DPRK ruling party convenes enlarged meeting on war preparations

SEOUL -- The ruling party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) convened on Wednesday an enlarged central military commission meeting, discussing ways to intensify war preparations in response to the grave political and military situation on the Korean Peninsula, state media reported.

The enlarged session of the Central Military Commission of the Worker's Party of Korea (WPK) analyzed military developments that deteriorated the situation on the peninsula and decided on "the plans for offensive military countermeasures," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The issue of proactively conducting actual war drills and making full preparations for carrying out the operation plans was also discussed, the KCNA said.

Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the WPK, chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, stressed the need to increase the means to strike enemies.

He said it's necessary to conduct actual war drills to hone the military's skills to efficiently operate the latest weapons commissioned to the military, the KCNA report said.

Kim also underlined the need to manufacture more weapons to modernize the military.

The meeting also dismissed General Pak Su-il from the post of the chief of the General Staff and appointed Vice Marshal Ri Yong-gil as the new chief, according to the report.