North Korea's Kim 'guides' border drill with 'enemy's capital in striking range'

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - A day after ordering the North Korean military to step up "practical actual-war drills," the country's leader Kim Jong-un "guided" border drills from an area in "striking range" of the south's capital Seoul, state-run media has reported.

Kim inspected "large combined units" of the Korean People's Army as they fired long-range artillery as part of a drill near the border on Thursday, Pyongyang-based KCNA News reported.

This comes after South Korea and the US launched 11 days of military exercises on the Korean Peninsula earlier this week.

As part of the drills, Seoul has flown aircraft against hypothetical threats from Pyongyang.

North Korea has said artillery sub-units near the border "have put the enemy's capital in their striking range," in an apparent reference to Seoul as Pyongyang has declared South Korea its "primary enemy."

The report from Pyongyang did not specify the border area where the drills were held, but said their aim was to increase the combat readiness and capability of artillery.

Kim inspected the exercise from a military observation post and was briefed by defense and military officials on its plan before he "guided" it.

The rival military exercises are taking place as Seoul is mulling a new vision for unification on the divided Korean Peninsula.

Under the new plan, South Korea is working to include the "principle of liberal democracy," while Pyongyang has said it will redefine its ties with Seoul and not seek unification.