North Korean Leader Calls for Increased 'War Readiness' After Dismissing Chief of General Staff

Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, on Wednesday, simultaneously with the dismissal of a senior army general, called for an increase in 'war readiness,' 'increased weapons production,' and 'expanded military exercises.' According to Reuters, Kim's orders were issued during a meeting of the Central Military Commission with a 'focus on countermeasures' against 'enemies,' whose identities remain unspecified. The Chief of General Staff, Pak Su Il, was dismissed and replaced by General Ri Yong Gil, who was also the Minister of Defense and commander of conventional forces. Kim Jong Un also emphasized the 'expansion of weapons production capacity' and called for 'advanced exercises.' Kim pointed to areas around Seoul on a map. As the North Korean leader plans for a paramilitary parade on September 9, the upcoming military exercises of the United States and South Korea are always viewed by North Korea as a 'security threat.' Amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to increased military readiness from South Korea and the U.S. against North Korea's nuclear weapons program, North Korea immediately launched two ballistic missiles into the sea off its eastern coast following the arrival of a U.S. nuclear submarine in South Korea. According to Reuters, as tensions escalate with the arrival of a U.S. nuclear submarine in South Korea, North Korea reacted angrily, stating that 'such a deployment could guarantee the use of nuclear weapons.' The United States assured that it is consulting closely with its allies, as it views such missile launches as 'destabilizing,' although it does not assess them as an 'immediate threat.' Meanwhile, following the 'defection of an American soldier' to North Korea and the recent test of the intercontinental ballistic missile 'Hwasong-18' by North Korea, a new round of tensions is forming in the Far East region.