N. Korean leader visits military unit for first time in 5 months

SEOUL, April 17 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made a surprise visit to an air force unit and reviewed a flight exercise, the official news agency reported Wednesday, in his first public inspection of military activities in five months.

During the visit to the Unit 1017 of the Air and Anti-aircraft Force of the Korean People's Army on Tuesday, Kim ordered pilots to "take off and perform difficult and complicated air combat actions," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

"Noting that while passing by the unit he abruptly dropped in at the unit in order to learn about the flight drill of a pursuit assault plane group, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un said it is important to make a sudden inspection of the regular readiness of unit as a fight of the air and anti-aircraft field is waged without previous notice," KCNA said.

Kim also expressed "great satisfaction over the excellent readiness to carry out any combat task irrespective of conditions and environment," the report said.

The visit was Kim's first reported military activity after he supervised a "newly developed ultramodern tactical weapon test" in November.

Ranking party officials, including the country's newly appointed No. 2 leader, Choe Ryong-hae, accompanied Kim, according to the KCNA.

Kim visited the Ministry of People's Armed Forces in February, but just delivered a speech to celebrate the founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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