the path to this lies in 'radically improving intense and intensive training.' This was reported by the state agency KCNA, as retold by Anadolu. The remarks were made during a photo session with participants of the third meeting of company commanders of the Korean People's Army, one day before publication. Kim also called on military commanders to prove their loyalty to the ruling Workers' Party and to the 'revolution' through achievements in turning their companies into units 'worth hundreds,' with 'firm revolutionary conviction' and high fighting spirit.

Context: escalation after the DMZ incident

The statement came amid a deterioration of the situation on the Korean Peninsula following the September 21 explosion in the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas, in which three South Korean servicemen were wounded. According to Anadolu, Seoul blamed Pyongyang for the incident, while at the same time stating the need to restore military communication between the sides to reduce tensions. Pyongyang rejected the accusations and has not yet responded to the proposal for talks. Both sides submitted their versions of the September 21 incident to the UN Security Council.