‘Getting fully ready for war’: North Korea’s Kim calls for combat readiness by army

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said “primary” task of the country’s military commanders was to “getting fully ready” their units “for fighting a war,” stressing combat readiness, state media reported Wednesday.

Kim made the remarks during a photo session with participants in the third meeting of Company Leaders of the Korean People’s Army a day earlier, KCNA reported.

“The primary revolutionary task of the company leaders is to round off the combat preparations of their units for getting fully ready for fighting a war and the way for its implementation is to bring about a radical improvement in the strenuous and intensive training,” Kim said.

He called on the military commanders to “prove” their loyalty to the ruling Workers’ Party and the “revolution” through “proud successes in turning their companies into a-match-for-a-hundred ranks with firm revolutionary faith, patriotic spirit and matchless heroic mettle and fighting efficiency.”

Kim’s remarks come amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula following an explosion last month inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which separates North and South Korea, that wounded three South Korean soldiers.

Seoul blamed Pyongyang for the incident but said the two sides should resume military communication to ease tensions.

Pyongyang rejected the accusations and has yet to respond to the offer of talks. Both sides have written to the UN Security Council presenting their accounts of the Sept. 21 DMZ incident.