North Korea’s Kim Visits Tank Unit, Calls for Airtight Combat Readiness

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a tank unit and called for stepping up its combat readiness including greater “ideological and mental power,” state media KCNA said on Monday.

The unit is the first North Korean armoured division launched in 1948 and based in North Hwanghae Province, east of the capital Pyongyang. It was named after its founding commander who also led it when North Korean troops occupied Seoul during the 1950-53 Korean War.

During the visit on Sunday, Kim was briefed by the division commander on its attack and defence operation plan, reviewed documents and provided the direction of operational combat missions and training for the troops, KCNA said.

“He presented tasks and guideline to strengthen the unit’s combat preparation and combat power in every possible way, including ways to arm the tank crew more thoroughly with overwhelming ideological and mental power, train them militarily and physically, and fully prepare combat technology equipment for regular mobilisation,” it said.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

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