N. Korean leader observes attack drills

By Rachel Lee

North Korea recently conducted a set of military drills observed by the nation’s leader Kim Jong-un, the North’s state media reported Sunday.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the landing and defense exercises ― which involved pursuit planes and artillery sub-units ― were designed to enhance the military’s ability to fight attacks along the coast of the isolated country.

The exercises are regarded as a show of strength against an ongoing joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States.

The drills showed that the North is capable of “killing ruthlessly the U.S. and South Korea whenever the group of enemies gives off any sort of sparks on the land,” the KCNA said.

The agency did not state when the drills took place.

While overseeing the drills, the North Korean leader ordered the military to constantly train its units and sub-units with in order to “bury at sea any enemies that attack the land in the coast of the country.”

“Seeing the daring action of landing units, Kim Jong-un said with pleasure that such surprise landing and attack on the coast would result in a victorious battle," the news agency said in an English-language dispatch.

The KCNA quoted Kim as saying the “victory of an amphibious battle depends mainly on how to neutralize the enemy’s possible anti-landing movements while getting over its coastal defenses at one go.”

Along with Kim, senior officials ― including Hwang Pyong-so, director of the general political bureau of the Korean People’s Army (KPA), and KPA general staff Ri Myung-su ― attended the training exercises.

On Friday, Pyongyang launched two missiles, presumed to be the nuclear-capable mid-range Rodong-type, into the East Sea in protest against increasing international pressure to give up its nuclear program and the joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington.

South Korea and the U.S. wrapped up the largely computer-simulated Key Resolve drill and combined amphibious Ssang Yong exercise, Friday. The allies’ Foal Eagle combined field training exercise will continue until April 30.

Seoul sends protest letters

South Korea expressed its concern to relevant international organizations about North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches.

In a letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization, the government said that the North’s a the launchings of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles earlier this month were “dangerous” as they came without prior warning.

Under international conventions, North Korea is required to inform relevant organizations before launching missiles to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft and vessels passing through the area.

ICAO raised the issue with North Korea following the short-range missile launches on March 10. Both ICAO and IMO are expected to lodge another protest with the North after reviewing South Korea's concern and separately looking into the medium-range ballistic missile launches that took place Friday.

The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the North over the missile tests, saying they constituted a clear violation of UNSC resolutions that ban the country from using ballistic missile technology.