North Korea's military has said it will expand and intensify military exercises in preparation for
"war readiness"
, state media reported on Tuesday (February 7th) ahead of a massive parade.
The pledge was made at a meeting held on Monday under the leadership of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, following joint South Korean and U.S. air drills last week.
On the agenda was
"the constant expansion and intensification of Korean People's Army combat operations and drills (...) to strictly perfect war readiness"
, according to the agency. official KCNA.
At the same time, private satellite images suggest that
“significant preparations for a
military parade” are underway in the capital Pyongyang, ahead of national holidays which will take place in February.
On February 8, North Korea celebrates the anniversary of the founding of its armed forces, and on February 16, the birthday of Kim Jong Il, father and predecessor of the current North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un.
"A total showdown"
Seoul and Washington last week held aerial drills with strategic bombers and stealth fighter jets, angering Pyongyang, which said such maneuvers could
"trigger an all-out confrontation."
This show of force by the two allied powers comes after US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his South Korean counterpart announced increased security cooperation against Pyongyang.
For North Korea, the steps taken by Seoul and Washington to step up their joint exercises crossed “an extreme red line,” a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry had told KCNA.
Pyongyang considers these aerial maneuvers as rehearsals for an invasion of its territory.
