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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, tours the Command of Large Combined Unit 526 near the western port city of Nampo, Tuesday. During the inspection, Kim said that a war could break out without any prior notice on the Korean Peninsula, calling on the military to bolster its combat readiness. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the military to maintain high combat readiness, warning that a war could break out without notice, according to its official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) Wednesday.
Kim made the remarks during his visit to the Command of Large Combined Unit 526 near the western port city of Nampo on Christmas Eve, the day when his late father Kim Jong-il was named supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.
"He instructed the unit to put utmost spurs on rounding off its combat readiness with the firm resolution, always bearing in mind that a war breaks out without any prior notice," the KCNA said.
Senior officials and military leaders, including Choe Ryong-hae, the chief of the military Politburo, and Ri Yong-gil, the North's military chief, accompanied the young leader.
Choe has been considered the communist state's new No. 2 man following the recent execution of the current leader's uncle, Jang Song-thaek.
His military inspection coincided with President Park Geun-hye's first visit to a frontline unit since she came into office in February.
Park ordered service members to deal "sternly and mercilessly" with North Korean provocations to address rising security concerns.
Seoul and Washington have stepped up their surveillance on North Korea amid concerns that it could resort to provocative moves in an attempt to escalate tensions and divert domestic attention away from the execution of the high-profile official.
