DPRK leader calls for bolstering self-defense capabilities

In this photo provided by the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK leader Kim Jong-un attends a meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, which were held between June 21 and 23, 2022, in Pyongyang. (KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY/KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP)

PYONGYANG/SEOUL – The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has called on the Korean People's Army to "improve the absolute power and the military and technical edge," the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday. 

Kim Jong-un made the call during the third Enlarged Meeting of the eighth Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) held from Tuesday to Thursday, said the KCNA report. 

The meeting focused on issues about "rapidly bolstering the national defense capabilities to put them on the level appropriate to a new stage of the developing revolution," according to the report. 

The DPRK Central Military Commission decided to add an essential military action plan to the operational duties of KPA frontline units

The meeting deliberated on a proposal to increase the number of vice-chairmanship of the WPK Central Military Commission and elected Ri Pyong-chol, secretary of the WPK Central Committee, as vice-chairman of the Party Central Military Commission, it said. 

The commission also decided to add an essential military action plan to the operational duties of KPA frontline units, examined and approved providing a military guarantee for further strengthening the country's war deterrent and ratified a plan for reorganizing military organizational formations, according to the report.  

Reopening case of deported DPRK fishermen 

Ruling party members and rights activists of the Republic of Korea meanwhile are calling on the government to reopen a 2019 case of the repatriation of two DPRK fishermen. 

DPRK leader Kim Jong-un, rear center, attends a meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang in this photo provided by the DPRK government. (KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY/KOREA NEWS SERVICE VIA AP)

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has been revisiting several defection cases after criticizing what he called his predecessor Moon Jae-in's DPRK policy and vowing to boost support for defectors during the election campaign.  

The Moon government deported the fishermen, calling them "dangerous criminals" who allegedly killed 16 other colleagues aboard their vessel while crossing the sea border. 

Officials said at the time that there was an "unfortunate event" between the crewmen due to an abusive captain, without elaborating. 

With inputs from Reuters