Kim Jong Un Calls for Military Readiness Amid Rising Tensions

Kim Jong Un urged North Korea's military to enhance warfare capabilities amid increased tensions in the region. He addressed the military conference, emphasizing political and military strength. The speech followed the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia and growing international criticism over their military cooperation.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for the country's military to enhance its warfighting capabilities amid rising tensions with the United States and its allies. State media KCNA reported that Kim delivered a speech urging increased military and political strength at a military conference in Pyongyang last week.

The conference, which gathered battalion commanders and political instructors, focused on ensuring the armed forces could effectively respond to conflict. Kim described the Korean peninsula as "the world's biggest hotspot," emphasizing the historically high tension between North Korea and its adversaries, including the U.S. and South Korea.

The speech coincides with international scrutiny of the military alliance between North Korea and Russia, highlighted by North Korea's dispatch of over 10,000 troops to Russia to support the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Reports indicate some North Korean troops have engaged in combat near the Ukraine border. Meanwhile, Kim also guided the testing and production of suicide drones, linking global competition in modern warfare arms development to the situation.

(With inputs from agencies.)