North Korea calls U.S., South Korea forces 'bastards'

SEOUL, March 24 (UPI) -- Kim Jong Un said major buildings in Seoul must be "crushed mercilessly" during an artillery practice where a North Korean general referred to the United States and South Korea forces as "bastards."

The North Korean leader said soldiers must engage in exercises with the aim of destroying the presidential Blue House in the South Korean capital, and achieving unification in this manner, Pyongyang's state news agency KCNA reported Friday, local time.

Kim made the statement during a Korean People's Army long-range artillery hitting practice, and urged his military to sweep away and destroy "anti-North institutions" in the South, South Korean news service News 1 reported.

"All soldiers must be trained to become fighters who each do the work of many men," Kim said, adding they should maintain readiness to "crush mercilessly into pieces" the "anti-unitary institutions" in Seoul at his order.

Kim praised the military and said their shooting was "extremely accurate."

KCNA stated the purpose of the long-distance artillery practice was to prepare for decisive action against the South Korean president "Park Geun-hye's faction" if Seoul were to take actions against the Workers' Party Central Committee.

Hundreds of long-range artillery and elite troops at the practice, North Korea said.

Pak Yong Sik, a senior North Korean military officer, said the firing practices proved the military's willingness to "defend to the death" the leadership in Pyongyang.

Pak also condemned the United States and South Korea for ongoing joint military exercises.

"If those bastards make a last struggle of defiance, all our forces would respond with merciless retaliatory strikes until Seoul is turned into powder and transformed into ruin," Pak reportedly said.

In Seoul, the South Korean president said during a memorial that the only way to break the cycle of North Korea provocations is for the people of South Korea to draw strength in unity.

The memorial was held a day ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Cheonan warship sinking, Yonhap reported.