North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for stronger military fortifications along the border with South Korea, describing the frontier as an “impregnable fortress.”
State media KCNA reported on Monday that Kim made the remarks during a meeting on Sunday with commanders of army divisions and brigades across North Korea.
Kim said strengthening frontline units and other major military formations was essential to “more thoroughly deterring war.”
He also called for changes to military training systems and wider practical drills to reflect developments in modern warfare and redefine operational concepts within North Korea’s armed forces.
Kim stressed the need for vigilance against the “arch enemy,” a term Pyongyang uses for South Korea.
The two Koreas technically remain at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it appeared to be Kim’s first reported meeting with division and brigade commanders since taking power.
The ministry added that Seoul would continue efforts to manage military tensions and build trust.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korean troops had increased fortification work near the border since March, including the construction of walls.
Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said Kim’s reference to fortifying the “southern border” could also indicate plans to strengthen military positions around disputed maritime boundaries such as the Northern Limit Line.
Hong added that Kim’s comments on modern warfare likely reflected lessons North Korea has drawn from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, including the use of drones, precision strikes and electronic warfare.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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