Overview

• Kim Jong Un observed a maritime live-fire contest and commended units for hitting designated targets within strict time limits
• He has declared 2025 the year of intensive military training and urged troops to maintain the ability to destroy the enemy in every battle
• State media reported he wants artillery tactics refined to cope with a daily-changing modern battlefield environment
• South Korean and Western intelligence confirm over 10,000 North Korean soldiers and major munitions shipments were sent to Russia's Kursk region last year
• Seoul estimates about 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands wounded fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine