N. Korea leader attends KPA 'information workers' meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a military 'information workers' meeting on Thursday, in a move to highlight the importance the country places on the ideological indoctrination of its soldiers.

   The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the meeting was attended by workers belonging to all branches of the Korean People's Army (KPA), including its rocket force and officers of various military schools.

   The workers have similar roles to political commissars found in many communist countries, with officials tasked to carry out political and ideological education of troops, and to help maintain loyalty of the military to the country's leadership.

   The news wire service said Kim called for the improving and strengthening of the ideological work of the country's armed forces.

   "He expressed expectation and conviction that all the information workers of the KPA would conduct more dynamic frontline-style information and agitation activities to make the hearts of the KPA soldiers burn with towering resentment at the U.S. and the south Korean puppet group of traitors," the KCNA quoting the leader reported. Kim also said soldiers must have the will to annihilate enemies and have ardent desire for national unification.

   The visit by Kim to the meeting is seen by North Korean observers as a move to tighten control over the armed forces as Pyongyang ratchets up tension after it detonated its third nuclear device on Feb. 12 -- a move that caused the United Nations to slap fresh sanctions on the isolationist country.

   In addition, Seoul and Washington kicked off two joint military exercises this month in a show of force aimed at deterring aggression from the North. (Yonhap News)