Visiting Air Force Command, Kim Jong-un Calls for Readiness to Face Any 'Provocation'

North Korean leader Kim Jon-un visited the KPA Air Force Command and Air Force Register of 1st Division. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on his military to be ready to respond to any enemy 'provocation', state media said on Friday, after Pyongyang pledged to deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons along its border with South Korea.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have risen since North Korea last month launched a spy satellite, prompting Seoul to suspend a key clause in a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement. Pyongyang in turn said it was no longer bound by the agreement.

While visiting North Korea's air force command on Thursday to commemorate the unit's pilot's day, Leader Kim unveiled guidelines for improving the military's combat posture and increasing its "ability to fight to the maximum," the KCNA news agency reported, as quoted by Reuters, December 1.

"He established operational and tactical policies to counter military provocations and enemy threats immediately and forcefully," the report continued.

The visit was followed by a visit to a fighter aircraft unit, where pilots conducted flight demonstrations, he reported.

Photos released by state media showed Leader Kim and his daughter, both wearing long leather jackets, watching the performance.

Leader Kim praised the air force for being "fully prepared to carry out their air combat mission perfectly in any adverse situation".

It is known that the United States and its allies strongly condemned the launch of North Korea's first spy satellite as a violation of several UN Security Council resolutions. However, Pyongyang said it would launch more satellites, citing its right to self-defense.

Separately, the United States on Thursday targeted North Korea with new sanctions over the satellite launch, targeting foreign agents accused of facilitating sanctions evasion. South Korea also announced sanctions against 11 North Korean citizens.

Reflecting rising tensions, South Korea has suspended tours of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, a Seoul official said.

Local media reported that North Korean soldiers in the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the DMZ began carrying firearms again, after North Korea withdrew from the inter-Korean military agreement.