North Korea's Kim guides artillery firing drill by Korean People's Army: KCNA

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un guided an artillery firing drill by the Korean People's Army, the country's military force, on March 7, state media KCNA reported on March 8.

The drill involved units that are within firing range of Seoul, the South Korean capital, KCNA said, adding that it "fulfilled important military missions for war deterrence".

The March 7 artillery drill was aimed at increasing the country's combat readiness posture and actual war capability, KCNA said.

Kim urged the military to push forward with preparations so the artillery sub-units could "take the initiative with merciless and rapid strikes at the moment of their entry into an actual war".

"He stressed the need to train all the artillerymen of the whole army into experts in artillery engagement… and set forth important tasks for rounding off the artillery war preparations," the report said while referring to the leader of the reclusive state.

Earlier this week, the North Korean state media said Kim had inspected field training of troops at a major military operations base in the western region of the country.

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un orders heightened war preparations: KCNA