Top DPRK leader guides military drills

Xinhua News Agency

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Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un recently guided war maneuvers of the army's large combined units and watched a flight drill, the official KCNA news agency reported Sunday.

Engaged in the maneuvers were metropolitan defense corps, a tank division and two motorized infantry divisions of the Korean People's Army (KPA), according to the KCNA.

The maneuvers were aimed at "further rounding off operational preparedness for reliably defending Pyongyang from any enemy attack," it said.

Kim stressed the importance of "practical and actual drills."

Meanwhile, he watched a flight drill carried out by fighter pilots of the KPA air and anti-air forces, and expressed satisfaction over the drill.

He urged the pilots to intensify training and to round off combat readiness on the occasion of the 7th Congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in May.

Kim was accompanied by Minister of the People's Armed Forces Pak Yong Sik and Chief of the KPA General Staff Ri Myong Su.

Ri Myong Su, former Minister of People's Security, has replaced Ri Yong Gil to become the new chief of the General Staff of the KPA.