Why Did Kim Jong Un Summon Military Commanders? North Korea Resumes Hostile Actions Toward the South Shortly After Trump Returns Home

\r\n\r\n[Financial News]  Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, summoned military commanders from across the armed forces and ordered stronger military capabilities along the inter-Korean military demarcation line. The move appears to have resumed military actions immediately after U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China on the 14th and 15th concluded.
KCNA reported on the 18th that Kim had summoned division and brigade commanders from across the military to the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee Headquarters the previous day. At the meeting, Kim told the commanders that "training to perfect combat readiness is the military's primary duty" and instructed them to "improve the training system in line with the changing nature of modern warfare and the development trends of our military, and strengthen practical training."
He also stressed that "we are building a powerful military" and added that "as already declared, if the tasks for the coming five-year plan period are carried out, our military's readiness for strategic action will be renewed beyond comparison with the present, and it will undergo major changes in terms of war deterrence." Ri Yong-gil, Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, and Park Jong-chon, an adviser to the Ministry of National Defence, accompanied Kim that day.
Kim was also said to have referred to the party's territorial defense policy, which calls for strengthening frontline units guarding the 'southern border' and turning the border into an impregnable fortress. He also outlined plans to reinforce key units, including frontline forces, with military technology.
As North Korea renewed its military threats, Trump said he had reaffirmed the goal of denuclearizing North Korea during his summit with Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China. In a fact sheet on the U.S.-China summit released on its website on the 17th local time, the White House said, "President Trump and President Xi reaffirmed their shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea."
The fact that Trump was able to raise the issue of North Korea's denuclearization with Xi shortly after a planned 'surprise meeting' with Kim fell through during his trip to China is expected to have significant repercussions. However, it remains unclear whether the Chinese side will accept the U.S.-China summit fact sheet, which includes the denuclearization language.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter