SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Korea Bizwire) – Pyongyang’s state media, Korean Central Television, reported Sunday that leader Kim Jong-un observed a military drill simulating an attack on a mock-up of Cheong Wa Dae, the South Korean presidential residence also known as the Blue House.
Kim viewed the combat drill conducted by the North Korean army’s special operations battalion (KPA Unit 525), which included artillery shelling and infiltration into key South Korean targets that included the Blue House, reported KCTV without revealing the date of the exercise.
The South Korean Ministry of Defense strongly condemned the drill shortly after the report, reproaching the North Korean government for an unnecessary escalation of tension on the peninsula, while the Ministry of Unification also criticized the provocation through an official statement on Monday.
“North Korea’s move seems to be aimed at showing that the regime remains strong in contrast to the political troubles in South Korea,” said unification ministry spokesperson Jeong Joon-hee.
North Korea routinely broadcasts military exercises that target specific infrastructure or key figures. Last year, KCTV reported on North Korean soldiers conducting a live fire exercise at a target that included a photo of President Park Geun-hye.
Image Credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
