Overview

• KCNA said Kim inspected sniper and special operations units at a General Staff training base on Aug. 27 and labeled building up these forces the top priority for war preparations.
• He called snipers specially selected troops for independent missions and said the party’s Central Military Commission will examine creating a Central Sniper Training Center under the General Staff.
• Kim reviewed a domestically developed long-range, high-precision sniper rifle that state media said is being supplied to units and ordered broader modernization, including upgraded camouflage uniforms.
• He observed live-fire drills, praised the units’ marksmanship, and held photo sessions that included commendations for three snipers highlighted for accuracy.
• The report was released on the final day of the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, and analysts cited in South Korean media read the focus on snipers and special operations as signaling and as an effort to absorb modern and counter-drone tactics.