North Korea ‘attacks’ South Korea’s presidential palace

A general view shows the presidential Blue House in Seoul on November 1, 2016. The North Korean military launched a massive drill recently against simulated targets in South Korea that included a mock up of its presidential Blue House. AFP

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un conducted a large scale military drill targeting South Korea’s presidential Blue House, state media said Sunday.

The military exercise of the North’s special operation forces — carried out as Kim watched with binoculars at an observation post — was aimed at “destroying specified targets of the enemy,” including the South’s Blue House, KCNA said.

The ruling Workers’ Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun also carried a two-page report of the drill, showing several pictures of a building resembling the Blue House being invaded by the North’s troops and set on fire, as well as one of Kim roaring with laughter as he watched the simulated attack.

“Through the combat drill, our forces extended the sea of fire of the Yeonpyeong Island to the sea of fire of Cheong Wa Dae,” KCNA said, referring to the South’s border island which was bombarded by the North in 2010.

No date was given for the military exercise.

“Well done, the enemy troops will have no space to hide themselves, far from taking any counteraction,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

There are growing concerns of fresh provocation by Pyongyang following Friday’s impeachment of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn, who has temporarily taken on the role and authority of acting president, held an emergency cabinet meeting and ordered the military to be extra vigilant against the North.

North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests already this year and multiple missile launches in its push for a weapon capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland.

The UN Security Council slapped its toughest sanctions yet on the North this month for its fifth nuclear test in September, capping the North’s annual coal exports — its top external revenue source. CBB/rga