North Korea's Kim calls for stronger frontline units to deter war - report

Kim Jong Un called for strengthening frontline military units and expanding realistic combat drills to deter war, state media KCNA reported. He also urged updated training and operational concepts aligned with modern warfare.

REUTERS

May 18, 2026

North Korea's Kim calls for stronger frontline units to deter war - report

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un meets with division and brigade commanders of the Korean People’s Army, in this image released by the Korean Central News Agency May 18, 2026.

KCNA / REUTERS

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said plans to strengthen frontline military units along the border with South Korea, along with other major formations, are key to “more thoroughly deterring war,” state media reported on Monday.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with commanders of divisions and brigades across the North Korean military.

He called for adjustments to the military training system and the expansion of practical drills to reflect changes in modern warfare and the evolving capabilities of North Korea’s armed forces, KCNA said.

Kim also said planned military projects should redefine operational concepts in line with the rapid modernization of military and technical equipment, and that these updated concepts should be fully integrated into unit-level combat training.

KCNA reported that Kim emphasized ideological loyalty and constant vigilance against what he called the “arch enemy,” a term North Korea routinely uses to refer to South Korea.

-Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Nick Zieminski / Reuters