Kim Jong-un Inspects Elite Special Forces Unit, Praises ‘Perfect War Readiness’

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected the combat readiness of the country’s elite special operations forces, expressing satisfaction with their preparedness and issuing new directives for their development, state media reported on Sunday.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim visited the headquarters of the 11th Corps of the Korean People’s Army on Saturday, where he observed a training session and described the unit as being in “perfect war posture.”

The 11th Corps, regarded as North Korea’s most elite special forces unit, reportedly sent troops to Russia last year to support its war against Ukraine, gaining experience in modern combat operations.

During his visit, Kim received a briefing on the corps’ operational plans and outlined “strategic policies and key tasks” to further strengthen the unit. He also instructed the Central Military Commission to consider “organizational and structural measures” to bolster its capabilities.

“It is the will and desire of the party to make the entire army as strong and heroic as this unit, which always achieves victory in every battle,” Kim was quoted as saying while touring the unit’s museum.

The inspection coincided with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju. While Seoul said denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula would be on the agenda, the issue was not mentioned in the outcomes released after the summit.

On Saturday, Pyongyang dismissed Seoul’s mention of denuclearization as a “pipe dream,” though KCNA’s latest report made no reference to the matter.