SEOUL, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- North Korea denounced the United States for nearly bringing war to the Korean peninsula in 2015 as Kim Jong Un said more "practical training" is needed for Pyongyang's military.
State-controlled outlet KCNA said Thursday the United States had hatched an "evil plot" against the North, adding "the problems between North Korea and the United States has continued across the centuries, and reached a peak" in 2015.
North Korea said in the statement the United States' "hostile policy" against Pyongyang was to be blamed for the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, and that the same "hackneyed techniques" were being deployed in the Middle East and North Africa.
In August, as tensions escalated after land mines exploded in the demilitarized zone, injuring two South Korean soldiers, the United States drove the South Korean military to conflict, KCNA stated.
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Pyongyang also said it took issue with a new operation plan, OPLAN 5015. North Korea said the deal was signed by the United States and South Korea and included information on strengthening sanctions against the North, as well as details on a pre-emptive strike.
North Korea's statements follow reports of Kim Jong Un's visit to a military exercise, where he instructed officers to strengthen practical training in order to "enhance the [military's] creative ability to fight," South Korean outlet Newsis reported.
Kim watched the twin military maneuvers of the Korean People's Army Large Combined Units 526 and 671, KCNA reported, where he praised the units for their "impeccable defense and attack," then said training should continue in environments closer to real-life scenarios.
North Korea stated an officer by the name of Kim Jong Chul was in attendance, raising speculations in South Korea on whether the man was the older brother of Kim Jong Un.
Kim Jong Chul made headlines in 2015, when he was spotted at an Eric Clapton concert in London.
