North Korean leader watches firepower drill with company commanders, commissars

In the latest display of military might, a firepower drill was held at the order of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and was attended by company commanders and political commissars, the regime's state media reported Thursday. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim watched the live-fire exercise involving various types of artillery and air force elements that demonstrated what it called the might of the Korean People's Army. The report did not give the exact date or location of the exercise but said officers who were at last week's meeting of military officers and political directors in Pyongyang were present. The North Korean leader has been frequently seen observing military exercises as the head of the country's armed forces. This is seen as part of efforts to bolster his image in the eyes of the soldiers. Kim also urged officers to do their utmost to mold their units into elite fighting forces and expressed satisfaction that the drill showed that the North Korean forces are fully prepared to defend their socialist homeland like an "impregnable fortress."    The KCNA said Choe Ryong-hae, the director of the military General Political Bureau, Ri Yong-gil, head of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, and People's Armed Forces Minister Jang Jong-nam were also present at the event.