Pak Su Il, the head of the General Staff in North Korea, was ‘dismissed’ and succeeded by General Ri Yong Gil, who had previously served as the Minister of Defense.
According to reports from the country’s main news agency KCNA, North Korean head Kim Jong Un eliminated the highest-ranking general in his armed forces and issued orders for an increase in the manufacturing of weapons, an expansion of military training, and preparations for the potential of war.
According to KCNA on Thursday, Kim delivered the remarks during a session of the Central Military Commission on Thursday, which addressed plans for countermeasures to dissuade North Korea’s foes. However, North Korea’s adversaries were not specifically named in the article.
According to Yonhap News Agency, which is based in South Korea, North Korea seemed “concentrated on showing its military muscle” on Thursday.
According to KCNA, North Korea’s highest-ranking overall, Head of the Army’s General Staff Pak Su Il, got “dismissed” as well. The news agency did not provide any other details. About seven months had passed since he had assumed his position.
General Ri Yong Gil, who formerly served as the country’s Defense Minister as well as the country’s senior commander of the nation’s Conventional Troops, succeeded Pak as the country’s Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. In the past, Ri has also held the position of chief of staff for the army.
As a result of Ri’s dismissal in 2016 and his following absence from gatherings in North Korea, rumors began circulating in South Korea suggesting he was executed shortly after his dismissal. Ri was promoted to another prominent position a few months later, at which point he made his reappearance.
The matter of making thorough war preparations, particularly “securing stronger strike weapons to ensure complete military preparedness for a war,” was reportedly on the agenda of the conversation between Kim along with the Central Armed Forces Commission that took place on Wednesday, according to KCNA.
According to the report, Kim issued an order to all of the munitions industrial companies ordering them to proceed with the mass production of various types of weapons and equipment.
In addition to this, it was stated that he advocated for actively performing genuine war drills in order to effectively operate the recently deployed newest weapons and equipment.
As reported by KCNA, Kim has reportedly established a goal for the increase of the country’s capacity to produce weapons. The study did not include any specifics in its presentation.
The United States believes that North Korea is supplying Russia with weapons for its conflict in Ukraine, particularly artillery rounds, rockets, as well as missiles. As a result, the United States has called for an increase in the manufacturing of munitions.
The previous week, Kim traveled to various weapons plants, where he demanded the production of additional missile engines, artillery, and other types of weapons.
During the massive military parade that took place in North Korea a month ago, North Korea also staged a large defense expo at the same time. During this event, Kim offered the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, an overview of the country’s newest and most powerful arsenal, which included missiles that were ballistic and spy drones.
On September 9, to commemorate the Day of the Establishment of the Republic, which will be 75 years old this year, North Korea will hold a parade featuring its various militia units.
The United States, as well as South Korea, are planning to conduct their next round of joint military exercises between the 21st August to 24th August. North Korea asserts that these drills constitute a danger to its national security and are being carried out in preparation for an impending invasion of the country’s north.
