Flashpoints | Security | East Asia
The North Korean leader called for restructuring the army’s training system and reinforcing front-line units along the southern border, as Pyongyang deepens its push to redefine the security landscape of the Korean Peninsula.
In this photo provided by North Korean state media, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un poses for a photograph with military commanders during a meeting on May 17, 2026.
Kim Jong Un, the autocratic leader of North Korea, met with division and brigade commanders from across the Korean People’s Army on May 17, calling for sweeping changes to the military’s training system and organizational structure.
According to a report published on May 18 in the North’s state-controlled media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the meeting was held at the Party Central Committee headquarters in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, with the attendance of senior military figures including Ri Yong Gil, chief of the KPA General Staff, and Pak Jong Chon, an adviser to the Ministry of National Defense.
