NewsNorth Korea's military intensifies combat preparations amid increasing tensions

North Korea's military intensifies combat preparations amid increasing tensions

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

Images source: © PAP | KCNA

20 February 2024 15:13

The Department of the General Staff of North Korea has issued a telegraphic command to the entire army, instructing the completion of war preparations by the end of February and beginning of March. This is slated to be a response to the "current situation". Training specialist units should be done in an authentic combat-like setting.

This heightened tension is not a new development in Kim Jong Un's regime. Hostile declarations, which the dictator claims are a reaction to the aggression of South Korea, their primary adversary, have been publicly broadcasted by Pyongyang for years. These statements have escalated over time, serving as a justification for an arms race and North Korea's nuclear experimentation.

According to a report by "Daily NK", a South Korean service that collaborates with a network of sources in North Korea, China and other nations to gather insights from Pyongyang, an "emergency" is being prepared. They mention a military command that calls for the "occupation and calming of identified enemy territory".

In March, South Korea and the United States plan to conduct large-scale military exercises codenamed "Shield of Freedom". The heightened alert from North Korea's general staff department may probably be a reaction to these manoeuvres.

An order has gone out from the North Korean command for "war preparations", which has put all military units on edge. Special attention is expected from personnel with expertise in firepower, naval fleets, aircraft, selective shooting, anti-aircraft, command and communication, chemical warfare, and surveillance.

"Daily NK" points out that the department is stressing the need to enhance the training quality of specialised military units, a directive that has raised concerns given the scale of mobilisation.

Executing Kim Jong Un's strategy, as articulated in his "20x10" doctrine, will not be an easy task. However, everyone is on alert as authorities underscore a heightened readiness for “double and triple war”.