Kim Jong Un orders heightened war readiness amid US-South Korean drills

NEW DELHI: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a military base in the western region of the country to inspect the field training of troops and has ordered 'heightened readiness for war', state KCNA news agency reported.
Although the location of the base was not identified, the visit comes in response to the annual combined military drills conducted by US and South Korean forces in the South, which began earlier this week with double the number of troops compared to last year.
Kim said the military must "dynamically usher in a new heyday of intensifying the war preparations in line with the requirements of the prevailing situation," reported KCNA.
The North Korean leader also told the troops, "Our army should ... steadily intensify the actual war drills aimed at rapidly improving its combat capabilities for perfect war preparedness," KCNA quoted.
Kim emphasized the need for the military to intensify its war preparations and improve its combat capabilities.
KCNA did not specifically mention the US and South Korean drills, but stated that Kim observed troops performing maneuvers simulating actual war conditions.
(With inputs from agencies)