Monday, May 12, 2008, Jamadi-ul-Awwal 5, 1429    

North Korean leader stresses military training

Seoul—North Korea’s reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il urged “all efforts on military training” during a recent visit to an army unit, according to state media monitored here Sunday.
The Korean Central News Agency reported Kim’s visit without disclosing its location and time, for what was the sixth military inspection by the all-powerful leader this month—much more frequent than usual.
“He (Kim) underscored the need to concentrate all efforts on military training, saying that the revolutionary duty of soldiers is to conduct training effectively before anything else,” the agency said. The North’s leader also praised his “great invincible army” during the visit, according to the official agency.
Kim, who rules the communist state under a Songun (army first) policy, is often reported to make morale-boosting visits to military units.
The two Koreas still remain technically at war after the 1950-1953 Korean conflict ended only in a fragile armistice.
The South’s 600,000-strong military, supported by 28,000 US troops, faces the North’s 1.1-million-strong military along one of the world’s most heavily fortified borders. —AFP