North Korea to turn southern border into ‘impregnable fortress’

Kim gave the instruction at a meeting on Sunday where a photo released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed him presiding over commanding military officers wearing full-dress uniform.

Kim “set forth plans for … strengthening the first-line units and other major units in military and technical aspects as an important decision to more thoroughly deter war”, the KCNA report said.

The plans, which experts say appeared informed by developments in Russia’s war with Ukraine

, come at a low point in relations with South Korea as Pyongyang has been unresponsive to Seoul’s repeated offers for dialogue.

Kim also talked about the ruling party’s “policy of territorial defence on strengthening the first-line units in the southern border and turning the border line into an impregnable fortress”, according to KCNA.